(1) No rain, no gain – Guyana’s Atlantic seabob fishery

Overview of Serena's Role in Sibo Fisheries

• Position: Oversees quality and safety of products.

• Responsibility: Ensures compliance with customer requirements, laws and regulations in food manufacturing.

Environmental Practices in Fishing

• Turtle Exclusion Device (T.E.D.):

  • Integrated into nets to prevent turtle catches.

• Fishing Gear:

  • Utilizes environmentally friendly gear to avoid habitat destruction.

Product Processing

• Discharge to Plant:

  • Product is discharged for processing.

• Processing Steps:

  • Peeling and grading using specialized machinery.

  • Freezing and cartoning the finished product.

  • Shipping to specified destinations.

Importance of MSC Certification

• Market Opportunities:

  • Certification is customer-driven and expands market access.

Challenges and Sustainability Issues

• Seasonal Variability:

  • Rain affects shrimp availability; recent years have seen decreased rainfall.

• Sargassum Weeds:

  • Increased presence of sargassum affects fishing stocks negatively.

• Decreasing Catches:

  • Notable decline in sea bob catches affecting supply.

  • Need for further research into the causes of changes in catch volume.

Research Needs

• Sargassum Impact:

  • Understanding the biology and environmental factors causing sargassum influx.

• Climate Change Effects:

  • Investigation needed on fishing distances—whether to fish further offshore or come inshore due to decreasing stocks.

Addressing Market Demand

• Meeting Demand:

  • Sustainable practices through MSC certification prevent overfishing.

  • Uncertainty remains regarding future market dynamics and fish availability.