Guyana on Monday condemned the treatment of Guyanese fisherfolk by Suriname authorities and urged its Dutch-speaking neighbour to uphold a commitment it had made to issue fishing licenses to them.
In a strongly worded statement, the government reminded that Suriname had promised to grant a total of 150 SK fishing licenses to Guyanese fisherfolks, building on a promise made to President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali in 2020. However, nothing has come to fruition and Guyanese fisherfolk are being harassed, the Georgetown government said.
“In the absence of the issuance of these licences, our fisherfolk continue to face harassment at the hands of the Surinamese authorities, including fishing vessels that are stranded in Suriname and cannot return to Guyana for fear of losing their licences,” the statement continued.
It was explained that Guyana’s Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha and his Surinamese counterpart, Parmanand Sewdien had held discussions on the matter, and it was agreed that Suriname would form a company to issue the licenses. By January 1, 2022, the agreement should have been in place as Guyana had already submitted the names of the fishermen who should receive the licenses since November 16, 2021.
“To date, the Government of Guyana has not been advised on the status of the establishment of the company referred to, nor on the issuances of the licenses. The Government of Guyana, therefore, calls on the Government of Suriname to not renege in its commitment and to make known the current position of the issuance of the licences,” it stated.
Guyana’s statement indicates a souring of the good relations between the two South American nations. Tensions between Guyanese and Surinamese fisherfolks have been brewing for years, on top of latent territorial contentions.
Both countries, having discovered oil and gas reserves offshore, have been in discussions to collaborate on projects in the sector.. And currently, a bridge is being built across the Corentyne River to form a seamless connection between the two countries.
