COMMISSIONER of Police Mr Leslie James, whilst testifying at the Commission of Inquiry into the deadly piracy attack which left several Guyanese fishermen dead in Suriname waters in 2018, noted that, while piracy is on the decline, as there were no reports for 2019, there is need for aerial surveillance coupled with “fit for the purpose vessels” to assist in effectively monitoring of fishers on the high seas.

Further, James, who also heads the Piracy Task Force, suggested that some amendment must be made to the various Acts, to make it compulsory for fishing vessels to have GPS tracking and communication devices.

“It was observed that fisher folk will have engines and parts exchanged… there must be some amendment (to the law), with the required penalty,” he emphasized in response to questions by the COI Secretary, Attorney at law, Darren Wade, at the Skeldon Estate Training Centre, Corentyne, where hearings are being held.

Responding to the question, ‘what drives the act of piracy’, the Commissioner replied, ‘It’s the catch, the engine… in most occasions the vessels will be found floating… all cases report missing engines. When fisher folk do better by getting a catch, there is jealously against another, which may result in conflict. There was a general observation that there was some level of conflict among parties on the high seas. The piracy attack is usually among people who are known to each other, because they will call names. They will resort to the use of masks. Masking suggest they are known…” he said.

“The whole fisher folk arrangement seems very ad hoc, to say the least. Notwithstanding there is the Fishery Act, which the fisher folk are required to conform to by way of licence…As chairman of the Piracy Committee, we should have some level of enforcement…. a multi-agency approach …the single agency approach is not bearing fruit …It needs to be enacted in the law and not just into practice,” he said.

Meanwhile, Crime Chief, Michael Kingston, stated that three persons are being charged with the deadly piracy attack, but lamented the fact that following his visit to neighbouring Suriname, during April and May 2018, it took four to five days to ascertain the true identity of the slain fishermen as they were referred by their aliases and not their proper names.

“In addition to fishing vessels having adequate equipment to sail back to shore in times of distress, there is need for fisher folk to report to a central authority before they leave for sea….” Kingston stated

Confirming that Guyana has a working relationship with its eastern neighbour, Kingston expressed concern about the timeframe utilised to garner basic information which could have been avoided if there was a logging arrangement.

Another witness, Gairy Baird, Head of the Legal and Inspectorate Unit, Fisheries Department, Ministry of Agriculture said, initially that there were 165 vessels at Number 66 fishing complex; however just 43 are licenced while at Number 43 complex there are 25 vessels with 10 being licenced to fish.

“There are many vessels which are not registered….we plan an enforcement exercise…There are 14 persons in the department with four for licensing and registration, which are not sufficient,” said Baird.

The COI is being held as a result of an order made by President David Granger. The Commissioner is slated to conduct public hearings and present findings and

recommendations, concerning the circumstances surrounding the violent criminal acts of the hijacking of Guyanese-owned motor vessels and the deaths of Guyanese nationals on or about April 27, 2018.

The pirates had attacked and chopped 20 Guyanese fishermen who were in four fishing vessels in Suriname waters.