‘Rough waters for Guyanese fishers’

May 05, 2022 News

…as Suriname orders downsizing of vessels, refuse to renew their licences

By Zena Henry

Kaieteur News – Fishermen within the Berbice region continue to face hardship as Suriname has upped the pressure on local operators.

Guyanese fishermen are not getting their fishing licences renewed from Surinamese authorities, while others have parked their boats; refusing to shrink their vessels, as demanded by the Dutch nation. In an update on the current situation, Upper Corentyne Fisherman Co-op Society Chairman, Parmeshwar Jainarine told the Kaieteur News that so far he is aware of 12 Guyanese whose SK licences have not been renewed.

Upper Corentyne Fisherman Co-op Society Chairman, Parmeshwar Jainarine

Additionally, some 25 fishermen in the Crabwood Creek, Number No.79 Village have also parked their boats in protest of the stipulated 10 feet downsizing of their fishing vessels. Some have also downed tools as they refuse to leave their boats unattended in the Suriname state.
Local fishermen are refusing to cut the size of their usually 37 to 40 feet fishing boat, pointing out the unsafe nature of such a request. Jainarine explained that local operators are uncomfortable about the changes because they put their lives at risk. He said that the boats already accommodate three to four workers onboard. The current size allows fishermen to store their ice, catch and add to sleeping space. Cutting the boat, he highlighted, would not only cut space onboard, but could cause a boat to sink during rough waters. “It will not float properly and could drive the bow of the boat to, as we say, push down into the water.”Additionally, to cut the size of the boat will also increase fuel usage, Jainarine said. He informed that some local fishermen have cut their boats because they have no other way to feed their families.

Some of the parked boats at Number 79 Village

Others, he said are refusing because of the safety issues and the fact that no reason or explanation has been given by the Surinamese as to why they should decrease the size of their vessels. These rules are in relation to the BV licences which are used for inland fishing for example, in the Corentyne River.
Jainarine reminded that to allow Guyanese to legitimately fish in its territory, local fishermen were also told that they would have to leave their boats in Suriname to prove to authorities there which boats Dutch middlemen have rented licences to. As such Guyanese operators, fearful of damage and theft to their unattended vessels have stopped working. They are refusing to leave their work boats in Suriname and have to take smaller boats back and forth between Guyana and Suriname to access the vessel when needed.
For the role he played in highlighting the plight of the local fishermen, Jainarine said he had two of his fishing licences not renewed. “They told me I am talking a little too much so they took it away.”Jainarine said that previously a list of Guyanese fishermen who would have received licences from the Dutch authorities was requested; but fearful of being targeted, the list was not provided. He added that since these licences were received from the authority, they should have their own list. With the way things are going, Jainarine said that by next year when it comes to renewing fishing licences, Guyanese may very well have to pay the US$3000 and $4000 cost being demanded by the middlemen since there has not been any clear end coming to the matter soon. He said, “Who can’t afford it, might just have to close up and go find another job.”
“The overall feeling is just frustration,” Jainarine lamented. He said many of the fishermen are now regretting having sought government’s intervention into the Suriname fish matter. “If we had known that this would have been the result we would have just left everything.” Jainarine had told the newspaper that some 1000 families stood to be affected by the fish licence situation. The entire regional sector could be in jeopardy; he pointed out since the industry contributes immensely to regional commerce and had rescued many sugar workers after the closure of the factory.

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