-says comprehensive investigation underway

Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha continues to maintain that the comprehensive investigation into the fisheries sector will provide answers to questions surrounding the issuance of two new trawler licences for seabob fishing operations and the recipients of the licences.

Approached by this newspaper yesterday for a comment following the signing of contracts for the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), he said that after meeting with the Guyana Association of Trawler Owners and Seafood Processors (GATOSP) he will make a statement on the matter. The meeting between his ministry and GATOSP is likely to be held by Friday.

Pressed on the names of the holders of the licences, Mustapha offered that he could not remember the names of recipients. He told this newspaper that to his knowledge, the licence holders are “locals who are reputable fishermen.”

The Minister iterated that he has requested a comprehensive investigation since receiving reports of irregularities in the sector.

“We are doing an investigation that covers the licensing, the duty-free fuel that we give them because I heard some players in the industry that currently exist minus the two that were given licences, they are renting out their vessels… so I asked for comprehensive report that is being done now,” he stated.

In mid-November, GATOSP brought the issue to the fore when it disclosed that the two licences had been granted in contravention of sustainable fishing practices.

Since the protest, the Ministry of Agriculture has initiated a probe to determine the circumstances under which the approval was given but has said nothing else.

Shadow Minister of Agriculture Khemraj Ramjattan has since filed his notice of questions to the National Assembly seeking answers from Mustapha on the issuance of the two new trawler licences by his ministry.

Speaking at the AFC’s weekly virtual press conference, Ramjattan said he lodged four questions with the Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs. He said the questions are to be answered in 21 days.

Ramjattan said the questions asked are “To whom were the two new trawler licences issued to for years 2020-2021 by the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries Department? Was there any due diligence conducted on these licence(s)? If there was any such due diligence done, could the Minister provide copies to this Honourable House of the said due diligence Report(s)? And was the Guyana Association of Trawler Owners and Seafood Processors Association (GATOSP) consulted in any way prior to the grant of the two trawler licences?”

He had said that he believes this is a “serious issue on the sustainability of Guyana’s seafood”.

President of the association Reuben Charles told Stabroek News on Thursday that Mustapha had informed him via a phone call that they will meet in the new week.

Trawler operators have ratcheted up the pressure on the government to explain the issuing of the two new trawling licences which they say could decimate their businesses.

They say the two licences clandestinely issued by the Ministry of Agriculture constitute a threat to the sustainability of the local seabob shrimp industry which has already seen a dramatic decline in harvesting numbers.

In the letter dated 19 November, GATOSP President, Charles, wrote to Mustapha for clarification, warning that new licences could jeopardise the sustainable certification secured from the international Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).

The GATOSP letter said that members had been alerted of the two new licences after reports began circulating in the fishing community. It added that some level of confirmation surfaced afterwards when the supposed holder of the new licences approached the owner of one of the seabob processing plants for an agreement whereby the plant would process the shrimp caught by his vessel.

Charles has since written to seabob processors reminding them of their commitment to the MSC and advised that processing of the seabob will go against their commitment.

According to Ramjattan, government should make its position clear, because the plundering of this nation’s seafood will impact its sustainability and the issuance of the licence “is a major setback to the achievements made to ensure shrimping is a sustainable industry.”

He credited the PPP/C for initiating a seasonal period for catching shrimp and said that when the APNU+AFC government took office in 2015, it built on what was established. It was under the previous PPP/C government, he recalled, that three of this country’s “largest players in the industry”- Noble House Seafoods, Pritipaul Singh Investment and Gopie Investment, were asked to reduce operations by 30% and cut their fleet of vessels to further ensure sustainable practices.

During the APNU+AFC’s term in office, Ramjattan said that there had been numerous applications for trawler licences but none was granted approval.

GATOSP had warned that the MSC could consider this as a breach of the principles associated with the certification granted to GATOSP and revoke it.        

The association also pointed out that the addition of any vessel to the current licensing agreements is in contravention of the pact that it and the Fisheries Department of the ministry had agreed to.