Dear Editor,
The Guyana National Fisherfolk Organisation and the Suriname Fisherfolk Organisation have been the most affected by these pirate attacks.
Two months ago four fishermen from the Upper Corentyne Fishermen’s Co-op in Berbice were thrown overboard to die by pirates from the same Berbice area. One body was found and he was given a decent funeral; the other three bodies were not found. The loved ones and relatives of these men could not even do a proper funeral for them.
When the relatives of one of the men was asked if they had received any assistance from the NIS to which he had been making contributions, they said NIS required a death certificate. His body was not found so there is no death certificate.
Editor, fisherfolk from Guyana and Suriname are the only ones that are robbed, beaten and killed by pirates; it does not happen in other Caricom countries.
We do not know what to do or who to ask for help.
Many promises are made but nothing much is done.
On Monday 18 July a fisherman in Suriname was tied to a car battery and thrown overboard by pirates. When will this madness and cruelty stop?
Yours sincerely,
Pamashwar Jainarine
