Guyana’s fisheries sector contributes between US $70M to $80M annually to the economy. However, Guyana’s seafood sector has seen a contraction in exports to the United States with the introduction of new legislations put in place to promote US farm raised shrimp. These interventions have seen many local seafood companies suffering due to the reduced demand for their wild caught products.
Agriculture Minister, Noel Holder, recently toured the operations of a number of seafood companies and assured officials there that his ministry is working to acquire additional market opportunities and to ensure that their products are recognised for their quality.
Minister Holder and other officials while touring Gopie Investments Inc’s shrimp processing facility.
Although it might not be seen as a major difference, present day health conscious individuals are positing that wild caught shrimp has far more health benefits than consuming farm raised shrimp.
Dr. Joseph Mercola, a certified US physician and nutrition specialist, in his newsletter titled ‘The Unsavory Aspects of Farmed Shrimp’ stated that farmed shrimp tends to be far more contaminated than wild-caught shrimp.
Moreover, the Ministry of Agriculture, through its Fisheries Department, has been working closely with local seafood organizations to not only develop mechanism to showcase the health benefits and promote the consumption of wild caught shrimp, but to implement traceability policies to ensure our industry is protected.
Minister Holder, while in dialogue with seafood officials, stated that he understands how international trade works and urged the suppliers to continue to produce quality products.