Latest update April 17th, 2025 8:13 AM
Coast Guard doing well despite shortcomings – Commander
Coast Guard Commander Godfrey George
The Guyana Defence Force coast guard is doing well. It is getting good results for this year despite not having the financial resources and the best modern equipment to cover the area.
Coast guard commander, Godfrey George, in a recent interview, said that his unit has experienced several breakthroughs that have thwarted illegal fishing and illegal fuel trade in recent times, in local waters.
Speaking of financial setbacks, he repeated that the current army resources “are in no way relevant to the kind of operation areas that we are required to operate in today’s environment.”
Though he did not recall any of his unit’s recent exploits, the commander said, “We have been performing our duties and we have been yielding results.”
In 2007 the unit’s patrols intercepted several vessels trading illegally and fishing in local waters.
While not committing himself to statements that vessels used to patrol the local waterways are inadequate, Commander George said that he would not relate limited amount of resources to his unit as it has been “stepping up to plate with official activities when called upon.”
However, this does not help in the execution of the unit’s functions, the commander said, but he could not say if this concern has been represented to the authorities. He did opine that it is common knowledge that the resources are not compatible when one looks at the area to be covered.
The Commander told this publication that his unit is very active, mostly in the North West and the Pomeroon, for the year and thus far “tremendous amount of illegal activities” are occurring particularly in the northwest area.
Recently, a GDF coast guard patrol was caught in a shootout with an alleged pirate vessel at Morawhanna, North West District. The commander said, “They opened fire on us and we returned fire.”
The Coast Guard commander hailed the recent signing of the $130m contract between the Guyana Defence Force and the Brazilian company for the overhauling of the engines of battleship Essequibo as a move in the right direction for the army and Guyana.
He said, too, that once the overhaul is completed and the ship is back in operation “it’s gonna be a wonderful opportunity for us [coastguard] to get back out there patrolling the exclusive economic zone.”
He said with the GDFS Essequibo would be able to cover a wider area.
(Mondale Smith)
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