The approval of two new trawler licences for seabob fishing operations does not breach the quota of vessels that can operate nor does it threaten the international certification of the trade, Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha last night told Stabroek News.
Mustapha said that despite his ministry’s granting of the approval of the licences for the operation of new trawlers, it does not go against the agreement in place with the Guyana Association of Trawler Owners and Seafood Processors (GATOSP) and international partners.
He justified the approval by explaining that several licences are inactive and the current number of trawlers operating does not exceed 80.