THE government remains optimistic that the long-standing ban on catfish exports to the United States of America (USA) will be lifted soon.
Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, gave this assurance on Wednesday during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Guyana and Blumberg Grain at the ministry’s head office in Georgetown.

Minister Mustapha shared that he has been in regular contact with the US Ambassador to Guyana, Nicole Theriot, on the issue.
“I hope very shortly we can have the ban lifted so that Guyana could once again export the catfish to the US,” he explained.

Since August 2020, the government has been working with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to have the ban lifted.
The United States imposed a ban on wild-caught catfish imports in September 2017 since Guyana’s inspection system did not mirror the USDA’s standards at the time. Before the government-imposed restriction, Guyana’s catfish exports to the US were valued at approximately $1.8 billion annually.

Ambassador Theriot acknowledged Guyana’s commitment to resolving the issue, noting that the country has been highly receptive and has taken all the necessary steps to resolve the matter.
The ambassador explained that Guyana, like the rest of the world, was required to requalify and submit additional documents.

“I know this has been a long-term negotiation…Guyana has taken every step we have asked of this. It is a long process,” She explained. “I can tell you that it is going very well. I am very hopeful, as is the minister, that we will have this resolved soon and that it will be a positive response. I am certainly pushing on my end to make that happen.”

The requirements for importing catfish and most seafood into the United States became significantly stricter in recent years. (DPI)