IN Guyana, fishermen play a vital role in ensuring food security by risking it all to confront many challenges and bring in a good catch as often as possible.

Antonio Persaud is a fisherman who works solo with his own small wooden boat powered by a 20-horsepower (HP) engine. He would set off from the landing under Canje Bridge in Berbice to the mouth of the Berbice River, about seven miles out.

Persaud, better known as “Lilman” told the Pepperpot Magazine that for the past 15 years, fishing has been his sole source of income after he quit his full-time job as a soldier. The 36-year-old added that he operates the ‘Chinese seine’ fishing method, where he would go and set his seine in the fish pens and when the tide rises, he pulls the seine out to reveal his catch.
Persaud, a father of one, stated that it is best to fish when the tide is high, and it brings in fish in the seine and the fish pens.

He explained that he would pull up the tail end of the seine to offload the fish into the plastic tubs he has in his boat and repeat the process a few times until the catch is enough to sell for a small profit. Persaud reported that fishing these days is not like before. Three years ago, fish was plentiful, but now, due to the ever-changing weather and other things, fishing has become difficult.

The fisherman noted that the rainy weather is the ideal time to fish and freshwater brings in a good catch of saltwater fish, including trout, snapper, banga, butterfish, catfish, kurass and a variety of shrimps. Persaud stated that fishing is a process and entails long hours on the water manning the seine until there is enough fish to sell to vendors who sell at the markets or in the villages.

The fisherman added that he went on a fishing trip three days ago, and his catch wasn’t much, and because he has a small boat, he cannot go far due to the rough waters. Persaud told the Pepperpot Magazine that two to three years ago, they were not safe due to numerous piracy attacks on fishermen in that area, but lately they haven’t had any such incident. He stated that vendors would come and buy the fish right at the landing under the Canje Bridge, so it is convenient for the fisherfolk operating there.

“Being a fisherman is a choice. It is a job, a full-time one that I depend on to feed my family and even though I take a lot of chances, I must earn since my options are limited in terms of getting a steady job, and I prefer not to work for other people but myself,” he said.

Persaud added that as a fisherman, he encounters many challenges with the tide and the dry season is not good for fishing. He reported that the best time to fish is when the spring tide is six to seven days, and he would make the most of it.

“Even though fishing isn’t an everyday job, I still have to be patient and fish when the time is right to earn,” he reasoned.

Persaud noted that when he was in the army, his pay was small and he had his parents to take care of, and he had no choice but to turn to alternative means to earn.

“Things are looking bleak for fishing because soon, with oil and gas operations in Berbice River, the area we fish will no longer be available for fishing and we would have to quit,” he said.

Persaud also disclosed that fishes are not available as before and they have to go farther to get a good catch, which is also time-consuming and costly. He related that during the pandemic, they were given a one-off cash grant of $150,000, but things are still tough.
Persaud is however thankful for the cash grant but feels fisherfolk should have more benefits because in their area, when the grass is cut from the Canje Creek, they cannot fish for a month.