Commissioner of Police Leslie James yesterday gave testimony at the Commission of Inquiry into the piracy attack in which over a dozen fishermen were killed off the coast of Suriname last year May.
As part of his testimony in Berbice, he recommended changes to the maritime and piracy acts in order to better enforce the acts as well as improve the fishing sector. He also stressed the need for aerial surveillance of the high seas.
The commissioner said that it was observed that despite the existence of a fisheries act, a maritime act and regulations “which fisherfolk are required to conform to,” those acts are often breached. “Enforcement campaigning would be carried [out] and persons would be charged but still there would be non-compliance (with) the acts,” he stated.
As such yesterday he suggested, that there be amendments making it compulsory for fisherfolk to have some sort of tracking system and communication devices. He also said there should be penalties in place for persons who are found tampering with chassis and engines, since there is a possibility that tampered engines could have been stolen.
He said, the main question is what drives the act of piracy, the answer to which he believes is the catch and engines, “because [on] most occasions the vessels might be found floating while the catch and engines are stolen.”
He disclosed that it was discussed at the piracy committee which he chairs that there should be some level of enforcement whereby whenever a vessel is engaged by officers of the law “the chassis and engine number of the respective vessel should be checked and if there is any engine, chassis or otherwise found to be tampered [with], that engine should be seized forthwith and further investigation conducted.”
He emphasised that this is because that said engine could possibly be part of the loot from a previous case of piracy.
Further he explained, that if there is a report of a piracy and the report indicates that it might have been somewhere on the high seas then there would be a joint effort between the relevant agencies. However, “if it’s within the inland areas the Guyana Police Force would deal with those matters.”
Commissioner James said, that the GPF has a maritime department which enables them to have a marine presence in each of the seven divisions. For ‘B’ Division, the marine ranks are stationed in New Amsterdam.
Added to this, he said, there is a need for vessels and equipment for those marine ranks. He stressed that there is need for “fit for the purpose” vessels.
For 2019, he said there has been no reports of piracy.
However, he added that there have been reports of larceny of vessels, larceny of engines, and larceny of catch which require the efforts of the marine police together with the regular police to conduct investigations.”
He then said that there is a system that allows them to monitor vessels “not necessarily by way of presence on the water but there is a presence on land.”
Questioned on actual systems in place to monitor vessels, Commissioner James replied, “Well as you know there is an association there and we are in direct contact with members who report to us time after time about matters which arise but we do not have a physical presence in the water there.”
He then said that there is need for aerial surveillance of Guyana’s waters. “Some of these piracies potentially can occur on the high seas at present and as I said we do not necessarily have vessels with the capacity to go the high seas that is 200 miles out and beyond and in that regard what we had previously in place was assistance from the Guyana Defence Force to provide aerial surveillance but of course that came with a cost so it was (changed) to just regular patrols instead and if we get a report then we try to activate that system.”
Monitoring fisherfolk
James pointed out, that there is a requirement where vessels should report their departure and arrival which often does not occur. He stated, that the way in which fisherfolk operate has become a culture to the extent where it is a norm and to now make changes to what they know to be their everyday life whether sudden or gradually, will result in some resistance, “but because of the effects of it I think we should continue examining the best practices with the view to making changes to the maritime law,” he said.
Meanwhile, the commissioner also recommended a multi-agency approach in almost all cases dealing with maritime issues since he said a single-agency approach is clearly not bearing fruit.
