Govt to clamp down on illegal vessels operating in Guyana’s EEZ – VP Jagdeo

…says robust blue economy beckons with UK support

Hundreds of vessels which are operating in Guyana’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) illegally have caught the attention of the Government, which will result in a clampdown to protect the country’s sovereignty.
This was disclosed by Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo on Friday evening, at an event to celebrate a collaborative effort between Government and the United Kingdom to develop a maritime economy plan.
According to Jagdeo, these operations amount to losses of US$100 million annually and will be addressed.

“Hundreds of vessels are fishing in our waters and it’s estimated that we lose over US$100 million a year in leakages through that process. We now have to have a greater control or policing exercise of sovereignty over our Exclusive Economic Zone. The oil and gas resources can help us buy the capability to do that,” the Vice President divulged.
The Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), as prescribed by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is an area of the sea in which a sovereign state has special rights regarding the exploration and use of marine resources, including energy production from water and wind.
The maritime economy plan is a framework that would put the blue economy into focus with the availability of adequate resources for growth. The UK has a blue economy fund and will be working with Guyana to achieve this.
Jagdeo underscored that sustainability is of critical importance in every aspect of the country’s operations and governance. One challenge has been gaining recognition for the same level of importance in the blue economy as the green economy holds.
“We have a long way to go in getting it recognised as an important tool for fighting climate change. Another thing is the inclusion of the blue economy in the context of the national planning process. We have included that. We recognise that the blue or maritime economy can make a major contribution to the development of our country,” Jagdeo underscored.
The maritime economy plan came into focus when Guyana was developing its revised Low Carbon Development Strategy since focus needed to be placed on both the green and blue economies.
However, British High Commissioner, Her Excellency Jane Miller shared that this blue economy speaks to giving importance to the oceans and resources for the prosperity of a country.
“The low levels of deforestation and more recently, selling of the carbon credits is something that we all feel incredibly proud of. But the Low Carbon Development Strategy is so much more than just the green economy. It’s about the blue economy as well. Through the UK, we’ve been providing support to articulate this blue economy,” the diplomat underscored.
According to her, the blue economy has incredible potential and massive resources that can be leveraged for the country’s development.
“It’s about sustainable fisheries, biotechnology, investing in rivers and oceans so that it can help economic growth, create jobs, mitigate the impacts of climate change and create food security. The possibilities are endless. The Government is working very hard to diversify the economy and I do believe that the blue economy is a really important element.”
Part of the marine economy plan also focused on sustainability, low carbon, resource efficiency and social inclusion.
Guyana was one of 12 member states in the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), which is an inter-governmental organisation in the Caribbean Community (Caricom), that signed the Copenhagen Declaration in late 2021.
The countries, by signing, simultaneously affirmed their support to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and transnational organised crime in the fishing industry, through their support for the declaration and the Blue Justice Initiative.