Mr. Milton Haughton, Chairman of the Opening Ceremony activities
Honourable Robert Persaud, Minister of Agriculture, Guyana
Your Excellency Ambassador Lolita Applewhaite, Secretary-General (ag.) CARICOM
Your Excellency Ambassador Geert Heikens, Head of EU Delegation to Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba and The Netherlands Antilles
Excellencies and members of the Diplomatic Corp
Distinguished Representatives of CARICOM Member States and Associated Member States
Distinguished Representatives of the CARICOM and OECS Secretariats
Distinguished Representatives of Regional Organizations and the European Union
Distinguished Representatives of Fisher Folk Organizations and the Private Sector Fishing Industry
Distinguished Representatives of the Guyana Press Corp
Colleagues
Ladies and Gentlemen

I welcome your attendance, and salute you as participants and observers to this CARICOM/CRFM Multi-disciplinary Workshop: towards the finalization of an agreement, on A Common Fisheries Policy for the Caribbean Community. This workshop is funded by the European Union under the Ninth EDF Financing Agreement, between the European Commission and all ACP States – “Strengthening Fisheries and Biodiversity Management in ACP Countries”.

We are pleased to have with us this morning, the Honourable Minister, Robert Persaud, and are grateful for his leadership in this sector of the Guyanese economy. By extension, we are also grateful to the Government and people of Guyana for their sustained commitment to the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), which has created an environment that lends support to the promotion of sustainable use and management, of the national and regional fisheries resources. Hopefully, this commitment will, over time, help the fisheries sector to develop as one of the pillars of the Region’s economic development.

For an appreciation of the magnitude, importance, challenges and opportunities that the fishing industry presents, I refer you to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) Publication “State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture” (2010). According to that publication, Global capture fisheries production in 2008 was about 90 million tonnes, with an estimated first sale value of US$93.9 billion, comprising about 80 million tonnes from marine waters, and 10 million tonnes from inland waters. Aquaculture production in 2008 was reported to be 52.5 million tonnes with a value of US$98.4 billion, and a projected annual growth rate of 6.6 per cent.

Capture Fisheries and Aquaculture supplied the world with about 142 million tonnes of food fish in 2008, of this 115 million tonnes was used as human food, providing an apparent per capita supply of 17 kg live weight equivalent. Of this, Aquaculture accounted for 46 per cent. Globally, fish provided more than 3 billion people with at least 15 per cent of their average per capita animal protein intake.

Fishery resources play a very important role in nutrition and food security in the Caribbean region, as it is a vital source of animal protein and minerals. Average per capita consumption of fish in the region is about 25kg per year, which is well above the world average. Per capita consumption of fish is approximately 57kg in Guyana, the highest in the region, followed by sister country Antigua and Barbuda. In fact, Guyana on average is amongst the highest consumers of fish in the world.

On average between 2001 and 2003, fish and fish products accounted for 9.9% of the total share of dietary protein in the CARICOM region. Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, St. Lucia, and Suriname have the highest share of fish products in total dietary consumption, while Belize, Jamaica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago, have the lowest (FAOSTAT).

The Fisheries sector is one of the most dynamic and important production and economic sectors in the world. Fisheries and Aquaculture directly and indirectly play an essential role in the livelihoods of millions of people around the world. In 2008, 44.9 million people were directly engaged full time or part time, in primary production of fish, with another 4 million engaged on an occasional basis. Of that total, at least 12 percent were women.

Among Caribbean countries, fisheries contribute to food security and the economic, social and cultural fabric of our society. The sector provides employment and livelihood opportunities for some of the most socio-economically disadvantaged people in the Caribbean societies, including the least educated, rural poor and women, and contributes to national and regional food and nutrition security, economic stability, especially in Coastal Communities throughout the Caribbean, and also to foreign exchange earnings.

Approximately 182,000 persons are employed in the sector (directly and indirectly). Contribution of Fisheries to GDP in CRFM Member States varies from 0.13 per cent in Trinidad and Tobago to 6.85 per cent in Guyana. Total Annual production is estimated at 200,000 metric tonnes, which varies at the national level from 1,000 metric tonnes in the Turks and Caicos Islands to more than 60,000 metric tonnes in Guyana. Estimated Annual Value of production is between US$500 million and US$600 million. Fish contributes about 9.9 per cent of total share of dietary protein in the region. This varies from 6 per cent in Trinidad and Tobago to 16 per cent in Grenada.

It should be noted, that notwithstanding the estimated large volume of un-utilized and under-utilized species of fisheries resources available in the region, we are a net importer of fish and fish products, accounting for about 30% of total regional demand. In both the regional and global markets, opportunities exist for national and regional expansion of the industry at the primary (fresh, chilled and frozen) and secondary (processed, salted, pickled, canned) levels.

Notwithstanding the high cost of fish and fish products compared to other forms of animal protein, Caribbean people by their consumption pattern are telling us that by choice, fish is a preferred animal protein, and when we look at the industry from a regional perspective few others contribute to human and economic welfare as fisheries.

The global economic down-turn over the past three or so years has negatively affected the economies of CARICOM Member States. In addition to this, the challenges faced by some of our traditional exports - sugar, bananas, coconut, rice, etc., are real. While fisheries as an industry may not be the answer to all the region’s economic woes, it certainly could become an answer to some of our economic problems.

In addition to what I have said, the sector is making significant contributions to meeting the expectations of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals to end poverty by 2015.

There are Eight (8) Millennium Development Goals: 1. Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger 2. Achieve Universal Primary Education 3. Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women 4. Reduce Child Mortality 5. Improve Maternal Health 6. Combat HIV / AIDS, Malaria and other Diseases 7. Ensure Environmental Sustainability 8. Develop a Global Partnership for Development

The mission of the CRFM is to promote and facilitate the responsible utilization of the Region’s fisheries, and other aquatic resources for the economic and social benefits, of the current and future population of the region.

Of the Eight (8) Millennium Development Goals, fisheries as a living resource, an industry and one of the productive sectors within our national and regional economies, contribute or make contributions to achieving most of the eight (8) Millennium Development Goals and thus highlighting its place of importance at the national, regional and international levels.

As we work over the next three days towards the realization of the Mandate of the Conference of Heads, at its Fourteenth Inter-sessional Meeting in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago to propose “…… a framework for the exploitation and conservation of fisheries resources in the region based on stipulated guidelines….”, we should be reminded that the Mandate was given by the Heads in February 2003.

It’s time for its finalization.

Thank you.