The Chief Fisheries Officer said Guyana recognises and is taking steps to transform the fisheries sector in order to make it sustainable and to ensure that fisher folk maintain their livelihoods.
At a panel discussion titled ‘Caribbean Fisheries: Sinking and Swimming in uncertain waters’ which is one in a series of discussions to be hosted by the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) to address topical issues in the industry, Chief Fisheries Officer Nigel Dharamlall said Guyana has recognised that resources are very limited. In keeping with this recently focus has been placed on investments in the sector, a Government Information Agency (GINA) press release said. These investments started with the institutional revolution of the sector via the implementation and enforcement of the Fisheries Advisory Act of 2002.
Subsequent to that, over the past two years, a number of strategic documents including the fisheries management plan, the arapaima management plan and the aquaculture strategy were put in place. Dharamlall said too the sector is designated as one of the competitive areas for development in the country and the agriculture ministry is moving towards greater investment in aquaculture.
He added that with respect to the marine aspects through the Fisheries Advisory Committee an approach has been set out to revolutionize the sector.
Dharamlall also noted that there is the need to build capacity in the sector to serve the industry and the ministry had begun looking at institutional arrangements with respect to capacity related issues within the fisheries department.
Deputy Executive Director of CRFM Milton Haughton said the CRFM was exploring a project to strengthen the capacity of fisher folks. This year, five scholarships will be given by CRFM for a three-month course based on policy, management and law while three persons will benefit from a six-month course based on policy and planning.
On the issue of including fisher folks, Dharamlall said both formal and informal methods are being considered and that the Fisheries Advisory Committee was formed at the request of the fishing association. He said there is good contact with stakeholders through the committee since persons often go out and meet with them to address their concerns. Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud also hosts an open day every week where they can air their concerns. Persaud has also begun discussions at the highest level to facilitate the transition of the sector.
Haughton said that through the CRFM, the organisation was looking at implementing a common communication strategy regionally for which a consultant was engaged to put together. Part of the problem, he noted, is that the fishermen are not organized.
Regarding the fisheries policy Dharamlall said it is “a work in progress” and that the framework document was actually at the stage of implementation. The idea of implementing a common fisheries policy was a complex one since there were 4,500 households which depended on fishing and had different issues that affected their livelihoods. He said that Guyana fully supported the implementation of a common fisheries policy.
Haughton then noted that the CRFM was looking at developing a common fisheries policy and regime which would be the regional framework. He added that the government has been involved in the process and through the ministry and was making significant inputs.
The director noted too that Guyana was a major fishing nation in the Caribbean and was the most productive area, not only in the Caribbean, but globally.
Regarding the issue of consultation with stakeholders in implementing the policy, Haughton said that from the beginning stakeholders were identified since this was important in a democratic process. However, he explained that one of the obstacles was the issue of access. He said there is a “huge diversity of fishes” and this aspect was very useful in dealing with competition in the sector, as well as sustaining the sector so that the resources will not decline. Haughton then urged that the business of organizing be done efficiently to make use of the opportunities and was embarking on a path to develop the sector.
GINA said the panel also included Leslie Ramalho of the Guyana Fisheries Advisory Committee, consultant Rueben Charles, Senior Project Officer for Agricultural Development, Caricom Barry Joefield and Carmel Haynes, who coordinated the proceedings at the Caricom Secretariat.
