Strong collaboration among stakeholders necessary to address piracy
-Minister Persaud emphasises  

Georgetown, GINA, November 12, 2007.

Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud has reiterated the need for greater collaboration among all stakeholders, from the law enforcement agencies to fishermen to ensure that the scourge of piracy is addressed.
            The Minister noted that more investments are being made by Government to tackle incidents of piracy, although significant efforts have already been made in this regard.
Recently, the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) was allocated an additional $15M to establish and strengthen its communication capabilities while a fund has been set up at the Ministry of Agriculture for aid to piracy victims. The fund, which has been set up with an initial $5M investment from Government will require contributions from fishermen to maintain and sustain the initiative.
Resources from this fund are being used to provide necessary assistance to vulnerable families of several East Coast Demerara fishermen who are believed to have been victims of a brutal pirate attack.
Three bodies, which washed-up on the Corentyne shore earlier, were identified by relatives as members of the six-man fishing crew which left the Georgetown Fisheries wharf earlier last month. 
Through the Ministry of Agriculture, meetings have been facilitated between the victims’ families and law enforcement agencies to determine the necessary assistance. An unsuccessful search was conducted by the GDF yesterday and earlier today to locate the vessel and other members of the fishing crew, Minister Persaud disclosed.
            However, he noted that efforts are continuing through the various law enforcement agencies in collaboration with neighbouring States.
Additionally, other reports outside of the murderous attack, are being investigated and there are plans to have special operational measures taken shortly.
            Previously, the Minister indicated that the communication system which has been designed by the GDF, includes a Global Positioning System (GPS) that will help the response unit to identify the location of a vessel that is indicating a distress signal.
Owners of fishing vessels, operators and fishermen will be required to ‘buy-into’ the system, which may require them to purchase necessary equipment to install in their vessels.
Also, a law is being established to make piracy a non-bailable offence and equal to murder. Government has received arguments that this action is too severe but, according to Minister Persaud, the current incident is evidence of the seriousness of piracy since murder is clear.
Another measure to tackle piracy is arming fishermen to ensure they have some form of defence while at sea. This arrangement is being offered to groups or the various fisheries cooperatives society.

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