FOLLOWING the release of an email sent by Surinamese Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Parmanand Sewdien, to Guyana’s Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, vindicating the agreement for the provision of Surinamese fishing licences to Guyanese fisherfolk, Guyana has decided to forge ahead with its decision to write the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) on the delayed delivery.

“They promised us, they made a commitment, also we would have submitted all the documents that they called for and all that they wanted and we were waiting on them,” Mustapha said in an invited comment on Wednesday.

The email, which, according to the minister was leaked to the Surinamese parliament, vindicated the Surinamese minister’s promise to issue licences to fisherfolk here in Guyana.
In the email dated December 13, 2020, which was seen by this publication, Suriname’s Agriculture Minister informed Mustapha that the fishing licences would be issued from January 1, 2021.

Additionally, Sewdien wrote that a government company will be appointed to oversee the registration of vessels and issuance of licences to Guyanese fishermen.
Last month, Guyana’s Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, announced that Guyana will be writing CARICOM over the harassment of local fishermen by Suriname’s authorities and the country’s failure to honour a written agreement to provide 150 licences to local fisherfolk.

The Vice President had outlined Guyana’s position twice in front of hundreds of fisherfolk at the Port Mourant and Skeldon Community Centre grounds.
He related that Guyana has been waiting long enough and it is time that the Surinamese authorities fulfill their commitment.

“We recognised the injustices that are meted out to fishermen from Guyana. We recognise the capricious nature of the Surinamese Government and the corruption in Suriname that is preventing this issue from being resolved,” Dr. Jagdeo said.

He added: “There are officials in Suriname who are totally corrupt and do not want to see this matter resolved because it affects their pockets…. It seems as though that these individuals whoever they are — are so powerful in Suriname – that they can negate a promise made by the President of Suriname.”

In July of this year, three Guyanese fishermen were detained by Surinamese authorities for fishing in that country’s waters and their vessels were seized. The men detained were identified as Ramesh Ramchand and Mahendra Bissessar of Annandale, East Coast Demerara (ECD) and Troy Tyrell of Lusignan, ECD.

On September 5, the Government of Guyana, in a statement, condemned the harassment of Guyanese fisherfolk by the Surinamese Government, inclusive of its failure to grant licences to local fishermen in keeping with the commitment made to President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, on November 26, 2020, during a visit to Suriname.

During the November 2020 visit, Minister Mustapha had met with Minister Sewdien, and requested the issuance of 150 SK licences, which would allow Guyanese fishermen to ply their trade in Suriname waters.
Minister Mustapha recalled the earlier discussions between President Ali and the President of Suriname, Chandrikapersad Santokhi, that there should be an agreement on the issuance of the number of licences requested by Guyana.

At the last meeting of President Ali and President Santokhi in Georgetown, it was agreed that by January 1, 2022, arrangements would have been put in place to facilitate the issuance of the 150 SK licences to Guyanese fishermen.