— close to $40 million budgeted for works this year

WITH government announcing transformative measures for Guyana’s aquaculture sector, the Satyadeow Sawh Aquaculture Station is expected to benefit from a series of upgrades during the year.

Last week, the Fisheries Department of the Ministry of Agriculture inked a $39,912,372 contract with Doodnauth Construction and Supplies, which will see a series of upgrades and expansion to the facility which is located on Agriculture Road, Mon Repos.
During the contract-signing, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha stressed the importance of having those projects completed in a timely manner.

With works scheduled to commence at the facility in the coming week, Minister Mustapha said that the works are intended to significantly increase the current capacity of the aquaculture station.

“The expansion of the Satyadeow Sawh Aquaculture Station will double the present capacity of the facility and improve its ability to deliver on a wider selection of species for research, and make available to farmers for grow-out. Species that will be targeted are lukanani, patwa, tambaqui, kreteke/snail, hassar, and arapaima. Upgrades to the facility will include the construction of seven 46’ x 23’ concrete ponds, the construction of 540 feet of earthen road, as well as the erection of a 1690-foot fence,” Minister Mustapha said.

Minister Mustapha further stated that the upgrades are in keeping with government’s plan to further develop the country’s aquaculture sector.
“Since taking office last August, government has been pushing and promoting development of the local aquaculture sector.

After closely examining the layout and land available at the aquaculture station, a decision was taken for several upgrades to be made to develop the facility and, by extension, the sector. If we are going to promote and develop aquaculture in Guyana, fisherfolk need to have access to a certain amount of fingerlings at any given period. This is why we needed to ensure we utilise the available space, construct additional ponds, and execute an overall upgrade,” Minister Mustapha said.

Apart from contracted works, Minister Mustapha disclosed that the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) will also be assisting the Fisheries Department with clearing 7.5 acres of land for the expansion and the construction of 23 earthen ponds of various sizes.
These works are expected to be completed by the first week in September of this year.

Over the last eight months, government has taken several steps to reorganise and rejuvenate the sector. Back in March of this year, the Guyana National Fisherfolk Organisation (GNFO) hosted its second national election after being dormant for some time.

Furthermore, President Dr. Irfaan Ali had announced that government will soon launch an aquaculture ‘master plan’ that will see the sector taking off. The Head of State alluded to the fact that, as a result of climate change and the changing landscape of the global fisheries industry, government was encouraged to think outside the box and move to transition to an aquaculture-based operation.

The Agriculture Ministry has commenced sensitisation and consultation exercises with the local fisher-folk to reorganise the players and ensure that the sector is developed in a sustainable way.

Guyana’s aquaculture sector is being targeted for massive development in both the long term and short term. This year, $293 million has been allocated for development of the Fisheries and Aquaculture sectors.