Opening of the Session

1. The Meeting was held at the Torarica Hotel, Paramaribo, Suriname, from 5 to 7 March 2002, at the kind invitation of the Government of Suriname. The Agenda is shown in Appendix A.

2. Seventy-five representatives from the Government, fishing industry and scientific community of Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and observers from France, Mexico, Japan and the United States of America attended the meeting. The list of participants is given in Appendix B of the report. Documents presented to the Conference are noted in Appendix C.

3. At the opening ceremony, the delegates were welcomed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, Mr Jaswant Sahtoe, who said that it was an honour for Suriname to host the Conference with the assistance of the fishing industry of Suriname and of FAO. He mentioned that the Conference provided a unique opportunity for the countries of the Brazil-Guianas region to work together in determining the future of fisheries in the region.

4. Mr Robert Bromet welcomed the participants to Suriname and to the Conference on behalf of the fishing industry of Suriname and the National Coordinating Committee, which assisted in organizing the Conference. He noted that regional cooperation was essential for achieving sustainable fisheries in the Brazil-Guianas Shelf because the majority of the fisheries resources in the Shelf were either shared or straddling stocks. The fishing industry of Suriname was aware of the need for regional cooperation and strongly supported the holding of the Conference.

5. The Secretary of WECAFC, Mr Bisessar Chakalall, welcomed the participants on behalf of the Director-General of FAO, Mr Jacques Diouf, and expressed FAO’s appreciation to the Government and fishing industry of Suriname for hosting the Conference. He emphasized the important role the WECAFC Ad Hoc Working Group on Shrimp and Groundfish in the Brazil-Guianas Shelf^[1] was playing in promoting responsible fisheries in the subregion. He observed that it was probably the first time that fishery managers, the fishing industry and scientists of the subregion were meeting and that the Conference represents an important starting point for improving regional cooperation in the management of the fisheries resources of this shared ecosystem, the Brazil-Guianas Large Marine Ecosystem. He observed that the Conference would share information and knowledge on shrimp and groundfish resources in the Brazil-Guianas Shelf and discuss issues of common interest and a way forward for improving regional cooperation. In noting that the idea and initiative for this Conference came from the Honourable Minister of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries of Suriname, he expressed hope that it would result in periodic conferences of a similar nature in future.

6. The Honourable Minister of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, Mr Geetapersad Gangaram-Panday, officially opened the Conference. He observed that attaining sustainable fisheries in the Brazil-Guianas Shelf was important for the food security of the countries and for the attainment of economic and social development goals of the countries of this subregion. In Suriname the fisheries sector currently employed about 8 000 persons and export revenues were higher than the earnings from the agriculture sector. A new fisheries quality assurance law was enacted and a draft new fisheries law has been prepared and should be enacted soon.

7. The Minister mentioned that Suriname strongly supported the critical role played by the WECAFC Ad Hoc Working Group on Shrimp and Groundfish Fisheries in the Brazil-Guianas Shelf in providing an effective mechanism for interaction of fisheries managers, scientists and the fishing industry for the generation and sharing of information, obtained through scientific analyses, essential for responsible fisheries. He pointed out that the Conference provided a unique opportunity for the countries of the Brazil-Guianas Shelf to collaborate in determining the future of the fisheries of the region, using the best available information generated by the Ad Hoc Working Group over the past six years. The Minister noted that the countries of the subregion should commit themselves to the implementation of the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries through policies and programmes that would secure the sustainability of the resources. In concluding, the Minister thanked FAO for its support in organising this Conference and wished the participants a successful meeting with positive results that would lead to social and economic benefits for the countries of the Brazil-Guianas Shelf.