Description:

The North Rupununi District Development Board (NRDDB) started piloting an inland Fisheries Management Plan in Guyana in 2018. This new programme is a collaboration with local communities and the Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Fisheries. It receives support from the Sustainable Wildlife Management (SWM) Programme. The plan covers 386 km of the Essequibo, Rupununi and Rewa rivers. Implementation started in 2019 with raising awareness of fisheries guidelines through village meetings and river patrols. A comprehensive monitoring system was then put in place to assess fishing activities and the importance of fish for the communities that depend on this resource.

The activities in Guyana are part of the Sustainable Wildlife Management (SWM) Programme, an initiative of the Organization of African, Caribbean, and the Pacific States, which is funded by the European Union with co-funding from the French Facility for Global Environment and the French Development Agency. The SWM Programme mobilizes an international group of partner organizations with experience and expertise in wildlife conservation, food security, and policy development. It is implemented through a consortium partnership, which includes the Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), and the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD).