Declaring that he was “not a ghost,” the holder of two controversial trawler licences yesterday said he has been in the fisheries business for 20 years and deserves an equal opportunity as a Guyanese to operate in the sector.
Rampersaud Sookhdeo issued a statement through the Ministry of Agriculture which has come under intense pressure over what has been seen as an opaque process that only came to light when exposed by the Guyana Association of Trawler Operators and Seafood Processors (GATOSP) in November last year.
GATOSP has said it has no idea who Sookhdeo is and it is unclear whether his statement yesterday will placate the association which has argued vociferously that the assigning of the licences breached a longstanding agreement between it and the Ministry of Agriculture and that Guyana’s international sustainable fishing certification has now been put at risk.
Sookhdeo has been regarded as a mystery to persons in the fisheries sector here and in Trinidad and Tobago, where he said he had an established business under the name of Hassid Enterprise Limited. A Google search of the enterprise’s name came up empty. The Ministry had previously rendered the name of the company as Haseed Enterprise.
Despite efforts, Stabroek News was still unable to contact Sookhdeo yesterday. Questions have been raised as to whether he is partnering with anyone else in this venture.
In his statement yesterday, Sookhdeo said that before moving to establish his business in the twin island republic, he had applied 20 years ago to the Ministry of Agriculture for licences to operate in the seabob industry but had been refused. He provided no information on why he had been refused. If it was 20 years ago it would have been under the presidency of now Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo who recently spoke in favour of the licences to Sookhdeo.
Sookhdeo added that when he migrated to Trinidad, he partnered with an “old friend” and that birthed Hassid Enterprises Limited, which has been in existence for approximately 15 years.
“I normally employed Guyanese to work because of the way they work, they are more reliable. About two or three years ago, it became a problem getting Guyanese to work because the people in Trinidad realised I was only employing Guyanese…” he explained, before adding that he returned to Guyana when the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
Upon his return, he said he approached the government for assistance and made an application for trawler licences as he had already had the required vessels for the trade.
“Boats deteriorate fast because of the salt air. If you park up your boat for about two years, you’d be lucky if you get something out of it. That is why I turn to the government for help. I made an application and I went through the process,” Sookhdeo explained as he sought to provide clarity on the licensing issue.
It is this application process that GATOSP has a problem with as it says it was not consulted despite the existence of an agreement between it and the ministry.
Sookhdeo defended his right to the licences. In the statement, he questioned why as a Guyanese who wanted to invest here he is subjected to such scrutiny when he is a seasoned fisherman who is familiar with the industry. He says he has owned and operated long liner boats, Red Snapper cage boats and shrimp trawlers.
He said that his goal is to be able to have a fair chance to operate and hire more Guyanese who can work and to provide for his family.
Sookhdeo’s statement came two days after Jagdeo declared “This person actually met with the ministry and is not a ghost individual, it is a Guyanese”. Jagdeo had promised that the ministry would present the individual to the public.
Jagdeo also said the PPP/C government will not contribute to “monopoly behaviour.” He said while they agree that sustainable fishing in the sector should not be jeopardised, there must be equity in the industry and everyone must be given a chance.
Finally
After two months of being secretive about the deal, the Ministry of Agriculture last week Monday, finally released the name of the holder of the two trawling licences and said he was a re-migrant from Trinidad.
It is unclear why a recent re-migrant from Trinidad would be given licences in breach of an agreement with GATOSP, thereby jeopardising its international certification on sustainable fishing.
Persons within the Trinidad fishing sector also told this newspaper that they were unacquainted with the name.
President of the Carli Bay Fishing Association, and member of Fisherman and Friends of the Sea, Imtiaz Khan told Stabroek News “We are not aware of any operator under that name or even the name Haseed Enterprise. It just doesn’t ring a bell to us,” in response to a query from this newspaper last week.
“I even checked with our Director of Fisheries Nerisa Lucky but the name doesn’t ring a bell to her. We have 128 trawlers registered and operating in different levels but the name doesn’t ring a bell,” Khan reiterated.
