$99M fisheries monitoring vessel to begin patrol soon

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha on Friday said that in light of the increase in traffic within Guyana’s Maritime space, the $99 million Fisheries Department monitoring vessel will be in full operation within two months.
He noted that although the vessel has been acquired, approximately $51 million worth of equipment is yet to be procured.

“Now this year’s budget, we have money allocated for the equipment. So hopefully at the end of this expenditure this year, we will have a fully equipped vessel,” the Minister related.
Moreover, he said that the Agriculture Ministry and its Fisheries Department are still in search of a competent workforce for the vessel. As such, he explained that coupled with advertised vacancies, the Ministry is also seeking to recruit ex-Coast Guards.
“I’m hoping that we can work along with the Coast Guards and other agencies so that they can help to point us into the right direction to get skilled persons to man this vessel,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mustapha said the vessel will assist in monitoring local marine activities.
“They will patrol to check on boats and other vessels in the country to see if fishermen and fisherfolks are equipped with the right equipment and they are practicing safe regulation and they abide with all the rules and regulations governing the fishing industry,” he explained.
He added that the vessel, which is the first of its kind, will also be used to ensure international vessels abide by Guyana’s rules and sovereignty.
“This is very important to bring this vessel into operation because it will help us first of all to patrol our exclusive economic zone. It will help to patrol the sea and other areas to curb piracy which is a big issue in the fishing industry,” Mustapha explained.
Additionally, the Minister noted that the monitoring vessel will be working simultaneously with Coast Guard vessels in Guyana’s exclusive economic zone.
The vessel was commissioned on June 30, 2020, by the then Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder and was named after the Cavalli (Caranx hippos), an abundant species of fish distributed across both the tropical and temperate waters of the Atlantic Ocean. (g15)