Global Seafood to assist fishermen with valid licences

Hope Canal

…says company dependent on fisherfolk

Amid the recent ban imposed on fishermen, preventing them from docking their boats at the Hope Canal, East Coast Demerara, one private sector organisation has come forward to assess the situation while also assisting fishermen to acquire valid fishing licences.
This is in light of the events which took place on Friday afternoon, in which a number of fishermen were arrested by the Police for failing to present their fishing licences.
During a meeting organised on Saturday with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Global Seafood Distributors, Allison Butters-Grant, and the fishermen who will be affected by the ban, it was brought up that they need to obtain their legal documents.
Butters-Grant noted that the distribution company, which prepares seafood for local supermarkets and exports its products, is dependent on the availability of fish that fisher folks acquire throughout the day.
While sharing some insight on the matter, she noted that if the men are unable to go out to sea, there will be insufficiencies in the seafood requirements.
As such, the fish processing plant, along with its suppliers, is trying to tackle the issue by assisting the fishermen to get valid licences to operate in Guyana’s waters.
“Once the fishermen are in compliance with the laws of Guyana and they have licences to operate, then they are able to fish without an issue; but if they don’t have a licence…, you have to follow the laws. So once we have fishermen that are compliant, Global Seafood is always open to buy fish,” she explained to Guyana Times.
“It’s important that our fishermen are educated as to what the rules and regulations are in the fishing industry, while following all of the good manufacturing practices involved in fishing as well,” she said.
Asked if the ban would affect the company’s operations, Butters-Grant indicated that with the excavation procedures by the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) at the Hope koker, the fishermen will be able to harbour their boats at that location. As such, it is expected they would be able to go out to fish without any difficulty or damage to their vessels, thus the supply of seafood to the company would not be disrupted.
“The NDIA is dredging at the location where they should be situated. So once the fishermen are working, it won’t affect our business of buying fish from them,” she said.
Meanwhile, it was also revealed that the main reason the men were asked to remove their boats was due to the close proximity in which boats are docked near the canal. This reportedly prevents the steady flow of water entering and leaving the canal.
Butters-Grant has advised fishermen to utilise the new location with the hope that the area would remain favourable for them to moor their boats.
The fishermen who were present at the gathering expressed their willingness to comply with the laws set out by the Fisheries Department, a sub-division of the Agriculture Ministry.
On Friday, Police arrested numerous men who operate fishing vessels in the Atlantic Ocean. This was due to failure to present legal documents for their boats. In relation to this matter, each man was required to pay $20,000 and was subsequently released.
Another notice was subsequently served. It prevents fishermen from docking their vessels at the canal. Several concerns were raised to address the situation, which led to their dockage at the opening of the canal.
The matters settled included the damages their boats receive by forceful waves when they are left in the open, resulting in losses to their earnings and livelihoods.
Now the men are ready to relocate to the koker, which they reasoned was smaller and incapable of lending support to all of the vessels during high tide and severe weather conditions. Some have also agreed to tie their fishing boats away from the canal, where it would not pose as a threat to the water flow or structures.