Caribbean News
GUYANA: Brackish water shrimp production advancing in Region Six
By Kellon Rover, GPI
#Guyana, March 31, 2022 – The introduction of brackish water shrimp production, which is one of the measures the government has been pushing, is advancing well in Region Six. This measure was taken due to the worldwide issue of low fish catches that have impacted the local fisheries industry.
His Excellency, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali has said aquaculture is a very important component of the agriculture sector, which will never fail under the PPP/C Government. Aquaculture refers to the rearing, breeding and harvesting of aquatic species, both animals and plants, in environments such as oceans, lakes, rivers, ponds and streams.
At Plantation Borlam, Erwin Abdulla praised the initiative, citing that it has the potential to stimulate economic growth, specifically for export and food sustainability.
“Right now, we have four ponds completed and we still have 10 more to complete under this first phase of development of the semi-intensive system. We are now producing close to four times what we used to produce. When those other 10 ponds are finished, we should be producing like 60 tons of shrimp or more,” Abdulla told DPI.
He believes that the project is beyond rearing of shrimps, explaining that the new venture has already created a number of job opportunities.
“We have over 24 people employed on this part of the project and by the time we are in full production, we would be employing probably 50 or more. We are in a process right now of establishing a security firm because stealing is a very challenging thing that we face and now with intensive aquaculture, we will be having much more shrimp, the inducive for people to come and steal will be much greater.”
He added, “the turnaround time to clean the ponds to get all the predators out was very long, but with the initiative by the government, clearing of the sand bank by the pontoon, digging the outfall drains and drainage system, helping us with tubes, have seen our production in this particular farm multiplying four times.”
Like Abdulla, Chairman of the East Berbice Corentyne Aquaculture Cooperative Society Limited, Suedat Persaud, anticipates the region’s shrimp production accelerating up to 450,000 tons per year.
“This initiative has improved the aquaculture sector to where we could actually now take three times the volume of water, and this volume of water will assist in the el nino period where the heat will not affect the shrimps and the fish. And even in the la nina period, the flooding, we have high dams that can combat flooding now,” fisherman Persaud explained.
Persaud also boasted about the upgraded drainage and irrigation systems. “…what has also happened, we received pipes and installed them. The drainage has improved and the overall aquaculture sector has improved in Region Six.”
Balwant Singh is another farmer benefitting from the first ever government sponsored shrimp production in the ancient county.
Just off the Berbice River Bridge at Fortlands East Canje, the budding agriculturist operates four shrimp ponds, all measuring at least three acres.
“This project started last year July and this is because of the government. They actually reach out to shrimp farmers and was offering help to make our farm sustainable and to assist in the community. On this farm we will be hiring a few people after it gets off its leg,” Singh underscored.
The preparation phase of the project was successful, he explained, as he credited the expertise and guidance of the fisheries department. Singh would visit his farm on a daily basis to monitor the production, ensuring there is no leakage of water.
And while he is excited about expanding his production, “…I have never done this before, I am doing it because of their assistance. After this, I would know how to proceed and expand. Right now, we have shrimp in here and I am sure that we will do good because I have seen a lot of fingerlings came in.”
He highly anticipates the harvesting phase within the next four to six weeks.
Since taking office on August 2, 2020, the administration has been paying significant attention to the nation’s fisheries sector, to ensure the livelihood of fisherfolk is maintained.
More than $743.7 million was allocated to advance the fisheries and aquaculture sub sector and ensure continued development of the industry this year.
Some $230 million has been committed to rehabilitate an additional 63 shrimp farms this year. This is expected to increase production to 500,000 kilograms per year, with an estimated value of over $300 million per annum.
The shrimp production is a major contributor to food security and livelihoods in Region Six. The industry has significant potential to be upgraded to produce over 300 per cent of its current production.
Meanwhile, the PPP/C Government will continue the momentum of expanding the fisheries industry. It has committed an additional $200 million to initiate the culture to develop marine cage fish farming in Guyana.
This is expected to benefit over 135 persons, including hinterland communities, fish farmers, and particularly fishermen who are seeking alternative means of earning.
Imagine an Atlantic Bridge connecting the Caribbean Region to the African Continent
Deandrea Hamilton | Editor
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — When CARICOM leaders convened with African counterparts and Afreximbank officials in Ethiopia, the outcomes were savory and exactly what many Caribbean people want to see materialise as the islands become uniquely reconnected to the African continent.
At the Second CARICOM-Africa Summit, held at the African Union headquarters, leaders moved beyond symbolic language to agree on a draft communiqué that, if finalized, would anchor this partnership in practical action. While not yet officially published by the AU or CARICOM, the document points to an agenda that blends history with urgent twenty-first century priorities.
The draft outlines commitments to improve air and sea transport links, including the pursuit of a multilateral air services agreement to break down the barriers that still keep the Caribbean and Africa physically apart. It also calls for visa facilitation and simplified entry regimes, making it easier for citizens of both regions to travel, study, and work across the Atlantic.
Equally significant are pledges to advance double taxation treaties that could remove one of the most stubborn obstacles to investment.
With Afreximbank’s Caribbean headquarters already established in Barbados and the AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum (ACTIF) gaining momentum, leaders now want to lock in the financial and legal frameworks that will drive new business.
Reparatory justice also featured prominently, with the draft communiqué sharpening a joint call for coordinated advocacy. CARICOM’s long-standing Reparations Commission is expected to work more closely with African institutions to demand global recognition and redress for the shared traumas of slavery and colonial exploitation.
CARICOM’s incoming chair, Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew of St. Kitts and Nevis, captured the spirit of the gathering when he urged that the Atlantic Slave Trade be reimagined as an “Atlantic Bridge — a bridge of hope, a bridge of advancement, a bridge that will ensure our people take their rightful place in this world.”
For Secretary-General Dr. Carla Barnett, the meeting was a “homecoming,” but also a reminder that concrete steps like the Health Development Partnership for Africa and the Caribbean (HeDPAC) and improved transportation links are needed to transform rhetoric into results.
For citizens back home, wrestling with inflation and economic uncertainty, the Addis outcomes — transport, visas, investment, health, and reparations — are precisely the kinds of measures that can validate leaders’ journeys and rekindle faith in South-South cooperation. What was once only rhetoric now hints at the beams of an Atlantic Bridge, connecting the Caribbean and Africa in ways that could finally turn history’s tragedy into tomorrow’s advantage.
