President Dr Irfaan Ali and President of Suriname Chadrikapersaud Santokhi, in August 2021 agreed to have Guyanese fisherfolk obtain a licence from Suriname which would allow them to fish in Suriname's waters.
150 fisherfolk were supposed to receive their licence by January 2022.
However, the Chairman of the Guyana National Fisherfolk Organisation and the Upper Corentyne Fisherman Co-op Society, Parmeshwar Jainarine said they are still to receive the licences.
“We are still awaiting the licence, we nah get it as yet,” the Chairman told News Update.
According to the Chairman, the Surinamese authorities have put in special conditions before they can receive the licence and they are not in agreement with this.
“They are putting conditions now that we gotta carry the boat and park it up in Suriname, part of the condition of getting the licence, that’s not practical because it’s our boat we can’t carry it to park it up over there.
Jainarine explained that before, fisherfolk only had to pay for their licence before they received it. Without the licence, fisherfolks cannot fish in the Suriname waters.
150 fisherfolk names were submitted to the Surinamese authorities by the Ministry of Agriculture.
He said the Guyana National Fisherfolk Organisation will address this issue with the Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha once he returns from overseas.
