Opposition Member of Parliament, Vinceroy Jordan, today grilled the Government on the longstanding problem surrounding the non-issuance of fishing license to Guyanese fisherfolk by Suriname.

The Government had requested that 150 Surinamese licences be issued to Guyanese fishermen to allow them to ply their trade in Surinamese Ocean waters.

However, despite commitments by both the Governments of Guyana and Suriname, the licences were never issued.

As the Committee of Supply commenced the consideration of the budget estimates, MP Jordan repeatedly questioned the Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha on the issue.

“When will the agreement between Guyana and Suriname be inked, and when would fishermen have the license and be able to really venture out into that promised fishing agreement between Guyana and Suriname?” Jordan asked.

The Agriculture Minister, in response, told the Committee that it was the Irfaan Ali Administration that raised the issue with the Government of Suriname. However, despite a commitment by the Surinamese President, the matter remains unresolved, he confirmed.

“They made the commitment; we had it in writing and we can’t ask them, that they have to give us or bound them. They reneged on the commitment; we had it in writing. No less than the person of the Minister of Agriculture from Suriname, wrote me, and said they will form a government company, that government company will get the license, and license the fisherfolks,” he told the Committee.

He said the Government has raised the issue at a number of regional conferences with the Surinamese officials and even with the Caribbean Fishing Authority, with the hope of getting the issue addressed.

Minister Mustapha urged the Opposition not to take advantage of the situation, but rather, to work with the Government as a team to secure the 150 fishing licenses that are required.

But Jordan expressed his disappointment, telling the Committee that more than four years later Guyanese Fishermen are still without their licenses. Pressing Agriculture Minister for more answers, the Opposition MP questioned whether there is a new timeline set for the resolution of the issue and the issuance of the licenses.

“This is neither going or coming. Is it dead? Is it still on the table?”  MP Jordan asked.

But Minister Mustapha said there is only so much the Guyanese Government can do.

“The Government of Guyana, our Government, is continuing to make representation, making representation for the licenses for the fisherfolks. It is not in our hands to give them the license. The honorable member must comprehend this, we are making representation, we had the commitment, I said it, and they reneged on the commitment. We are continually representing that issue,” the Agriculture Minister assured the Committee.

But as MP Jordan pressed for more answers, a clearly irritated Minister of Agriculture made it known to the Committee that the Government is not operating a “cake shop,” and must continue to utilize diplomatic channels to have the issue resolved.

In the absence of the issuance of the licences, Guyanese fisherfolk continue to face harassment at the hands of the Surinamese authorities.

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