Aqua-culture technology programme to boost local marine sector

DPI, Guyana, Monday, September 18, 2017

A two-week training programme in aqua culture technology was formally launched at the Regency Hotel, Georgetown, on Monday.

The collaboration between the Ministry of Agriculture and the People’s Republic of China will see the Fujian Institute of Oceanography (FJIO) conducting the training sessions for thirty local participants.

The training sessions which began last Friday and end on September 28 will see participants making trips to the regions within the country.

At the opening ceremony Liu Mingzhe, Vice President of China’s Ministry of Commerce, described Guyana as one of the most suitable countries for aquaculture development.

“It was widely recognised as one of the most suitable countries for aquaculture development in the world. Because of its outstanding natural conditions, and so China has an ambition to make this beautiful country not only rich in water; in clean water and in a beautiful green forest,” he said.

Mingzhe said though it’s the Fujian Institute’s first training session in Guyana and the number of participants is small, his country hopes to build stronger ties for future engagements.

“We do hope this training course could build up a bridge for further fishery cooperation between China and this country, and further enhance the tradition of friendship between the two nations.”

Meanwhile, Noel Holder, Minister of Agriculture said notwithstanding measures implemented by his ministry, new sources must be considered and enforced to address the dwindling the marine sources in Guyana.

He said, “One such measure is the development of a thriving aquaculture sector to replace the shortfall anticipating in marine resources. The government of Guyana has placed this as a priority area and we will be pushing this agenda.”

Cui Jianchun, Chinese Ambassador to Guyana, said though this is the first training session conducted in the Caribbean through the institute, he hopes to see more training seminars being exchanged between Guyana and China locally and internationally.

Participants benefiting from the exercise include government officers, technicians, staff of various enterprises and aquaculture farms who are working in the area of aquaculture, aquatic products processing and distributing as well as fisheries management.

Since 2005 FJIO undertook the China-Aid training programs sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce, PRC. It has organized 77 bilateral or multilateral training courses/ seminars which focused on Marine Management and Development of Blue Economy, Integrated Coastal Management, Marine Fisheries Management, to name a few.

 

By: Crystal Stoll