THE Fisheries Department of the Ministry of Agriculture will soon implement a number of measures to address some of the issues affecting fisherfolk in Guyana.
Chief Fisheries Officer Denzil Roberts said that for years, the first quarter of the year has always seen a decline in production for the sector.
“It is known in the industry that in January, the sea conditions are not conducive to fishing and there is low production since most of the vessels do not go out to sea at this time. The trend is that production will increase in [or] around April or May,” Roberts said.
Stakeholders in the sector have suggested that the current off-shore oil-and-gas operations have contributed to these low levels of catch.

During a recent meeting with members of the Fisheries Advisory Committee and the Guyana Fisheries Limited Board (GFLB), Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha said that Government was aware of the issue of low catch levels and that the ministry is prepared to work with all the relevant stakeholders to devise ways to remedy the situation.
“Although no studies have been conducted on whether the current oil-and-gas operations have indeed influenced production levels, government is prepared and willing to work with the stakeholders to verify what is being suggested by our fishermen. We know for a fact that this time of the year, catch levels are relatively low. Climate change has also affected production levels. We’ve recently established a committee to look at issues affecting the sector and if the committee brings a recommendation for a study to be conducted, government will then be able to take the necessary steps to move forward,” Minister Mustapha said.

Minister Mustapha also said that the Fisheries Department will be addressing one of the issues of licensing, using the newly acquired vessel to conduct monitoring, control and surveillance activities and to regulate the operations of the artisanal vessels. He noted that the number of working vessels based on a boat-count done in 2017, showed that there are 1315 working vessels.
This year, the Fisheries Department will also intensify its fishing-gear monitoring efforts, as this too can pose a challenge to operations at sea.
The subject minister said that fishing boats utilise various gear as their catch are multi species and that the Fisheries Department will soon conduct a study on the gear types used by fishermen to ensure that only environmentally friendly types are being used.
Other management plans to be introduced within the year include the implementation of closed seasons and closed areas; restriction of unregulated gear; the introduction of a quota system and training for fishermen in the proper and responsible use of new and existing fishing gear.