The Ministry of Agriculture and the Guyana Association of Trawler Owners and Seafood Processors (GATOSP) are still to meet on the controversial approval of two trawler licences in the Seabob trade which can undermine conservation efforts.
Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha when contacted last night told Stabroek News that GATOSP declined the invitation to meet on Thursday last citing short notice.
“I am still committed to meeting with the association but we didn’t get to meet last week because when my fisheries officer contacted them they said it was short notice to meet and get all their members to attend,” Mustapha said.
Nonetheless, he emphasized that despite this week being hectic, he will seek to meet the association.
Last week, Mustapha said that to his knowledge, the licence holders are “locals who are reputable fishermen,” while maintaining that the comprehensive investigation into the fisheries sector will provide answers to questions surrounding the issuance of the two new trawler licences for seabob fishing operations and the recipients of the licences.
Since mid-November by way of a letter the association has been asking for answers on the issuance of the licences which are in contravention of sustainable fishing practices.
Since the protest, the Ministry of Agriculture has said it has initiated a probe to determine the circumstances under which the approval was given but has provided no further information on the licensing.
Shadow Minister of Agriculture Khemraj Ramjattan has since lodged questions with the National Assembly seeking answers from Mustapha on the issuance of the licences by his ministry.
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?”
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, Reuben Charles, wrote to Mustapha for clarification, warning that new licences could jeopardise the sustainable certification secured from the international Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).
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.
