– Chinese lend helping hand to boost technological advancement in aquaculture
FISHING resources have been dwindling at an “alarming rate” and the Ministry of Agriculture believes that diversified aquaculture might be the solution to the problem.
Resources in the fishing industry have been depleting because of over-exploitation, illegal and unregulated fishing practices and climate change, said Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Delma Nedd, during her remarks at the launch of a training course on aquaculture technology at the Regency Suites on Wednesday.
Amidst the alarming rate of depletion of resources, 60 Guyanese will be trained by a team from the Fujian Institute of Oceanography through the programme which was sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China.
Over the next 14 days, officials of the Ministry of Agriculture, experts of scientific research institutions, technical directors of aquatic enterprise and aquaculture farmers will be trained in the areas of Global Aquaculture Development and Green Farming; Design and Construction of Aquaculture Ponds, Artificial Breeding and Culture Techniques of Macrobrachium Rosenbergii; Artificial Breeding and Healthy Culture Techniques of Penaeus Vannamei; Practical Cultivation techniques of tilapia and production techniques of aquatic feed.
“The promotion of aquaculture in Guyana is of great priority, and we are blessed with land, fresh water and good conditions to make aquaculture a significant part of our economic earnings,” said Nedd, adding that the training programme is happening at a time when much intervention is needed in the fishing industry.
Chief Fisheries Officer Denzil Roberts echoed the sentiments of Nedd, noting that the programme will be an important contributor to the development of the local aquaculture industry.
He said Guyana’s fishing industry is on the rise and developing the aquaculture sector would further contribute to the increase in the performance of the industry.
Roberts believes that Guyana has the capacity to produce enough fish for the local and international markets, since export earnings alone rake in about US$74 million a year.
Charge d’Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Guyana, Chen Xilai said in light of the developing industry, the Chinese Government is committed to providing assistance to Guyana’s economic development and improvement of people’s livelihood.
The current human resources training programme is the result of the Sino-Guyana friendship. Last year, the Fujian Institute held the first foreign aid training programme in Guyana.
This year, they will continue to work hard in order to integrate the current aquaculture development in Guyana with the actual needs of the industry.
“We will organise Guyanese trainees to conduct measurement and dissection of farmed fish, internship and practice on common fish such as identification and treatment of diseases and field visits and guidance to local farms in Guyana to improve the practical aquaculture technology and promote the development of local aquaculture industry,” said Xilai, adding the Chinese Government looks forward to taking the training course as an opportunity to promote the continuous cooperation between China and Guyana in the fields of aquaculture and marine fishery.
He believes that with the joint efforts of China and Guyana, the development of the fishing industry in Guyana will reach a new level.
Fujian Institute of Oceanography has rich experience in running training courses. For more than a decade, the institute has successfully completed nearly 100 foreign aid training programmes and carried out fruitful training exchanges with more than 2,600 training officials and technicians from more than 100 countries and regions in five continents in the marine and fishery fields.
The training programmes have achieved excellent results and won the welcome praise of the participants from all countries.
