The 150 fishing licences promised to Guyanese fishers by Surinamese authorities in January 2022, have still not been delivered.
This topic was addressed by Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha yesterday in the National Assembly in response to questions raised by Shadow Minister of Agriculture Vinceroy Jordan, who criticized the lack of progress.
During the consideration of the budget estimates in Parliament, Mustapha reiterated that Guyana had been working to secure the licences, but emphasized that the decision to issue them rested with Suriname. He pointed out that Guyana had received assurances from Suriname’s President and Minister of Agriculture that 150 licences would be provided. However, three years on, Suriname has yet to honour this promise, leaving local fisherfolk in limbo. Mustapha stated that while Guyana cannot force Suriname to issue the licences, his ministry is committed to advocating for the fishermen and ensuring the matter remains on the government’s agenda. The deal for the 150 licences was reached in August of 2021.
Suriname requires a licence before fishermen, local or foreign, can operate in its coastal waters. Stabroek New has been told that on average 450 coastal licences are issued annually to three categories of vessels: 100% Surinamese owned (SA licence); 50% local and 50% foreign owned (SB licence) and 100% foreign owned (SC licence). The third category requires a bilateral agreement between Suriname and the foreign country, and it is in relation to these licences that Guyana was anticipating Suriname would have issued 150 to local fishermen.
The frustration among Guyanese fisherfolk has been growing, with reports indicating that the delay in issuing licenses is largely due to pushback from Surinamese licence holders, particularly those in Nickerie, who rent out licences to local fishermen.
