– strategies to improve sector high on two-day agenda
Members of the Caribbean Fisheries Forum (CFF) yesterday met at the Ramada Georgetown Princess
Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder
Hotel, Providence, as part of a two-day exercise to discuss emerging issues and to recommend strategies to combat current challenges being faced within the fishing sector.
The CFF, the Ministerial Council and the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) Secretariat, are the three bodies that make up the CRFM.
The CRFM was officially inaugurated on 27 March 2003, in Belize City, Belize, where it is also headquartered following the signing of the “Agreement Establishing the CRFM” on February 4, 2002.
The mechanism, according to its website, is an inter-governmental organization with its mission being to “To promote and facilitate the responsible utilization of the region’s fisheries and other aquatic resources for the economic and social benefits of the current and future population of the region”.
Its members are Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Guyana’s Minister of Agriculture (MOA), Noel Holder, during his address welcomed the representatives and spoke of the important, direct role that the fisheries sector plays in national food security.
He said that in the Caribbean, the fisheries and aquaculture sector is a major economic contributor to domestic markets – almost US$420M in 2014. He also regarded the sector as a significant employer with about 116,000 persons directly employed and over 225,000 indirectly employed.
FISHERIES SUB-SECTOR’S CONTRIBUTION TO GUYANA
Holder said that Guyana can boast that its fisheries sub-sector contributes about 9.4 percent to agriculture Gross Domestic Product (GDP); it collects approximately GY$30.7M in revenue from fees from licenses; and it adds GY$15 B annually to the foreign currency earnings through exports.
In addition, the fishing industry employs approximately 15,000 people with 4,000 to 5,600 persons being directly employed in fishing, with many more benefiting indirectly through fishing-related industries.
RISE IN DEMANDS AND SUSTAINABLE FISHING PRACTICES
With health awareness on the rise; consumers recognising the health benefits in consuming fish, the demand for fish is increasing and the global marine production is being pressured to satisfy this demand even with aquaculture production also contributing.
“It is our duty to supply wholesome fish and fish products to meet this demand;
Representatives of Member States during the forum yesterday at the Ramada Georgetown Princess Hotel, Providence. (MOA Photo)
however we must ensure that it is done in a sustainable way so that future generations can enjoy the same benefits we now have,” Minster Holder pointed out.
“We in Guyana are committed to the sustainable management and advancement of the sector, and we are committed to working with our partners to ensure that we fish responsibly and practice sustainable fishing practices.”
Some of Guyana’s initiatives he listed included, the introduction of a Harvest Control rule, where Trawlers are allowed to fish for only a certain amount of days annually; the use of Vessel Monitoring Systems on the trawling fleet so that they can be monitored on a 24 hrs basis; and the formation of a Seabob Working Group, which comprises members of the Fisheries Department and stakeholders from the Trawler Association.
The Seabob Working Group is working together to attain the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification for the Seabob industry, he said.
In addition, the minister stated that there will be an increase in Monitoring Control and Surveillance of Artisanal vessels to ensure that they are in compliance with the rules and regulations as indicated in the Fisheries Act of 2002.
“With this move we hope to reduce accidents and robbery at sea and we will be working along with the Coast Guard in patrolling our EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone)”
CHALLENGES
The Minister continued, “apart from the dwindling marine resources, the sector (also) faces other challenges which I am sure are common to the Region. Adverse climatic conditions and the increasing presence of seaweed, hampers the fisher folk’s ability to fish or make it more dangerous to ply their trade. Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported fishing and robbery at sea also pose serious challenges,”
However, he said that he is happy that the Caribbean Community Common Fisheries Policy (CCCFP) is authorised for implementation.
He believes that this policy is aimed at fostering “greater” harmonisation across the Caribbean in the sustainable management and development of the fisheries and aquaculture resources, with special emphasis on promoting the most efficient use of shared resources, while aiming to improve food security and the reduction of poverty in the region.
ZEROING IN ON AQUACULTURE
“Our capture fisheries sub-sector is undergoing some serious challenges and we need to find an alternative to fill the gap. Therefore, we must look at the role of aquaculture in filling the global fish supply-demand gap and so reduce the pressure on capture fisheries.
Production of fish from aquaculture has exploded in the past 20 years and continues to expand around the world. However, in Guyana, like many other CRFM members, aquaculture is proving to be struggling to take off commercially, because of numerous challenges, such as the high cost of imported feed and other inputs such as fingerling production.
Also, the presence of non-tariff barriers in entering countries, even within the CARICOM member states, continue to hamper progress, as we know it is demand that develops any industry,” the Minister informed the gathering.
Holder made a call to the Chief Fisheries Officers present, to work together as a region to ensure the success of Aquaculture as he predicted that it will become increasingly necessary as a substitute for seafood.
“Aquaculture must meet this increased demand. As prices for most food commodities fall, fish prices are expected to rise. International projections show that developing countries will consume and produce a much greater share of the world’s fish in the future, and trade in fish commodities will also increase. We must capitalize on this” the Minster stressed.
It was revealed at the forum that Guyana has acceded to the Port State Measures agreement and will benefit from some training in this aspect from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in the coming week.
“I urge the FAO to continue and strengthen its work to combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, and I implore all countries here to ratify the Port State Measures Agreement,”
The Minister in his conclusion said that Guyana is strongly committed to working with the CRFM, FAO and other international and regional organizations to tackle the issues affecting the sector.
“We need to build on lessons learnt from past experiences; to enhance our knowledge on what works under what conditions and what is required to achieve our objectives. This fourteenth meeting provides an excellent opportunity to address and deliver these recommendations and decisions to the Ministerial Council.”