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.
Castries, March 2025. Saint Lucia has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring human rights for all.
This was the collective assertion, as over 20 national stakeholders participated in a two-day national Human Rights workshop. This initiative was hosted by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights’ (OHCHR) Regional Caribbean office, in collaboration with the UN Resident Coordinator’s satellite office in Saint Lucia, and the Ministry of External Affairs, International Trade, Civil Aviation, and Diaspora Affairs. 
The workshop, was designed to enhance awareness of the International Human Rights System, including treaty bodies and human rights mechanisms; build capacity of government officials and civil society members in data gathering and human rights reporting; and to highlight the role that respective agencies and their constituents play within this system. The Ministry of External Affairs, International Trade, Civil Aviation and Diaspora Affairs is the focal agency for Human Rights in Saint Lucia.
In welcoming participants, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs Ms. Janelle Modeste-Stephen, noted that advancing human rights was a shared responsibility. “Government must enact policies and safeguard rights. Civil society must continue to advocate and mobilize. The private sector must embrace inclusive practices. Communities must challenge discrimination and uphold the dignity of every individual,” She urged stakeholders to use the workshop as an opportunity to learn, collaborate and commit to concrete action that will make human rights a lived reality for all in Saint Lucia. “Together, we can build a society, where justice, equality and inclusion are not just aspirations but everyday realities”, she stated.
A key objective of the workshop was to reactivate and strengthen the capacity of Saint Lucia’s National Coordinating Committee for Human Rights, which was established by the Cabinet of Ministers in 2019. The Ministry of External Affairs serves as the Chair and Secretariat of the Committee, which comprises representatives from various government ministries. The committee is responsible for analyzing the human rights situation at the national level and collaborates to report on recommendations aligned with Saint Lucai’s national priorities. The active
functioning of the National Coordinating Committee for Human Rights is crucial for promoting and protecting human rights.
Reflecting on the utility of the workshop, Ms. Bynta Ernest, the representative from the Department of Gender Affairs on the National Human Rights Committee noted that the session was essential to the Committee’s revitalization and to demonstrating its importance in advancing human rights in Saint Lucia. “The practical sessions towards reporting on the recommendations from the last Universal periodic Review (UPR) were also very useful to kick-start the process towards meeting our October 2025 UPR reporting deadline,” she added.
In fulfillment of Saint Lucia’s human rights related reporting obligations and deadlines, workshop participants prepared a draft plan of action to devise next steps to advance Saint Lucia’s human rights agenda.
The workshop was held at the Harbor Club Hotel, from March 5-6, 2025. Participants included representatives from departments of External Affairs, Health, Education, Labor, Justice, Human Services, Gender Affairs, Immigration, Equity, Economic Development, the National Statistical Office, the Parliamentary Commissioner’s Office, the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force, the Attorney General’s Office, and the National Council of and for Persons with Disabilities.
Photo Captions:
1st insert: Janelle Modeste-Stephen, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs
2nd insert: Bynta Ernest, Gender Affairs
Kingston, Jamaica, March 10, 2025 – The Government has significantly increased investments in healthcare and should another crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic hit the island, the country will be better equipped to deal with it, according to Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness.
Speaking at the unveiling of a monument in honour of healthcare workers who died while tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, today (March 10), at the National Chest Hospital in St. Andrew, the Prime Minister said out of a commitment to strengthen the healthcare system and to strengthen the healthcare workforce, the Government instituted the Dr. Barry Wint Memorial Scholarship in 2024.
“We are investing $2.5 billion to support 607 students pursuing studies in medical technology, nursing, biomedical engineering, and other critical health-related fields,” he said, adding that the fund is ensuring the building of a robust pipeline of professionals “dedicated to service in the health sector.
“This is a solid commitment of how the Government is dealing with building resilience in the system, supporting our professionals, and at the same time ensuring that we can deliver healthcare with care,” the Prime Minister said.
He noted that while July has been earmarked to recognise the “selfless contribution of those who carried us through the crisis, more needs to be done”.
“Our appreciation cannot be confined to a single month or a single event. It must be reflected in how we value and support our healthcare professionals every single day. To the families of the fallen, I know that no words can fill the space left, especially for your loved ones,” Dr.
Holness said.
The Prime Minister underscored that the legacies of the healthcare workers live on in the patients they treated, the lives they touched, and now in the monument that has been erected.
“Let us commit to a Jamaica where those who dedicate their lives to caring for others are themselves cared for. Let us also commit to upholding the values these healthcare workers have embodied – care, compassion, resilience and unity. In their action and sacrifice, they made a choice,” the Prime Minister said.
March 10 marks the fifth anniversary since the first case of COVID-19 was identified in the country, and the fourth year since the start of the recovery with the administration of vaccines.
Contact: Garfield L. Angus
Release: JIS
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