1.1            Regional and international policies and obligations

The main forthcoming regional fisheries agreement is the CARICOM Common Fisheries Policy (CCCFP), which is currently at stage of legal review. Key headline elements of the CCCFP are:

1. regional harmonisation, cooperation and collaboration (within the principle of subsidiarity)
2. sustainable development for optimum or maximum economic benefit
3. capacity building
4. integrated management of the marine environment (the ecosystem approach to fisheries)
5. trade and markets
6. IUU fishing, MCS and legislation

In addition to the CCCFP, all members of CRFM signed up to the Castries Declaration on IUU fishing ; this requires them to develop a plan to eliminate IUU fishing by vessels registered in that country, including establishment of a database of registered and IUU vessels, and cooperation with neighbouring countries to eliminate cross-boundary IUU.

Guyana is a signatory to UNCLOS (ratified in 1993). A maritime boundary with Suriname has been agreed, but there remains a border dispute with Venezuela affecting both the land border and the delineation of the EEZs.