Training the Suriname Coast Guard in Fisheries Inspections
The Suriname Fisheries Department has organized a training workshop for the Coast Guard, related to fisheries inspections. The aim of the three-day training course was to provide the sea-going personnel of the Coast Guard with the necessary background information and skills to inspect fisheries activities in a correct and effective manner.
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| Coast Guard personnel receiving instructions on the inspection of a Turtle Excluder Device (TED) |
A fishing boat in Suriname can only operate with a valid fishing license. This license stipulates several licensing conditions, which describe the circumstances under which fishing activity is permitted. These relate to the fishing method, the fishing gear, the size of the boat, the engine power, the fishing area, the permitted target species, etc. To ensure compliance with the licensing system and the licensing conditions, monitoring, control and surveillance by competent authorities is essential.
Colonel Jerry Slijngaard, Director of the Coast Guard Suriname, indicated that he is pleased with this training. "With the knowledge gained during this training, the work at sea will yield better results, in favor of Suriname.", the Colonel stated. The Minister of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, Soeresh Algoe, opened the training workshop. He expressed that control and protection of fishing activities is very important for the sustainable management of Suriname's fish stocks.
The Suriname Coast Guard has been legally established since March 2017, with the adoption of the Coast Guard Act. Under the REBYC-II LAC project, the Fisheries Department has started to closely collaborate with the Coast Guard. In July-August 2017, information sessions were organized in all fisherfolk communities along the coast in order provide information on the tasks and responsibilities of the Coast Guard. The fisheries inspection training was the second mutual event, and will be followed by pilot inspections at sea, where the skills and knowledge gained during the training will be put in practice.