The Fisheries Department says the Guyana Times “neglected certain basic journalistic principles” when it published the July 8 article titled: “Pirates continue to (wreak) havoc – Fishermen say new legislation means nothing” without allowing it an opportunity to respond to the issues raised therein.
In a press release the agriculture ministry’s Fisheries Department said the Guyana Times made no effort to seek a comment from the appropriate officer in order to ensure that both sides of the issue were examined.
It also criticised the paper’s describing the piracy and hijacking bill as “ineffective” just days after its passage and before its implementation.
The Department said the need for tougher piracy legislation arose from the numerous interactions with fishermen countrywide after several of them had suffered assaults, hijacking of vessels and some had disappeared on the high seas over the last decades. The ministry said the law would ensure severe penalties for those found guilty.
It said too the drafting of the Bill was a consolidated effort by the agriculture and home affairs ministries, the attorney general’s chambers and representatives of the fishing sector aimed at providing legal protection for fishermen and their investments.
The ministry said the Guyana Times did not include the objectives of the legislation which the National Assembly passed last week.
According to the release the ministry provided the Berbice Anti-Piracy Committee with a 75 horsepower outboard engine and a vessel to allow it to conduct patrols and respond to reports of hijacking in collaboration with the Coast Guard and Guyana Police Force. Additionally, Cabinet also provided $15M to the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) to assist with anti-piracy activities.
Meanwhile, the GDF through the Guyana Coast Guard has implemented regular patrols in Region Six, which is the worst affected area while the Fisheries Advisory Committee continues its monitoring exercises, the release said. Also, the ministry launched the Anti-piracy Revolving Fund to provide financial aid to victims of pirate attacks. “For your information only one fisher has subscribed to the fund. We do hope other fisherfolk will join this programme”.
The release added that “Consequent-ly, even a brief examination of the Government’s efforts would result in the widespread acceptance that the Ministry has employed a wide range of measures” to safeguard the lives and property of fishermen.
