The government of Guyana is condemning the most recent harassment being meted out to Guyanese fisherfolk by the Surinamese government.
In a statement issued late on Monday, Georgetown said that the actions are being taken against local fisherfolk even as the neighbouring Dutch-speaking CARICOM neighbour has failed “to grant licenses to Guyanese fishermen in keeping with a commitment made to the President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali on 26 November 2020, during a visit to Suriname.
According to the government-issued statement, during that visit, Guyana’s Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha met with his Surinamese counterpart, Parmanand Sewdien, and requested the issuance of 150 licenses which will allow Guyanese fishermen to ply their trade in Suriname Ocean waters.
Mustapha recalled the earlier discussions between Ali and President Chandrikapersaud Santokhi, that there should be an agreement on the issuance of the number of licenses requested by Guyana.
