Berbice Fishermen want help

Jun 11, 2016 News

Fishermen operating in the mouth of the Berbice River are expressing alarm at the rate at which the trade has been declining in their area. They are calling on the relevant authorities to rescue them.

Chinese seine operators at the Rosignol Fish Port

Executive members of the Rosignol Fishermen Coop Society, Treasurer Bisram Somwaru, and Chairman, Mr. Rudolph Moore, claim that artisanal fishing in the area is under serious threat. There has been a rapid decline in production, not because of over fishing, but because of environmental factor. More than 300 people, boat captains and crew members, are now out of jobs.
The fishermen are claiming that the traditional fishing ground, between Number Forty-three Village to the east and the Abary to the west, has seen a very sharp decline in production. The fishermen are attributing such development to destruction and pollution of the habitat of the marine life.
According to the fishermen, continuous dredging of the Berbice mouth began in 2012. As of 2013 there has been a marked decline in both shrimp and fish production. As a result, people have been leaving the industry.
Chinese seine operation has seen about a ninety percent decline. The operators would use fish pen to trap fish, but the constant muddy nature of the water, together with siltation have interfered with the breeding ground for the marine life.
The fishermen argue that there is a marked difference in production beyond Abary to the west and Number Forty Three to the east. On the other hand, the deep sea operators have not seen such sharp decline in production. The fishermen are of the view that there is a definite link between the continuous dredging of the Berbice River and the sharp decline of the amount of seafood harvested which in turn has resulted in loss of jobs, as well an increase in the price of fish on the market.
The ongoing dredging operation was undertaken to allow for larger vessels operating in the bauxite industry. In the view of the fishermen, the foreign company abandoned the natural channel of the river and created their own without any consultation with the fisherman, and now the environmental impact is manifesting itself in the decline of the fishing industry in the Berbice area.
The fishermen, in their attempt to save the industry and preserve their livelihood, sought discussions with the bauxite company. The company in turn asked for the scientific evidence supporting the claims of the fishermen, and the relevant government department had undertaken a survey.
The fishermen however are claiming that over six months have elapsed since the survey was completed, but there has been no movement since, and they would want things to move at a more rapid pace. Their argument is that the delays can only allow for greater damage to be done to the natural habitat of the marine life.
Those who have remained in the industry are mainly the fishermen who are involved in deep sea fishing using the drift seine. Such operators remain at sea for longer periods before returning to port.
The cadel operators employ extensive lines of hooks, and they depend heavily on the operators of Chinese seines for bait, and they spend less time at sea as compared with the drift seine operators. The Chinese seine operators, hardest hit by the alleged damage to the breeding ground for marine life, would erect fish pens in which fish are trapped and harvested twice per day.

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