Following years of complaints by local fishermen about harassment from Surinamese patrols while plying their trade in the Corentyne River, both countries have come to an agreement that fisherfolk here will be granted licences by Paramaribo starting from January, 2022.
“I’m pleased at the conclusion of discussions between the Ministers of Agriculture, and we have found a way forward in relation to the granting of licences by Suriname to our fisherfolks and this would be in effect from January next year, and this is because that is the period that the licences are normally granted,” President Irfaan Ali on Thursday remarked at a joint press conference alongside Suriname President Chandrikapersad Santokhi.
Ali also informed that the licensing of local fisherfolk would have to be done in keeping with established quota set out by the Surinamese.
For years, Guyanese fishers in the Corentyne area have been securing licences from Suriname to operate. However, they reported that even with the licences they have been harassed.
“There were some allegations and we asked the fishermen to give us the info in relation to the licensing so we had a back and forward with that that impeded the finalization of this issue but we have come to a solution. We have come to a solution at this meeting and once the information set is handed over to the Minister of Agriculture … in the new licensing phase the licence will be issued in relation to the quota that was already determined,” the President said.
In June of this year, Stabroek News reported that a group of fishermen had met with Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha, in the Upper Corentyne area, where they complained that they were being harassed on a daily basis, by the Surinamese patrol in the Corentyne River.
They identified a member of the Surinamese patrol by name and alleged that they have to pay him in the waters to continue fishing in the Corentyne River despite having their licences. “He does demand money and if you pay him you allowed to fish never mind if your licence expire or if not,” one of the fishers told the minister.
The men related that they would often fish in the Orealla and neighbouring areas.
According to the men, if the harassment continues they might be forced to quit their trade and over 200 persons would be affected by this.
Additionally, they related that sometime in May two boats were seized by the Suriname patrol and one person was forced to pay US$7,500 to get back his boat.
Mustapha had promised to “raise this matter with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs so that they can deal with it diplomatically. Minister [Hugh] Todd will raise this matter with his counterpart in Suriname so that we can resolve this issue,” Mustapha told the fishers.
He stressed that this has been an age-old issue and it is time the necessary discussion took place so as to resolve the matter. He further noted that there were ongoing discussions between Guyana and Suriname related to several other issues affecting fisher folks.
Stabroek News was told that the fishermen have to operate a certain distance from the ferry but the patrol allowed them to do so for a while then seized their boats. “This become a money making thing with the patrol,” one man stressed.
Ali said that two complaints had also been raised by residents of Indigenous villages along the Corentyne River and both times government had notified the Surinamese counterparts and the problems were resolved.
However he said that both countries are now in the process of identifying officials who would work to tackle the issues raised by the Indigenous communities so that there is not a repeat.
“In terms of the Indigenous [using the River], we raised this from the time it occurred with the Minister of Foreign Affairs [of Suriname] and he intervened. Two incidents were reported and in both cases there was intervention and we had discussions on how we can avoid situations like that in the future,” Ali said.
‘We are in the process of identifying officials from both sides, who can work in collaboration with each other to avoid these unfortunate incidences in the future,” he added.
