Reg. 6 fisherfolk benefit from $245.6 M

Fisherfolk from Region Six on Saturday benefited from the government’s relief assistance for fisherfolk.

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha spearheaded the exercise, which saw fisherfolk gathered at the Albion Community Center ground and the Upper Corentyne Fishermen’s Cooperative Society to receive the highly anticipated grant of $150,000.

The initiative fulfilled a commitment made by President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, and forms part of the government’s sustained programme of direct support to the fisheries sector.

A total of 1,704 fisherfolk from the region benefited from the exercise, representing a government investment of $245.6 million.

The relief formed part of a broader package of interventions implemented since 2020, aimed at strengthening livelihoods, improving infrastructure, and enhancing resilience within the fisheries sector.

Addressing the gathering, Minister Mustapha reiterated the government’s hands-on approach to supporting fisherfolk across the country.

“When our fisherfolk are affected, this Government steps in to help. We have made it clear that those who contribute to feeding the nation will not be left on their own,” Minister Mustapha said.

Highlighting the government’s investments in aquaculture and alternative livelihoods, Minister Mustapha referenced initiatives such as cage fishing as practical examples of diversification.

“As a government, we are empowering our fisherfolk to expand and diversify. This is why we have moved ahead with initiatives like cage fishing and inland aquaculture. When these projects were first announced by President Ali, people laughed and doubted them. Today they are producing fish, earning millions of dollars, and supporting village economies,” Minister Mustapha said.

The Agriculture Minister further assured fisherfolk that investments in the sector would continue.

“This Government will ensure that we develop the kinds of opportunities that allow fisherfolk to earn, to expand, and to improve their standard of living,” he said.

Minister Mustapha told fisherfolk that through continued relief initiatives, infrastructure upgrades, diversification into aquaculture, and sustained policy support, the government will continue to create a resilient, modern, and sustainable fisheries sector.