Chinese company conducting study to identify fish species

Mar 10, 2014 News

– Govt. promises to protect local fisher folk interests

A Chinese company interested in deep sea fishing is conducting a study of fish species available in Guyana’s waters that are not already being harvested by local fishermen and trawler operators.
The company will not be granted a licence to catch species that locals are already engaged in, assured Agriculture Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, while providing an update on negotiations between Government and the Chinese company.
Late last year, Guyana Association of Trawler Owners and Seafood Processors (GATOSP) and other members of the fishing community expressed their disagreement and concerns over the plan.

Dr. Leslie Ramsammy

There were worries that the already depleting fish stock would be overfished threatening the livelihoods of locals.
However, the Minister said that Government did not automatically grant the company a licence, but asked for studies to be done on specific species they want to fish.
“We won’t give them licence to just go out there and catch anything. We will protect our artesian fishermen because we don’t want them to go and catch what our regular fishermen are catching and don’t want them to go and compete with our trawlers for sea bobs and prawns,” he said.
According to the Minister, the company has not yet presented a proposal to the Ministry since the document must comprise the types of fish it wants to catch.
November last, Dr. Ramsammy told the National Assembly that the possibility exists that the same company that wants a licence to conduct deep sea fishing would be establishing a fish processing plant in Guyana.
Dr. Ramsammy had said that in a letter to Government the company indicated its interest in establishing a processing plant in Guyana. He related that the operations of the company would have to be stated in its proposal, which would allow Government to make a decision.
Dr. Ramsammy indicated that another limitation the company could encounter is the fishing of those stocks that need external approval.
“Some of them we have indicated are not dependent on Guyana alone, but we must have approval from ICAP, for example, like tuna, which is a quota system around the world, and Guyana would not be able to do that. There is no indication that they are interested in tuna. That is the present situation as far as I know.”
He added that operations of the company would not affect artisanal fishing. “Fishing in Guyana is done by artisanal fishers. Their boats cannot go too fast, as such, the company would not be granted licence where the local fishermen are operating.”