Members of the Three-Door Fishermen’s Co-operative Society last week signed an agreement with the Berbice Bridge Company Incorporated (BBCI) which will allow fishermen to legally utilize and operate from the river shore base at D’Edward in the vicinity of the bridge.
The fishermen have been operating from the facility which is situated on the western side of the Berbice Bridge for a number of years.
The agreement was signed following a meeting between President Irfaan Ali and Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha.
The Ministry of Agriculture in a press statement on Monday said that Mustapha made the disclosure on Sunday during a follow-up meeting with members of the Three-Door Fishermen’s Co-operative Society. The purpose of the meeting was to provide the members with updates on several commitments made by the Ministry.
Since they would normally also occupy the facility to ply their trade after they return from sea, the statement added that representatives from the Co-operative Society also sought the assistance of the Government with guiding the process which would allow them to negotiate the terms of use for the river shore.
Among the other issues raised during the meeting were security concerns and the need for better facilities at the wharf.
To improve security, the statement said that Mustapha announced that several high-powered LED lights will be donated to the Three-Door Fishermen’s Co-operative Society.
“The last time I was here to meet with the fishermen…they asked for some lights and I made a commitment that I will bring the seven lights that they needed and these are high powered lights to brighten the avenue going in and coming out so that in the nights, they say normally thieves are usually harbouring around…so I hope that this will prevent, not all the illegal activities, but at the same time it will make the place brighter to see what is going on,” the statement quoted Mustapha saying.
Additionally, it said that Mustapha further disclosed that sanitary facilities will also be constructed by the fisheries department in collaboration with the Mahaica, Mahaicony, Abary- Agriculture Development Authority (MMA-ADA).
The issue of low catches is also being examined by the government in collaboration with reputable local and international agencies.
“As I am speaking here, we have…a number of officers within the ministry and other agencies looking to see why we are having the low catches so that we can have an answer to those things. Guyana is not the only country experiencing low catches,” Mustapha explained in the statement.
He told the fishermen that while reports indicate that low catches seem to be a global issue, they have to await the results from an analysis and before a resolution can be determined.
