Fishermen bawling at sea as they reel in empty seines

Mar 09, 2025 News

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Kaieteur News- Guyanese fishermen are complaining bitterly about their inability to catch fish in the country’s waters. The fishermen said that they have been reeling in empty seines since 2020.

Many have voiced their frustration through the various media but as the situation worsens, they have taken matters into their own hands by posting TikTok videos of their hardships.

One crew posted a video on Friday complaining after they spent four days at sea and caught nothing.

“I never see something like this in me born life,” one of the crew members said while adding, “Ayo watch one (expletive) nah come pon this seine hay.”

The men said that empty seines are out weighing their catch for about three months now.

“All them pickney (their children) hungry and suh now,” one fisherman said as he explained that catches are not sufficient to cover fuel costs for their boats.

Another fisherman declared, “A we dese ga rent fuh pay and suh…We collect $100,000 (the cash grant) duh can’t even pay the … rent when yuh done buy lil ration and suh”.

“A we a wuk and a we nah get pay nah fuh seh like a we nah work. This thing a send a we mad now… a mad a we a run now watch,” another fisherman added.

The fishermen men believe that ExxonMobil’s oil operation offshore Guyana might be chasing away the fish.

“All dem time when dem nah a draw oil a we been a ketch a we fish aright and them,” the fisherman said with support from his colleagues.

The government has in the recent times dismissed claims that the oil operation is contributing to the disappearance of fish from Guyana’s waters but the fishermen are not accepting that.

“Eleven years me a wuk a sea now and me neva see something like a this and dem a tell a we that oil nah do fish nothing, ayo watch (shows their empty seines) ayuh get sense, ayo watch”, a fisherman argued.

The fishermen said that they have been complaining for years but their concerns are falling on deaf ears so they have decided to protest publicly using the various social media platforms so that the masses can see their plight.

The Ministry of Finance in its 2021 mid-year report had claimed that Chemical changes in Guyana’s coastal waters have caused a significant decrease in seafood production, specifically Shrimp. 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.

In 2023, a report for one of ExxonMobil’s proposed well-campaigns for the Stabroek Block sought to discredit the fishermen’s claim that oil operations is dwindling fish supply.

The report had stated that Guyana has seen a declining trend since 2013, two years before the discovery of oil.

One media entity, Oil Now, had reported that the details of this trend were outlined in ExxonMobil Guyana’s Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA) for a 35 multi-well programme in the Stabroek Block.

Another report was reportedly published in 2024 by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) claiming that Guyana’s declining fish stock cannot be linked to oil and gas activities

In a document titled “Potential causes for reported low fisheries catches in Guyana in 2020 – 2021: a preliminary assessment,” the United Nations organisation stated that excessive fishing pressure could be the primary cause of the gradual decline in artisanal finfish production over the past two decades.

Nevertheless, Irfaan-Ali led Government has promised, while refuting claims that oil exploration is affecting Guyana’s fishing stock, to address the dwindling supply.

One way is through an inland and aquaculture strategy from 2021 to 2026 and the government boasted that it will be an economic powerhouse. Another approach the government has reportedly taken is clamping down on illegal fishing.

The Ministry of Agriculture in November 2023 released a statement saying, that it launched “a national action plan to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, strengthening its approach to fisheries monitoring, control, surveillance, and enforcement”.

Despite Government’s efforts fishermen continue to complain about their sufferings because of the hardships they face. Some are taking risks by venturing into international waters in order to feed their families.

On February 12, two Guyanese fishing boats were seized along with their catch by the Suriname Coast Guard. The boats and Guyanese crew onboard were reportedly fishing in Suriname waters without permits and licenses.

“On the vessels, authorities found eight fishermen of Guyanese origin who were unable to identify themselves or provide official permits,” Waterkant, a Surinamese media entity reported.

Meanwhile, the seized catch consisted of several fish species, including “Bang Bang and Kantratiki”, which are popular in the Suriname’s fishing industry.

The Suriname Coast Guard reportedly emphasised that strict action is being taken against illegal fishing, which not only causes economic damage to the fishing sector but also threatens natural fish stocks.

“Our maritime borders and fishing rights will be actively protected, and violators can expect severe sanctions,” the Coast Guard reportedly said in a press release.

(Fishermen bawling at sea as they reel in empty seines)

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• country’s waters, The fishermen, three months now, TikTok videos, various media

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