Agri. Minister, fisherfolk meet to discuss issues plaguing fisheries sector

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha on Wednesday, met with stakeholders within the fisheries sector to discuss some of the issues faced and ways in which government could assist in finding a resolution.

During the meeting, fishermen raised concerns about the decline in catches they are experiencing and its effect on their ability to provide for their families.

After listening to the fishermen, Minister Mustapha concluded that indeed there has been a noticeable decline in catches over the years and that the government was in full support of having the necessary analyses done to determine the root cause.

“Let me make it clear, this government will not let the fisheries industry die. We agree that there have been low catches but we have to shy away from making assumptions without proper first conducting a proper analysis. Guyana is not the only country that is being affected by low catches. This is a global phenomenon and the factors will vary from country to country. The reason behind low catches in one country may not be the reasons behind low catches in another. A number of factors can be causing the low catches and, as a government, we are prepared to work with you to do the work so that we can have a solution to this issue,” Minister Mustapha said.

Minister Mustapha informed the fishermen that the government has since engaged the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to assist with an analysis to determine the reason behind the low catches.

He told the fisherfolk also, that a collective effort between the government and players in the fisheries sector is needed to address the issue of low catches in Guyana.

The FAO, which focuses on issues relating to food around the world, has assisted governments with conducting similar analyses in other countries.