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Pirates rob Corentyne fishermen in two separate incidents
Pirates attacked and robbed several fishermen in the Upper Corentyne area last Sunday and yesterday in two separate incidents.
According to Acting Chairman of the Number 66 Fishermen’s Co-op Society, Mr. Parmeshwar Jainarine, in the first incident, a group of five fishermen left for the seas Sunday night. The men were approached by four masked men and robbed of $400,000 worth of fish and glue.
Parmeshwar Jainarine
In the second incident on Monday evening, another group of fishermen was robbed of $500,000 in fish and glue. The pirates also carted off their fuel and groceries on the boat.
The Acting Chairman stated that to date, the fishermen have not approached the Society to make a full report either to him or the police, of what transpired during the two attacks.
It could be because they know that the perpetrators will not be caught and dealt with, he said.
Piracy has been on the rise along the Corentyne River and Mr. Jainarine stated that fishermen are committing the acts against their own, in a bid for survival in the money-making industry. He made a call on all fishermen across Guyana, especially those plying the trade in the Corentyne River to stop these attacks and to stop attacking each other on the high seas. “There is enough fish out there for everyone,” he stated.
Meanwhile, no charges have as yet been laid against the four pirates caught in a daring daylight attack and robbery which took place early July in the Corentyne River. The Suriname Coast Guard quickly accosted the pirates and whisked them away to Nickerie where they were arrested. The Guyana army had expressed concerns about this fact that the pirates were taken into Suriname by the police.
The police over there held an ID Parade on Wednesday and the fishermen positively identified the pirates. According to a source, one reason that the men have not been charged as yet is that the law enforcement officials could be working to ascertain and prove whether the pirates were ever involved in recent hijacking incidents and murder of fishermen along the Corentyne River.
Since the incident, Corentyne fishermen are scared to venture out to the lonely seas to make a daily living. In fact, things could not be any better in the Corentyne fishing industry. At least more than 10,000 people in the Corentyne area depend directly on the fishing industry: from the time they go out to sea to the moment they export the catch. Over 75 per cent of the fish exported out of the country comes from the Number 66 Fisheries. “We supply the export in Georgetown to places like Pritipaul Investment, BEV Enterprises and Gabadoor as well as four or five other companies.”
“Every day, the industry is getting bigger. If you look at the sugar industry and rice, there are setbacks in the market. But on the international market, there is demand for fish and fish is more healthy for eating because people realize it is more healthy than meat for food”,
Former Chairman of the Co-op, Mr. Pravinchandra Deodat, is currently out of the country and will be returning to Guyana by year end. In the meanwhile, the Treasurer, Mr. Jainarine has stepped up as Acting Chairman of the body.
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