E’bo fishermen feeling brunt of catfish ban

May 27, 2018 News

Fishing vessels at Charity, Region Two

Fishermen who came out on last Tuesday to raise their concerns with CEO of the Fisheries Department, Denzel Roberts.

Since the ban on catfish fish by the United States in March, fishermen on the Essequibo Coast have been very quiet as it relates to the challenges initiated by this ban. Since there is no firm or organization that represents the fishing industry in Region Two, the voices of these fishermen often go unheard.
Recently, however, more than 60 fishermen within the Pomeroon-Supenaam Region met to discuss key issues plaguing the local industry. One of the major issues raised, was the rapid reduction in the price for catfish and gilbackar. The reason for this reduction, they claim, is the heavy ban, which was placed on these fish by the United States.
Commenting on the challenges they now face, one fisherman explained, “We work mainly catfish and since the ban, we nah selling much it because we nah got nobody fo assist we in buying it.
If a man do buy it, sometime he pay $100 or sometimes $200 per pound. Before, we use to get $500 and $600. Now to add to the pressure, the gasoline price raise too and so like the business not payable.”
Another fisherman who usually fish for gilbackar, noted that the price has dropped from $800 to $300 and $200 per pound.
Addressing these fishermen’s concern last Tuesday, was CEO of the Fisheries Department under the Ministry of Agriculture, Denzel Roberts. Roberts noted that ban on catfish was enforced because of a change in the US Regulations on the import of certain species of fish.
He added that there were changes in the agencies that regulate the imports of fish. “First, it was the US Department of Agriculture that handled the imports of our catfish into the US. Now, it has moved into the food safety inspection services, and according to them, catfish is now classified as meat and not fish…As soon as you take the fish out of the water, it becomes food… so the Public Health Unit would now take charge.”
For the ban to be lifted, however, Roberts noted that the US has presented a list of questions that will aid in identifying certain processing plants, capable of processing catfish according to US requirements.
Roberts made claims on Tuesday that Guyana has already made most of the changes by identifying eligible processing plants, and that the US –via teleconferencing- said that the plants were ok. He added that in order to move ahead with the second step, a number of documents to be redone are still to be sent by the US.
Roberts noted that once these documents are redone, the US will most likely visit to inspect these processing plants.
He said that the Public Health Department is already making efforts to ensure this last step of the deal goes smoothly so that the ban can be lifted.
“Public Health had a meeting with some of these processors and they lay down the facts and told them that if they don’t up their game, they would be out of operation. We can’t have a ‘bottom house plant’ because when the guys from the US come, they will look at the list and select a plant randomly. If one of them goes out then the entire industry goes out.”