Guyana was certified in August 2019

• Overview of the Fishery

  Seabob, a short-lived shallow water shrimp found in the western central Atlantic, is Guyana’s most valuable seafood export and ranks fifth among exports overall. Almost all seabob harvested by the industrial fishery is exported to the US with a value of ~ US$50 million annually.The trawl fishery for Seabob began in 1984 and experienced rapid and impressive growth in terms of vessels numbers, total catch, the number of processing plants and other infrastructure, peaking in 2000 and it was and still is the dominant activity of the industrial fishery during that period, (DoF/CRFM), 2007). Resource management and sustainable exploitation, together with rising fuel costs, are currently the major concerns for this fishery. Participants in the industrial fishery have formed the Guyana Association of Trawler Owners and Seafood Processors (GATOSP), and its membership includes three processing plants owners, who also own trawlers, and all other trawler owners. The association advocates the cause for the industry and as a unit keeps its members in line as regards fisheries management issues and government regulations.

• Operations

  The primary gear used to harvest shrimp in the Gulf of Mexico is a type of bottom trawl called the otter trawl. The artisanal vessels (using Fyke nets) which harvest lest than 5% of the total production. These vessels using otter trawls are required to use BRD’s and TED’s when harvesting the resource.

• Fishing Zone
  
  

• Fisheries Client Group
  

  The Guyana Association of Trawler Owners and Seafood Processors (GATOSP) was formed on 15th September, 1999. The Association is made up of Noble House Seafoods (which own vessels and a processing plant), Pritipaul Singh Investments (which also owns vessels and a processing plant) and Gopie Investments, who between them own nearly 90% of the active fishing vessels (the remaining vessels are owned by smaller companies and individuals).