Guyana gets certification to benefit seabob processors

After persistent efforts to be accredited by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), Guyana has finally been able to achieve this certification through public and Private Sector partnership.

The Fisheries Department within the Agriculture Ministry and Guyana Seabob Fishery was granted approval, which will seek to influence sustainable practices and quality seafood products. It is a scientific measure of sustainable fishing.
MSC is the only wild-capture fisheries certification and eco-labelling programme that meets best practice requirements which are set out by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (UNFAO).
Chief Fisheries Officer, Denzel Roberts stated that the Department was presented with a number of difficulties, however, the final result indicates that they are working in the right direction.
“We have attained this certification, which is very important for Seabob Fishery. I could recall when we started it and it was very hard and tough. The rules keep changing but we persisted and it was a great opportunity for the Private Sector and the Fisheries Department to work together to attain this certification. We have to work together better to ensure that we keep this certification…I can safely say that we’re heading in the right direction and it was because of this, we would have attained this certification,” Roberts shared.
President of the Guyana Association of Trawler Owners and Seafood Processors, Ruben Charles said they were assisted by international organisations, which helped in the process.
“In the end, our whole concept about management was reformed. We had a ideas about management of the fishery but it had to be more concrete. It has to rest in regulations which we had to develop. It had to rest with management plans which we developed,” Charles related.
Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister, Noel Holder indicated that they will be presented with an even bigger task in the future to maintain this standard.
The MSC has its ways to guarantee safe and sustainably-sourced products. The blue fish label is applied to wild fish or seafood from fisheries certified to the MSC standard.