Report shows...Fish and shrimp production declining for two years now

Report shows…Fish and shrimp production declining for two years now

Oct 27, 2021 News

Kaieteur News – The Bank of Guyana (BoG) Half-Year Report revealed that fish and shrimp production has been declining for two years now. This was revealed when the first six months of 2019, 2020 and 2021 were compared.

Mending their nets. This group of fishermen had spoken with Kaieteur News reporters at the Meadow Bank Fish Wharf.

According to the report, the fishing industry recorded mixed output performance and this resulted in a smaller reduction of 6.6 percent compared to the 12.1 percent recorded in June 2020.
It was also stated that there was a decline in catches of fish and shrimp by 22.1 percent and 11.8 percent, respectively, due to a reduction in the number of fishing vessels operating. A table in the report illustrated the fish and shrimp production as follows: fish (tonnes); 2019 – 10,378, 2020 – 9,509 and 2021 – 7,406, and for shrimp (tonnes) 2019- 10,046; 2020 – 9,259 and 2021 – 8,171.
Earlier this month, Kaieteur News reported that chemical changes in Guyana’s coastal waters have caused a significant decrease in shrimp production. This was reported based on information gathered from the Ministry of Finance’s 2021 Mid-Year Report.
According to the Report, a review of the first six months of 2021 revealed that Guyanese fishermen recorded lower catch rates for white belly shrimp and finfish. The Report highlighted, too, that compared to the same period for the previous year, there was a significant decrease in the production of white belly shrimp and finfish by 75.5 percent and 26.3 percent, respectively.
It was stated that the significant reduction in the production of white belly shrimp was caused by a change in salinity of coastal waters. Salinity is the degree of saltiness of the water.
Additionally, interviews conducted earlier this year by this publication revealed that our fishermen have been “catching hell”. In fact, this media house had reported that it received numerous reports of a rapid depletion of fish in Guyana’s waters. It was reported that a number of fishermen have blamed poor regulations by the Government for issuing too many fishing licences, thereby causing the sea to become overcrowded with fishing boats.
On the other hand, others believe that it might be as a result of the ongoing exploration, drilling and production of crude by ExxonMobil. In light of this, no independent study has been made public by the government about the effects these oil operations have on the nation’s marine life.

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