Local News

Govt working through “diplomatic channel” to get promised licences for fisherfolks – Mustapha

01 February 2025
This content originally appeared on INews Guyana.
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Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha

The Guyana Government has stated that it will continue to work with its Surinamese counterpart, and make representations for Guyanese fisherfolks to get the 150 licences, which they were promised since 2021, to operate in the territorial waters of the Dutch-speaking neighbour.

Following a high-level meeting in Georgetown in August 2021 between Presidents Dr Irfaan Ali and President Chandrikapersad Santokhi, the Surinamese Government had committed to issue 150 fisherfolk here with licences starting from January 2022 to operate in Suriname’s territorial waters.

But to date, these licences are yet to be issued, despite repeated efforts by Guyanese authorities to get this matter resolved.

On Friday, Opposition Member of Parliament, Vinceroy Jordan, questioned Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, about the status of obtaining the licences.

In response, Mustapha posited that Suriname has “reneged” on its commitment.

“It is not in our hands… The Surinamese Authorities would have promised us 150 licences. We had a commitment from no less a person than the President himself. I had an email from Minister of Agriculture from Suriname, stating the modus operandi, how they will go about issuing the licences… [But] they reneged on the commitment, we had it in writing,” he stated.

Nevertheless, Mustapha assured that Guyana would continue to make representations on various forums, including at the Caribbean Fishing Authority, to ensure that the local fishermen would get the permit to operate in Suriname’s water.

This was after MP Jordan repeatedly grilled him on whether the fishermen would get the licences or not.

“[The Opposition has] no idea what are international relations. They want us to go and force the Surinamese to give the fisherfolks the license… [but] we can’t bound them that they have to give it to us… These people don’t know how international relations work, they don’t know diplomacy. That is why Guyana could’ve lost its status when they were in Government. They never had Guyana’s interest at heart. They don’t know international relations. They feel this is a bottom house cake shop we’re running. We’re not running Government like that. We work through the diplomatic channel, we work through the international channel, and we will continue to represent the fisherfolks,” the Agriculture Minister stressed.

Guyanese fishermen operate from the Corentyne Coast and have to use the Corentyne River to get access to the Atlantic where they get most of their catch. The Corentyne River is Surinamese territory.

Over recent years, however, with the failure of the Suriname Government to uphold its pledge, Guyanese fisherfolk are being exploited and made to pay exorbitant fees to rent licences that are issued to Surinamese businessmen in order to operate in the border river.

Meanwhile, stakeholders in the local fishing industry, especially operators along the Corentyne, have been calling for the Guyana Government to apply more pressure on its Surinamese counterpart to resolve the fishing licences issue.

Only in October last, Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo had expressed his dissatisfaction with the manner in which the Surinamese Government is handling the age-old fishing licence issue with Guyana.

“It’s utterly disgusting,” VP Jagdeo declared when he was asked for an update on the matter.

According to the Vice President, who had in the past upset Surinamese officials with his strong condemnation on the matter, the system in the Dutch nation is very opaque.

“It’s a very opaque system, and the Surinamese Government has not been courageous enough to address it in a manner that would be consistent with good neighbourliness,” he had stated.

Back in February 2024, on the sidelines of the CARICOM Heads of Government Conference held in Georgetown, President Santokhi assured that this issue was on the agenda for dialogue between the two countries.

Asked by Guyana Times then whether there could be a resolution before the end of 2024, the Surinamese leader had explained that there were some legal issues in his country that could require parliamentary amendments or a new agreement between the two countries.
Nevertheless, he reassured that a decision in the best interest of both countries would be taken.

“It is on agenda, let us look at what the views are… You have to take into consideration that this case was thoroughly examined by both sides and one of the issues is that there are some legal implications. But we are leaders who solve things. If things need to be solved in the parliament, if things need to be solved in agreement, if things need to be solved within the spirit of CARICOM Treaty, we have to do it but we are not running away from our responsibility to take a proper decision… The question is on the agenda and we’re looking for the best solution in the interest of both countries,” President Santokhi had stated.