Decline in fish catches a global issue

Guyana’s fishing industry is not the only one battling with a decline in fish catches. Researchers
have declared the concern a global matter.   Research has shown that there is an overall reduction
in yield globally, over the past years.
According to a landmark study by the Guardian.com, global fish catches are now falling three
times faster than official UN figures suggest. In Guyana, fisherfolk have been complaining about
the state of the industry, noting that they are having difficulties catching the normal number of
fishes after plying their daily trade. While this is the case, there are other nations whose fishing
sectors are in shambles, compared to Guyana’s. Cognisant that seafood is a critical source of
protein for some 2.5 billion people, the Government said it remains adamant that the nation’s
fishing industry will never go downhill.

Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, in an attempt to address the issue held several
engagements with fisherfolk to listen to concerns and iron out matters affecting them. He noted
that it was for this reason that government met with the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture
Organisation (FAO) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to assist with an analysis,
to determine the reason behind the low catches. FAO is a specialised agency that leads
international efforts to defeat hunger, while EPA’s mandate is to promote and coordinate
effective environmental management and protection. “I am assuring you that we will have this
study done and when that is finished, we can safely conclude on what is causing the low
catches,” Mustapha said.
As the research gets underway during a recent consultation with fisherfolk at the Agriculture
Ministry’s boardroom, Guyana’s FAO Representative, Dr. Gillian Smith explained that the
decline in catches was observed in previous years. “This is before COVID-19, it got worse
during Covid, if you look at the figures it was going down before Exxon [Mobil]. There is
myriad of issues that are probably contributing to the reduction in catch,” Dr. Smith stressed.
She revealed that the agency is willing to help conduct all possible assessments, to determine the
reason for the current challenge and called for solid support from fishers.
Additionally, international investigations have suggested many factors which can be the cause
for the decrease in the number of fishes caught daily, blaming overfishing as one of the
contributors.
It is believed that seafood is being caught at rates that exceed its capacity to replenish.