PRIME Minister, Brigadier (ret’d), Mark Phillips, on Friday, was inducted as a patron of the Guyana Marine Conservation Society (GMCS).
The GMCS, which was founded in 2000, focuses on advocacy, conservation and management of Guyana’s marine resources.
During his remarks to the GMCS Board of Directors, Prime Minister Phillips said he is looking forward to working with and assisting the organisation in achieving its strategic objectives.
“Conversation is important for Guyana and the reality is that we have to protect and care about our environment. I am happy to be updated on your mandate and I look forward to working with you,” the Department of Public Information (DPI) quoted the Prime Minister as saying.
Among the topics discussed during the meeting were the threat to marine security, the need for empirical data and research, and oil spill preparedness.

GMCS President, Annette Arjoon-Martins presented the Prime Minister with the organisation’s 2021-2025 strategic plan.
She said that as Chief of Staff of the GDF, the Prime Minister had provided his unwavering support to the GMCS and she is confident of his similar commitment as patron.
“We expect that he will continue to advocate for us, he is also the head of the CDC and that is a very critical body. He could also have conversations about us with many of the international companies that may come to meet with him that have an interest in marine research, he can match them with our young scientists and our volunteers at GMCS,” Arjoon-Martins said.
Also present at the induction were research manager and board member of GMCS, Maria Fraser and her fellow board members, Ivana Thompson, Dr Marie Correia, John Flores, Lieutenant Commander, GDF Coast Guard, David Shamsudeen and Dr Raquel Thomas – Caesar and Mikhail Amsterdam.