Surinamese President Chandrikapersad Santokhi has reassured Guyanese that his government was not running away from honouring its years-old commitment to resolve the age-old fishing licence issue.
Following a high-level meeting in Guyana in August 2021 between President Dr Irfaan Ali and President Santokhi, the Surinamese Government committed to issue 150 fisherfolk here with licences starting from January 2022 to operate in Suriname’s territorial waters.
Guyanese fishermen operate from the Corentyne Coast and have to use the Corentyne River to get access to the Atlantic where they get most of their catch. The Corentyne River is Surinamese territory. Over recent years, however, with the failure of the Suriname Government to uphold its pledge, Guyanese fisherfolk are being exploited and made to pay exorbitant fees to rent licences that are issued to Surinamese businessmen in order to operate in the border river.
Priority
Last week, on the sidelines of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) Heads of Government Conference held in Guyana, President Santohki assured that this issue was on the agenda for dialogue between the two countries. In fact, he noted that President Ali was scheduled to visit Paramaribo later this year and it would be a priority topic.
Asked by Guyana Times whether there could be a resolution this year, the Surinamese leader explained that there were some legal issues in his country that could require parliamentary amendments or a new agreement between the two countries. Nevertheless, he reassured that a decision in the best interest of both countries would be taken.
“It is on agenda, let us look at what the views are [when President Ali visit Paramaribo]. You have to take into consideration that this case was thoroughly examined by both sides and one of the issues is that there are some legal implications. But we are leaders who solve things. If things need to be solved in the Parliament, if things need to be solved in agreement, if things need to be solved within the spirit of the Caricom Treaty, we have to do it but we are not running away from our responsibility to take a proper decision… The question is on the agenda and we’re looking for the best solution in the interest of both countries,” President Santokhi affirmed.
Fishing licences issue
Back in March last year, operators in the local fishing industry along the Corentyne had called on the Guyana Government to apply more pressure on its Surinamese counterpart to resolve the fishing licences issue.
Authorities in Nickerie, Suriname, only issue licences to business persons in the Dutch-speaking country, who must own a boat and have been paying taxes in that country. Those licensed persons, in turn, rent the permits to Guyanese fisherfolk at an additional 200 per cent markup on the already 500 per cent they had been demanding.
Licences are issued by Surinamese authorities to fish in its waters for SR$2500 which is approximately US$70. In Nickerie, some Surinamese secure dozens of licences, which are then rented to Guyanese for usually US$3000 annually, but they increased this fee last year to as much as US$5000.
In March 2023, it was reported that about 250 licences are being rented – an increase from 150. In light of this growing demand by local fisherfolk, the Surinamese licence holders have been demanding between US$4000 and US$6000 in rental fees for the permit document.
Moreover, Guyanese fisherfolk had complained that this high demand locally has led to much corruption with some licences are being rented to two persons.
