CHAIRMAN of the Guyana National Fisherfolk Organisation, Pamashwar Jainarine, has said that woes brought on by the pandemic and the recent flooding have highlighted the need for a safety net for fishermen and women across the country. Jainarine made this comment at an event held on Tuesday to commemorate fisherfolk.
“This pandemic has devasted many places and the fishing industry has been one that has felt the full impact. The prices for our catch have reduced, in some cases over 30-40 per cent. Our expenses are going up, prices of food stuff and the demand for our catch is not there,” Jainarine said.
“Five-six months ago it was violent winds, now its heavy rains and flooding. These happenings have showed how vulnerable the fishing industry is,” he said adding that most major exporters have not been purchasing fish. Further, Jainarine stated that fishermen don’t get the privilege of being offered loans or insurance for their vessels.

“There are many instances where fishers are left on their own when they are in dire need of assistance. The banks are very reluctant to give loans to fishers to put them back on their feet when they meet natural disasters or when they fall on hardships.”
The insurance companies, he added, “do not insure wooden boats; they do not insure our vessels.”
He explained that if a fisherfolk’s boat becomes damaged as a result of a natural disaster or otherwise, if he or she does not have savings to fall back on, he/she is left to fend for himself/herself. “If we have damage to our vessels, if we don’t have any savings, we are on our own. There is no agency, nothing,” he stressed.
He added that while several attempts were made for fisherfolk to obtain insurance, no serious effort was made to ensure that fisherfolk’s livelihoods were secure.
“What we would like to see is a safety net for our fisherfolk,” he posited.