MURDER ON THE HIGH SEAS

May 09, 2018 Editorial, Features / Columnists

Families have been weeping and mourning; the nation continues to grieve over the brutal murder of more than a dozen Guyanese fishermen by pirates in the Atlantic Ocean. It was the most beastly attack in which 20 Guyanese fishermen in four boats were attacked by pirates.
Guyanese fishermen have been attacked several times before and many have been murdered by pirates on the high seas, but none of the attacks was as vicious as this attack which occurred a few days ago.
It is a massacre and a great tragedy that could hurt the fishing industry and the country in general as many petrified fisherman have anchored their boats. The April 27 attack by suspected Guyanese pirates has stoked fears among many fishermen who during previous attacks called on the governments of Guyana and Suriname to take concerted action to address the problem.
Piracy is an act of robbery or violence committed on boats and ships by attackers typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable items or properties.
Recently, seaborne piracy against Guyanese fisherman on the Corentyne, particularly off the coast of Suriname, increased significantly. There was an annual loss of $45 million. Today, most of the pirates are armed with automatic weapons, cutlasses and boats with powerful engines, a tactic that takes advantage of the small number of unarmed fishermen in smaller-engine boats. Amid growing outrage by the government that more than a dozen Guyanese are still missing, the piracy attack has shocked the nation. It is a major setback for the government which stated that over the past three years, it has successfully curbed the piracy problem.
As the Coast Guard, the Military and the Police from both Guyana and Suriname continue their search for the missing fishermen, their families are desperate to know their fate. Many have lost hope that they would be found alive. Others are hopeful that their loved ones would be found alive.
The challenge for the governments of both countries is to bring closure to the families of their loved ones by making sure that the barbaric pirates are brought to justice for their wretched acts. While both governments have had high level meetings at the Presidential and Ministerial levels on the troubling issue of piracy, the April 27 vicious piracy act confirmed that they seem not to have any real grip on the problem. Both governments must redouble their efforts to end piracy and protect the fishermen.
Fighting back tears, an emotional Sherwin Lovell, one of the fishermen who was stranded at sea for six days but survived the terrible ordeal, told the harrowing tale of how the pirates chopped, beat and tossed the fishermen overboard with batteries tied to their feet.
Lovell who sustained a broken right arm, chop wounds to his left hand, right knee, and other injuries on his head, back and other parts of his body said that he did not know how he got the strength to swim for two days to shore.
Over the years, several pledges were made by the governments of Guyana and Suriname to protect the fishermen have proved empty promises. Many in the fishing communities in Guyana believe that Suriname has become a safe haven for pirates. However, in light of the attacks, it is clear that there is an urgent need for all fishing boats to be equipped with a Global Positioning System and radios so that in case of pirate attacks, the fishermen can inform the authorities immediately. The goal is to provide a safer environment for fishermen.

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