By Gordon French
Caribbean Net News Guyana Correspondent
Email: gordon@caribbeannetnews.com

GEORGETOWN, Guyana: A team of experts from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is in Guyana holding discussions on possible areas of cooperation in the aquaculture and large pelagic sector. The objective of the visit includes the formulation of a master plan on sustainable use of fisheries resources for coastal community development in the Caribbean.

(L-R) Shingo Ota, Assistant Director, Office of Overseas Fisheries Cooperation, Fisheries Agency of Japan, Mori Takashi, Senior Assistant to the Director General on Rural Development, JICA and Isa Kohei, Program Officer, Latin America and the Caribbean, JICA in discussion with Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud.

The team includes Shingo Ota, Assistant Director, Office of Overseas Fisheries Cooperation, Fisheries Agency of Japan, Mori Takashi, Senior Assistant to the Director General on Rural Development, JICA and Isa Kohei, Program Officer, Latin America and the Caribbean, JICA.

The team met with Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud on Thursday, where discussions were centered on the development and management of large pelagic species in Guyana and support for the country’s aquaculture development expansion.

Persaud expressed Guyana’s intentions to further develop the aquaculture sector and expand the utilization of large pelagic species. He added this route will ensure a sustainable contribution to social and economic development which will guarantee food security, poverty-alleviation and the development of regional and coastal communities.

The Minister of Agriculture pointed out that Guyana already has a base for the development of aquaculture and with Japanese assistance the region as a whole can benefit.

Guyana has the ideal conditions for a dynamic seafood and fisheries industry. These include a 459 km Atlantic coastal zone and an extensive network of rivers. Recently, fishing has accounted for approximately 7 percent of Guyana’s GDP. It was the third most important export after sugar and gold, amounting to nearly US$62 million in 2005.

The US is the primary market for most seafood exports. In 2004, however, Guyana was certified to export seafood to the lucrative EU market, creating a range of new market opportunities.

While the seafood industry primarily consists of marine species caught in Guyana’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), aquaculture has recently attracted significant investment growth.