7 years later: US still working on reversing catfish ban

Some seven years after the United States (US) imposed a ban on the export of catfish from Guyana, efforts have been ongoing to reverse this and according to US Ambassador Nicole Theriot, the process is getting close to the end.
The catfish ban was imposed since 2017 under the former A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Administration and since entering office in 2020, the current People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government has been working with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to reverse the ban.
During an interview with reporters on the sidelines of an event on Wednesday, the US Ambassador in Georgetown explained that while this has been a lengthy process, the ban could soon end.
“I know it seems like a very long time but when you’re talking about the health and safety of your citizens, you have to be incredibly careful and that’s why it’s such a long, complicated process. But I promise you Guyana is getting close to the end and I think we will be there soon,” Ambassador Theriot assured.
Over the years, there has multiple exchanges between authorities from both sides with the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Services (FSIS) requesting additional documentation and information from its Guyanese counterpart.
The last submission by local authorities was made over two months ago.
“In May, they (Guyanese authorities) returned the last request for information. So, it’s kinda been going back and forth. And right now, it’s back in the US – so the ball is in our court – to review the responses we received on May 25,” the Ambassador disclosed.
The US diplomat added that the process to lift the ban could well progress once those documents are reviewed.
“Once we have reviewed that if we have any additional questions, we will send that back. However, if they are satisfied then we can start the process for allowing catfish exports back into the United States. Unfortunately, I don’t have a timeline for that because it really depends on how long it takes them to go through the responses but I’m very confident we will get there,” Ambassador Theriot stated.
She went onto note that the US is strict when it comes to the health and safety of its citizens but assures that Guyana is well advanced in the process to reverse the ban on catfish exports.
“The US Department of Agriculture has a specific a specific office that handles all requests for exports products such as catfish, shellfish, vegetables – any sort of fresh product. There is a very clear, very strict process that must be followed. Any country in the whole that wishes to export to the United States, whatever product it is, must follow these guidelines and Guyana is quite advanced in this process,” the US envoy posited.
Since assuming office, the Dr. Irfaan Ali-led Government has been engaging the US Government at high levels on reversing the catfish ban.
In fact, the matter was raised with former US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, during a visit to Georgetown in September 2020 and he had committed to reviewing the ban on catfish which was imposed in 2017 under the David Granger-led Administration.
Last August, former US Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch, said both sides have been in dialogue to get the paperwork across the finish line.
“Whatever was discussed during Secretary Pompeo’s time, we did build on those. Some are still in process, like the catfish agreement. That is still under review with the US Department of Agriculture, specifically the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)… But these things take some time,” Ambassador Lynch had stated.
It was reported early last year that Guyana was awaiting a response from the US Government, having followed various stipulated requirements to lift the exportation ban on catfish.
According to the regulations, Guyana must be able to catch catfish and transport it to a processing plant while it is alive. This is in contradiction to what is being practiced here, whereby the fish is caught, disemboweled and the carcass is iced until it reaches the shore.
Exporters of catfish were required to provide documentation to verify that their inspection system was equivalent to US standards. The failure to do this resulted in the US imposing a ban on catfish imports from Guyana and other non-compliant countries.
Guyana is also required to have inspectors at the plants along with documentation of sanitation and the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) during the packaging process. It also needs to provide information on how adulterated catfish products are managed.
Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha had previously lamented that the local fishing industry has severely been affected by the ban. The wild-caught catfish, especially ‘gilbaka’, has been in great demand within the Guyanese diaspora in the US.
Prior to the ban, the catfish export industry to the US was pegged at some $1.8 billion. (G8)