AUTHORITIES in neighbouring Suriname have freed 45 Guyanese fishermen who were arrested last week for not having their passports and other relevant travel documents. The fishermen have each been made to pay a fine of US$100.

Chairman of the Upper Corentyne Fishermen’s Co-op Society, Pameshwar Jainarine, told this newspaper that the owners of the nine fishing vessels, whose crews were arrested between Sunday and Wednesday last, have paid the fines, and their crews are back at sea to ply their trade.

“The owners of the boats went over to Suriname and paid the money for the men who were arrested. They were released late (on) Friday, and have gone out to sea to fish,” Jainarine said in an interview with this publication.

He added that prior to the release of the men, the owners of the fishing boats assured the Surinamese authorities that upon arrival in Guyana, they would make every effort to have the men secure the necessary documents to avoid a recurrence of the problem.

“The owners had to promise the Suriname authorities that they gon get the passports for their crew and ensure they get it stamped. The people don’t have a choice; they either get the passports and get (them) stamped, or they would have to stop fishing,” Jainarine said.

He is also calling on the relevant authorities to assist the fisher folk in any way possible to get their passports and put in place a system where they can get it stamped hassle-free.

“Most of the fishermen are poor people…their parents did not register them at birth. When we make attempts to get them registered, they don’t have birth certificates,” Jainarine said.

In an earlier interview, Jainarine had deemed as “harassment” what the Surinamese authorities had done.