Gov’t to create national marine strategy to promote sustainable use of Guyana’s marine space – President Ali

President Irfaan Ali said that with support from the United Kingdom Commonwealth Marine Economies Programme, Guyana has implemented a plan for the sustainable use of Guyana’s marine space.

Under this plan, the government will create a national marine strategy that will be country specific, and in keeping with the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030.

President Ali was speaking at the American Caribbean Maritime Foundation (ACMF) Anchor Awards Gala at the Ft. Lauderdale Yacht Club, Florida, where he was invited as a special guest.

The Guyanese leader highlighted the importance of promoting the sustainable use of  Guyana’s maritime space, noting that it will bring tremendous economic development to the country and its people.

“The sustainable use of the space will open up our potential for renewable energy, shipping, port development, bring opportunities,” he stated.

To cater for these opportunities, President Ali said the government intends to diversify training, and extend to other skilled areas such as; coastal engineering, naval architecture, marine service, port engineering, planning and development, marine pollution prevention and fisheries management, among others.

“I’m saying this to say to you that part of our strategy is to build our human resources in all these areas. You will not see a concentration of investment in human resources only in oil and gas,” he asserted.

The overall aim, President Ali said is to support the CARICOM region in building a first-class human resource capacity to serve regionally and globally.

The marine space of the Caribbean constitutes a major trading route. It is an important link between South America and markets in the North, he pointed out.

In the case of Guyana, President Ali said the county will eventually have a deep water harbour with the aim of becoming a major shipping hub.

He said the maritime industry, must assume greater responsibility of protecting the environmental integrity of the region’s marine resource.

The president further stated that the maritime sector must be modernised in order to help the region to seize the opportunities for global trade and exploitation of the ‘blue economy.’

“Enhancing the region’s human resources is an integral element of that modernisation,” he stated.

In this regard, he applauded the efforts of the ACMF to strengthen the region’s human resources in the maritime sector through scholarships, grants and other forms of support.

The annual Anchor Awards of the ACMF honours stalwarts in the cargo and cruise industry for their accomplishments and positive impact on the Caribbean shipping and maritime sector. Funds from the event support scholarships for aspiring Caribbean maritime professionals.