THE Interagency Task Force, which was established in 2015 by the Ministry of the Presidency to develop a strategy to combat piracy, convened a special meeting on Wednesday to review its operations based on reports coming out of the recent piracy attacks on fishermen in Suriname waters.

The task force meets on a monthly basis and comprises representatives from the following agencies: The Guyana Police Force–Chair of the Task Force; the GDF Coast Guard; the Maritime Administration Department; the Guyana Revenue Authority; the Fisheries Department, Ministry of Agriculture; the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit; and the Guyana Energy Agency.

In a release, the Guyana Police Force said the coordinator of the Task Force is Captain E.W. Adams from the Ministry of the Presidency. At the meeting, Chairman of the taskforce, Acting Police Commissioner David Ramnarine gave an overview of developments in

Suriname and the collaboration between the Guyana authorities and their Suriname counterparts. The members undertook to maintain inter-agency communication, joint operations and increase surveillance and coastal, land and sea patrols. The task force also renewed their call for fishing vessels to be licensed and equipped with tracking devices.