Dear Editor,
Reference is made to the news item `Liliendaal fishers lament low catches’ (SN Jan 11). This is not surprising. Fisherfolk all over the coast have complained to me about losing money. Their catch cannot cover the cost of fuel, much less pay for their labour. They can no longer provide for their families. It seems the low catch rate is oil linked. The oil industry must therefore compensate the fisherfolk.
Fish has been very scarce in Guyana over the last six months. Prior to that there had been declining catch. People are complaining everywhere. I went to several markets and shops to purchase fish. There is none. Low fish in the diet will have a ripple effect – poor health and greater costs to the economy.
Declining catch coincided with oil exploration, blasting of the ocean floor and drilling. Scarcity of fish has resulted in skyrocketing prices. Illegal fish brought from Suriname and Venezuela have not led to lowered prices or to meeting Guyanese demand. The livelihood of fisherfolk is severely affected; they can no longer sustain their lives. . The number of people working in the fishing industry is not known but it is estimated at over 20,000. With each having a family of at least four, that would be over 80,000 people, that is 10% of the population that are depending on the fishing industry. They depend on a normal catch for their living. They are badly hurting. They need assistance. Government should consider giving them a grant from the oil fund.
As I learn from my readings, to find oil or gas, the ocean floor is blasted with the loudest sound imagined. It creates a sonic boom with acoustic waves. Engineers and oil/gas experts map the reflection of the acoustic waves. The pattern of reflected waves gives indications of where oil/gas deposits are located. Vessels are not allowed in the area of discovery and drilling activities and blasting of the ocean floor.
The established fish producers (exporters) have been seeing declining revenues. This linkage must be studied. The Minister of Agriculture promised a study some two months ago. Has any action been taken? The information is available; it needs to be verified for Guyana. An article published by Sarah Gibbens in 2017 stated that seismic blasts penetrate miles into the seabed and reflect information about any valuable deposits buried below. These seismic surveys used to search for off-shore oil and gas deposits devastate the zooplankton in its path. A study published in the Journal of Nature and Ecology confirmed that seismic blasts killed sea life. A University of Tasmania study found that fish catch declined by 64% after seismic blasts in the Tasmania sea. It is not surprising that the Liliendaal fishermen as well as fishermen all over the Guyana coast can’t find fish in the ocean.
While we await the Zulfikar Mustapha study, government should subsidize the fish sector in light of what is happening to fisherfolk. Give each person a fair amount of grants. Also, government should waive taxes for the workers as well as grant tax exemptions to businesses tied to fishing – exporters and local producers.
I am petitioning the government to compensate fisherfolk, fishermen, fish exporters, fish stores, fish cleaners at wharfs, market sellers, and everyone tied to the fishing industry and or dependent on it for their living. Since there seems to be a preliminary linkage of the oil industry with loss of fish income and revenues and loss of jobs, the government should set aside some of the oil and gas revenue to distribute among them.
Yours truly,
Dr. Vishnu Bandhu
Leader, URP