Fisheries sector to receive a boost with planned upgrades to aquaculture station

With Government announcing transformative measures for Guyana’s aquaculture sector, the Satyadeo Sawh Aquaculture Station is expected to benefit from a series of upgrades during the year.
The Department of Public Information reported last week that the Fisheries Department of the Agriculture Ministry inked a $39,912,372 contract with Doodnauth Construction and Supplies, which will undertake the upgrades, and expansion to the Agriculture Road, Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara facility.
During the contract signing, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha stressed the importance of having those projects completed in a timely manner.
With the project scheduled to start next week, the Minister said the works are intended to increase the aquaculture station’s current capacity.
“The expansion of the Satyadeo Sawh Aquaculture Station will double the present capacity of the facility and improve its ability to deliver on a wider selection of species for research, and make available to farmers for grow-out. Species that will be targeted are lukanani, patwa, tambaqui, kreketeh/snail, hassar, and arapaima. Upgrades to the facility will include the construction of seven 46’ x 23’ concrete ponds, the construction of 540 feet of earthen road, as well as the erection of a 1690 feet fence,” Mustapha is quoted by DPI as saying. He also said the upgrades were in keeping with Government’s plan to further develop the country’s aquaculture sector.
Apart from contracted works, the Minister disclosed that the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority would also be assisting the Fisheries Department with clearing 7.5 acres of land for the expansion and the construction of 23 earthen ponds of various sizes.
These works are expected to be completed by the first week in September of this year.
Over the last eight months, the Government has taken several steps to reorganise and rejuvenate the sector.
Additionally, President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali had announced that Government will soon launch an aquaculture master plan that will see the sector taking off. President Ali had noted that as a result of climate change and the changing landscape of the global fisheries industry, the Government was encouraged to come up with innovative ways to transition to an aquaculture-based operation.