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Berbice vendors protest smuggling of fish, shrimp from Suriname
By Malisa Playter Harry
Fishermen and seafood vendors in Berbice yesterday held a protest to highlight a burning issue that has been affecting them for some time now, the illegal importation of fish and shrimp from Suriname to Guyana.
Fishermen and vendors during the protest yesterday.
These protestors are arguing that they are finding it difficult to compete with the illegal shrimp and fish coming from Suriname that is being sold at a considerably cheaper price. They complained that it is costing them a lot in the industry, since many of them would have invested huge amounts.
The fisherfolk are irate at the fact that they are in competition with persons who are conducting the illicit business.
Suedat Persaud, Secretary of the East Berbice Aqua Culture Association told reporters that “we are protesting the illegal entry of shrimp and Tilapia from Suriname, large quantities are coming in daily and it is affecting local markets and overseas markets”.
He underscored the need to have their voices heard so that the relevant authorities would do something to assist them.
“We want to send a message to the authorities that if we do not get any feedback or a solution, we will continue to protest and write letters in the press.” He stated that the products normally pass through the backtrack route from Suriname to Guyana by smugglers, but it is putting a dent in the fish and shrimp industry.
“Our cost of production is high compared to Suriname, they have a big shrimp pond where they go and catch freely and sell, we have to use excavators to construct farms, we have to hire watchmen, sellers, a lot of cost” .
Another irate vendor who has been in the fishing industry for over nine years, Premwattie Deonauth of Number 50 Village, argued that, “when I go at the market I see sheer Surinamese shrimp on the line. They are selling for $4000 and $5000 we can’t sell that to make any money. We have pay $1.2 million a year to rent a pond. When we sell for that we can’t pay workmen… we got children to send to school, we can’t go there and bring that here to sell, they jail you, but they can come and do it here because Guyana is a lawless country; we need justice”.
The illegal trading across the border with Suriname has been an ongoing issue for many years, with this country losing millions in revenue. The Guyana Revenue Authority has made it its mission, to at least assist in curbing the issue.
Other illegal trading includes the smuggling of electronics, food items, agriculture chemicals, liquor and cigarettes among others.
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