The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Guyana's Ministry of Agriculture held a closing event in Georgetown on 8 October to mark the approaching end of the FISH4ACP programme. The initiative was designed to build a stronger value chain for Atlantic seabob shrimp, which is caught in Guyana by industrial trawlers and artisanal fishers.

Representatives from government, the private sector, fisherfolk organisations, development partners and project beneficiaries attended the Legacy Event. They reviewed the programme's results and discussed how institutions, fishing communities and industry partners could continue the work.

Dr Gillian Smith, the FAO Representative for Guyana, said the programme had advanced the plan to upgrade the sector. "FISH4ACP has significantly advanced the plan to upgrade the Atlantic Seabob value chain and make it more sustainable, well-managed and resilient," she said. She added that it had improved data collection, stock management, food safety and quality, and safety at sea, with a focus on reinforcing fisheries cooperatives.

A central element was CALIPSEO, a digital fisheries information system developed by FAO. Data from the system allows the fisheries department to make decisions that support fishers and protect stocks. The programme also delivered training on the safe and healthy handling of seabob products. For fishers working at sea, it produced a manual of practical advice titled the Safety Guide for Artisanal Seabob Fishers in Guyana.

Support for cooperatives was delivered with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Cooperatives Department of the Ministry of Labour. The programme worked with cooperatives of artisanal fishers and with informal groups, providing training in governance, membership engagement, financial management and organisational planning.

Joni Musabayana, Director of the ILO Decent Work Team and Office for the Caribbean, said collective organisation gives fishers and processors options that individuals lack. "One fisher or processor alone may struggle to secure finance, reach better markets, buy inputs at a reasonable cost, influence decisions or access services," he said. Organised groups, he added, can pool resources and knowledge, negotiate from a stronger position and make their voices heard.

Dr Richard Blair, Advisor to CARICOM and the Ministry of Agriculture, pointed to continued government spending on fisheries. He said the state had invested almost $4 billion from 2025 to 2026, including the refurbishment of landing sites and direct assistance to almost 6,000 fishers. He described the Seabob Working Group as a key FISH4ACP achievement, since it brings government, fishers, processors, exporters and researchers together to address sector problems. "This collaborative approach will be crucial going forward," he said.

Future efforts will follow a vision statement covering a 10-year period that ends in 2032. Its aim is to strengthen Guyana's position as a leading global exporter of seabob shrimp. The plan calls for a sustainable and resilient industrial and artisanal value chain that is well regulated and supported by data. It also provides for better infrastructure for artisanal fishers, more fishing cooperatives and continued work to empower women and young people.

Aslin Singh, Advisor to the Minister of Labour and Manpower Planning, said cooperatives should be treated as commercial enterprises. "Cooperatives are not social organisations; they are businesses that create opportunities for their members," he said. He noted that the Department of Cooperatives will continue to assist with registration, management and record-keeping, and will keep working with the Ministry of Agriculture, the Seabob Working Group, the ILO and FAO to protect the programme's results.

Mr Singh reminded fisherfolk that cooperatives belong to their members. He urged them to manage with integrity and transparency, to involve members in decisions and to keep learning from one another.

Luca Pierantoni, the European Union's Ambassador to Guyana, Suriname and CARICOM, praised the programme's work on the shrimp value chain. He singled out digital infrastructure upgrades as important for accurate information and informed decision-making. "In future, it would be great to see Guyana spread its expanded capacities to other countries in the region," he said.

FISH4ACP is an initiative of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) to improve the sustainability of fisheries and aquaculture value chains in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific. FAO implements it with funding from the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

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