Minister of Fisheries, Crops and Livestock, Mr Satyadeow Sawh outlined the local strategy and Project Manager of the CARICOM Fisheries Unit, Guyanese Mr Hugh Saul also emphasised the necessity to sustainably manage marine and oceanic fish resources.

Saul said the regional grouping is in the process of formulating medium and long term plans to achieve this objective and the focus will be on improving several areas, including data research, preparedness for globalisation, institutional strengthening and development of human resources.

He said the fishing industry accounts for 40 per cent of global trade and 50 per cent of that is produced by developing countries, with a value of about US$50 billion.

Saul noted that aquaculture is the fastest growing food production system worldwide, growing at 10 per cent per annum for the last 10 years, with one of the main challenges facing it is remaining competitive at affordable prices.

For that achievement, there is need for institutional capacity to be strengthened, he advised.

Speaking, as well, at the opening of a two-day workshop on marine management and acquaculture development, in Le Meridien Pegasus Hotel, Georgetown, Sawh said fisheries have a strategic role in ensuring food security - being a major and, often, the only alternative source of feeding - income and employment for households in marine and coastal rural communities.

Recognising its crucial importance and the implications of its destruction on the economic and social well-being of the Guyanese society and peoples of all societies, he announced that Government and his Ministry are working assiduously to make sure exploitation of the marine and oceanic resources is done in a sustainable manner.

According to him, the fishing resources were assumed to be an unlimited gift of nature but, with increased knowledge, this myth has faded in the face of the realisation that, although renewable, they are finite and need to be properly managed, if their contribution to the nutritional, economic and social well-being of the Guyanese population and the world is to be sustained.

“We are fully aware of this critical need and will be implementing the relevant aspects of the (Food and Agriculture Organisation) FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, in order to achieve these objectives,” the Minister said.

He said studies undertaken by the local Fisheries Department have indicated that the brown and pink shrimps were fully exploited and red or pink spotted shrimps over exploited.

Sawh said some of the factors that are likely responsible for this situation are fishing mortality, increased fishing close to the shore and environmental issues while surveys on ground fish species, like bangamary and butterfish, reveal over-fishing by trawlers.

The minister said there is need to implement measures for conserving local fishing resources and alluded to the previous introduction of the Turtle Excluder Devices (TED), which resulted in Guyana receiving certification for exports to the United States (U.S.) for 2002-2003.

Another action being considered is the enforcement of a closed season, which will be introduced on an experimental basis, but established definitely after an evaluation of its impact on the status of marine resources.

The employment of modern technology by the (Guyana Defence Force) Coast Guard to monitor the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and prevent illegal fishing is one more act in pursuit of the objective, Minister Sawh said.

He said it necessary, for the development of aquaculture, to lessen dependence on oceanic resources which are suffering from over exploitation and Government has “initiated the promotion and development of the acquaculture potential in the country”.

With that aim, an acquaculture demonstration farm and training centre was established at Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara, last year and, already, more than 50 aquaculture farmers have been trained here.

“The potential for aquaculture in Guyana is high, due to natural conditions and the high level of fish consumption in this country, complemented by the growing international demand for fish that enhances the economic feasibility of its development,” Sawh stated.

He said, bearing in mind the maximum sustainable yield for the main commercial species of marine fish and shrimp, other means of revenue generation should be found.

“Instead of continuing to export fresh and frozen fish, as we have been doing, we would have to focus our attention on producing value-added products for the export market,” Sawh recommended.

He said FAO statistics show the demand for fish food by the year 2010 at an estimated 110 to 120 million tonnes, as against production of about 93 milllion tonnes in 2000, almost 30 per cent derived from aquaculture.

The United Nations agency ranks Guyana tenth in the world for per capita fish consumption as a source of animal protein, with a country estimate of 58.7 kilogrammes in 1999 while the global average was 16 kilogrammes.

Sawh said fishing is increasingly a greater contributor to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and economic development of Guyana.

The sector, in 1999, contributed US$35M from exports and, with negligible imports of fish products, it is a net foreign exchange earner, he revealed.

“Fishing has been and is a major source of food and a provider of employment and economic benefits to those Guyanese who are engaged in this activity. The sector contributes to the balance of trade, by being a net foreign currency earner,” Sawh pointed out.

He said, in the last five years, its contribution to the GDP has been between 2.4 and 2.7 per cent compared with 7 to 8 per cent from agriculture.