The staff of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD), Customs, and the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Coast Guard are among key stakeholders undergoing training to improve their capacity to combat illegal fishing.
A three-day workshop, held at the Cara Lodge, began yesterday to increase awareness on the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA) to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing; increase understanding about the international and regional initiatives and tools to combat illegal fishing; build capacity among key stakeholders in Guyana for implementation of the PSMA and related instruments that address flag state responsibilities; and draft legislation as necessary to facilitate the implementation of the PSMA.
Denzil Roberts, Chief Fisheries Officer, stated that the workshop, which was jointly organised by the Fisheries Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and the FAO, is aimed at combatting illegal fishing, which continues to be a threat to effective conservation and
