Revised Management Plan Developed for the Marine Fisheries Sector in Guyana.

WWF-Guianas officially handed over the revised Fisheries Management Plan 2022-2027 (FMP 2022 - 2027) to Guyana's Fisheries Department of the Ministry of Agriculture. At a special ceremony in the Ministry’s boardroom, WWF-Guianas, represented by country manager Aiesha Williams, presented the plan to the Minister of Agriculture, Hon. Mustapha Zulfikar.

The management plan was revised and updated through a collaborative effort between WWF and the technical experts from the Fisheries Department with the support of the Oceans 5 project.

WWF has supported the fisheries industry in Guyana for many years, developing and promoting sustainable fisheries practices. The fisheries industry plays a crucial role in Guyana’s economy, providing food security, employment, foreign exchange earnings, and developing rural and coastal communities. This sector also makes an essential contribution to the national GDP.

“The motivation for supporting and developing this plan is to ensure that the Fisheries Sector is productive yet maintaining a sustainable approach. This is important to WWF, as we are not only concerned about the environmental impacts but also from a livelihood perspective, we want to address issues related to the wellbeing of fisherfolk in Guyana,” said Ms Williams during her remarks at the handing over.

The Fisheries Management plan addresses the sustainable management of the fisheries industry. The plan covers Guyana’s fisheries sector in marine waters and is developed to combat and reduce Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing; limit the number of fishing licenses (or the number of active artisanal fishing boats); intensify Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS); increased stakeholder involvement in the implementation and monitoring of the fisheries policy; reduce the occurrence of unwanted bycatches and ecosystem effects of fishing; Improve fisheries data collection and research; Intensify regional and international cooperation.

The next steps are critical for the fisheries sector; this involves the implementation of the various policies outlined in the plan, which are to be done within the timeframe and continued collaboration among the various stakeholders.