…US Govt says Guyana was notified of new regulations since Nov 2015
Based on the numerous concerns raised with regard to the recent ban imposed on the export of all Siluriformes fish and fish products (catfish species) from Guyana which is costing local fishermen millions, the United States (US) Government through its local embassy has said the Government was notified in advance of changes to the regulations so as to allow for the preparation for its eventual implementation.
The embassy said the US Government takes very seriously the protection of the world’s waterways and marine life and is constantly updating our regulations and processes to ensure that waterways and marine life are protected. As such, a few years ago, they changed the process of complying with its local food safety regulations regarding fish and shrimp, among many others.
“We notified the Government of Guyana of these pending changes in November of 2015, more than 18 months before they were to go into effect. We even gave Guyana an extension until February 3, 2018 to comply with the new regulations,” the Embassy said in an issued statement Wednesday.
According to the US, most countries in the hemisphere have now complied with the regulations and it believed that Guyana eventually can and will comply as well. “We understand that the Government of Guyana is working on complying, but it has not fully met the standards of the new processes associated with the regulations and until it does, we cannot accept any catfish from Guyana,” it noted.
The US has in the past offered technical assistance to the Government to help Guyanese fisherfolk to comply. It said this offer still stands, but explained that it cannot be accomplished overnight. “Our goal is to ensure consistency in food safety regulations across products and countries and to protect marine life for future generations. This is a goal which we are sure all Guyanese share,” it concluded.
Guyana was among several countries banned recently from the US catfish export sector.
