Many fishing vessels still unregistered

Mar 10, 2012 News

-Maritime official

The Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) and the Agriculture Ministry Fisheries Department are currently crafting a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to guarantee vessels out at sea are in working condition, Captain Stephen Thomas, Director of Maritime Safety revealed.

Small fishing vessels

Captain Thomas explained, “The MOU would ensure MARAD inspects and certifies a fishing vessel for sea worthiness before the Fisheries Department presents that vessel with a fishing licence. In addition, MARAD would be given a document from the Fisheries Department stating that indeed the vessel is being prepared to get a licence to catch fish.”
He revealed that this decision was taken during a recent consultation with fishermen. The meeting was organised after some fishermen died by drowning in a boat mishap last February while travelling to aid another crew that was attacked by pirates.
Coincidentally, while this MOU is being crafted, a tug which was not registered since 2008, and was deemed unseaworthy, sank two Wednesdays ago near the mouth of the Moruca River. Two crewmen are still missing.
According to Captain Thomas, a major part in ensuring the safety and security of fishing vessels is routine inspections but many boats are unregistered and this is a problem MARAD hopes to rectify.
Captain Thomas emphasised that MARAD would only license a vessel once the structure is sound, adequately equipped with life saving devices and has a competent crew. But ensuring registration is difficult since new boats are put into operation almost daily and old ones neglect to re-register.
Nonetheless, MARAD inspects vessels almost daily for sea worthiness. In the past, MARAD, Guyana Police Force, Coast Guard and the Fisheries Department used to collaborate in conducting random operations to accost unregistered vessels. This approach ended about three years ago when some ranks of the Coast Guard were allegedly involved in a robbery.
According to Robeson Benn, Minister of Transport and Hydraulics, over the past 10 years the number of vessels for all activities has increased dramatically.
“There is in fact a discussion already on the way between the Guyana Defence Force and MARAD based on a proposal that we made out of the recent piracy incidents as to how improvements could be made and efforts sustained.”
“In terms of the Coast Guard there are talks of setting up Coast Guard bases offshore- one I think is slated for the Pomeroon River and we are viewing some other initiatives.”
According to Captain Thomas, though the collaboration is yet to be revived, each agency continues to execute their operations.
“The police are very active in the Essequibo River be it for maritime safety or criminal activities. We know when the police are having campaigns because it’s reflected in the numbers of persons who show up at our office to get their vessels licensed and crew certified. Over the past couple weeks we have that stream of people coming to our office because of the police having them comply in the Essequibo.”
Captain Thomas stressed that with the Coast Guard and police active the combined approach is not absolutely necessary but emphasised that pressure must be maintained from the law enforcement agencies to ensure compliance.
“In Corentyne whenever vessels come out of Number 66, they are in Suriname waters. The Coast Guard doesn’t want to be in that water because it’s an international border so you find most of the vessels in that water aren’t certified.”
MARAD plans to have this situation reversed with the dispatching of Technical Officers across the country particularly in outlying areas such as Waini, Kumaka, Port Kaituma and Pomeroon River. This would allow a permanent presence of safety officers.
Captain Thomas stated that MARAD hopes to get this done by June since it would have to recruit and train these Officers. Meanwhile, the body would be enhancing its services offered at the permanent bases in Georgetown and in New Amsterdam.
Even with enhanced human resources capacity, monitoring fishing vessels may continue to be a challenge.
“Fishing vessels are very challenging because the crew that takes the vessel to sea doesn’t necessarily see its maintenance. The industry has its own style of operations. The numbers of these fishing vessels pose a challenge by itself. They don’t only operate from their dedicated terminal so we don’t really have a central facility that we can put an officer there,” he said.
Captain Thomas added that MARAD plans to educate all crews that it is in their interest to ensure that their vessels are sea-worthy. The body is prepared to take complaints in confidence so that the vessels could undergo proper rehabilitation.