Modern Tools for Fisheries Data Collection and Data Management: Experiences From Suriname

Tomas Willems^1,2*, Alisha Pengel² and Yann Laurent³

Fisheries Department, Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, Cornelis Jongbawstraat 50, Paramaribo, Suriname¹

Centre For Development and Sustainable Fisheries (CeDePesca), Rondeau 361, Mar del Plata, CP 7600, Argentina²

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Fisheries and Aquaculture Division, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome RM, Italy³

*Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

ABSTRACT

Fisheries data and statistics are key to assess and monitor the status of exploited living marine resources and to inform evidence-based policy making for sustainable fisheries management. In the recent years, fisheries managers are faced with increasing data needs to meet reporting requirements, including biological, environment, social and economic information at national, regional and international level. The marine fishing sector in Suriname is relatively large and diverse, and collecting the required data is challenging. In revising the Suriname fisheries data collection system over the last three years, three modern tools and approaches were implemented to make the collection, processing and storage of fisheries data more efficient and reliable. (1) Digital forms were introduced to enter the data from landing samples collected by data enumerators at artisanal fishery landing sites. The forms were self-developed using KoboToolbox and eliminate the need to enter paper datasheets into large Excel spreadsheets, a tedious process prone to errors. (2) To process the large amounts of Excel spreadsheets containing raw data collected in the field (artisanal fleet) or self-reported by vessel operators (industrial fleet), data processing scripts written in Python were deployed to process and reformat the data, perform quality control and prepare the data for uploading in the database. (3) FAO’s Calipseo platform was deployed as a central, web-based fisheries information system where all data are securely stored and statistics are computed. The introduction of these modern tools for fisheries data collection requires good internet connection, adequate data storage and back-up policies and, most critically, digital skills and expertise. Nevertheless, the tools are readily available and have the potential to make fisheries data collection more user friendly, more efficient and more accurate in many situations. Their adoption will therefore help to meet the increasing need for detailed fisheries statistics, in support of sustainable resource management and compliance with various reporting requirements.

HOW TO CITE:  Willems,  T., A. Pengel and Y. Laurent, 2026. Modern Tools for Fisheries Data Collection and Data Management: Experiences From Suriname. Contribution 3.8, p184-193 IN CRFM, 2026. Volume I: Technical Papers. Presented at the CRFM 20th Anniversary Scientific Conference, 28-31 August 2023. CRFM Special Publication No. 37, CRFM Secretariat https://www.crfm.int/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=913 

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BELIZE CITY, Thursday, 28 March 2024 (CRFM)—The five-day Joint Stock Assessment Workshop and Stakeholder Consultation for the Atlantic seabob shrimp fisheries of Guyana and Suriname, held in Guyana from 11-15 March 2024, ended with a renewed commitment. Technical experts from the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) Secretariat, the Continental Shelf Fisheries Working Group (CSWG), FISH4ACP, and private sector processors agreed to keep all hands on deck to steer the fisheries towards greater sustainability.

Caribbean technical experts from the CRFM Secretariat, the Continental Shelf Fisheries Working Group (CSWG), FISH4ACP, and private sector processors collaborated for a joint stock assessment of the seabob fisheries of Guyana and Suriname

Photo: FISH4ACP, Guyana

This recent stock assessment was critical for revealing stock trends and changes in relative abundance of the seabob, enabling the technical experts to provide management advice for both fisheries in Guyana and Suriname.

“You must admit that stock assessments are becoming increasingly important to assess the sustainability of the region’s fisheries. The approach used here—governments and the private sector working together—is one that we should follow across all CRFM Member States,” said Dr. Sandra Grant, Deputy Executive Director, CRFM Secretariat.

Stephen Hall - Fleet operations (and former captain) at Heiploeg Suriname N.V., who has been a seaman for 32 years, said: “The most important thing that I learned coming out of this meeting is that there is still work to be done.” He said that he plans to continue working with the Fisheries Department in Suriname to advance the scientific assessments. He noted that the workshop and stakeholder consultation helped to strengthen their capacity for future work.

Jude Jagroop - Director at Heiploeg Suriname N.V., who has been working in the sector for 31 years, explained that the operations of the company, which has approximately 200 workers, extends along the supply chain—from fishing to processing. He noted that the seabob catches have declined, but he believes that the stock is healthy, although the species distribution may have shifted to more inshore locations.

Jagroop said that the company has two representatives on the Suriname  Seabob Working Group, and it sponsors all the costs incurred to deploy the vessels to collect data with the Fisheries Department. He added that the company also facilitates the accommodation of the Fisheries Department observers whenever needed. One of the critical improvements he cited is the need to enhance the efficiency of data capture through digitization.

Rob Banning, Project Development Manager, Parlevliet & Van der Plas, The Netherlands, highlighted the importance of certification from the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). He said that MSC certification gives consumers extra confidence that when they buy fisheries products, they are coming from a sustainably managed resource. He added that the MSC certification labels are required for companies to sell their produce in Europe and the US, and without this certification, companies have very limited market access, and they have to sell at lower prices.

The Seabob Working Groups of Guyana and Suriname have been charged with leading the implementation of the outcomes and recommendations from the joint stock assessment workshop. Muriel Wirjodirjo, chair of the Suriname Seabob Working Group, said that they conduct a monthly review and analysis of the fisheries, consistent with the ecosystem, precautionary, and participatory approaches. The CRFM CSWG, which provides technical support to the national working groups, promotes the sustainable utilization of continental shelf resources and associated ecosystems through the review and analysis of fisheries and related data, to inform management strategies.

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The fisheries sector in Guyana provides sustainable jobs for thousands of artisanal fishers (Photo: FISH4ACP, Guyana)

GUYANA, Tuesday, 12 March 2024 (CRFM)—A technical working group of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM)—the Continental Shelf Fisheries Working Group (CSWG)—is collaborating with the global value chain development programme – FISH4ACP, private sector processors, and the Seabob Working Groups of Guyana and Suriname to convene a joint stock assessment workshop in Guyana from 11-15 March 2024.

The assessment of the seabob, a short-lived shallow water shrimp found in the Western Central Atlantic, will cover the stocks of Guyana and Suriname, situated in the North Brazilian Shelf Large Marine Ecosystem. The assessment aims to review and validate the most recent scientific evaluations of the Atlantic seabob fisheries of Suriname and Guyana. The results will be shared with industrial and artisanal fishery stakeholders from Guyana and Suriname for their input during the last two days of the workshop, on 14-15 March 2024.

During the workshop, regional and international technical experts will propose harvest control rules (HCRs) and the related fisheries management plans, taking into account compliance with Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification requirements. The seabob fisheries in both Guyana and Suriname are MSC certified; Suriname’s fishery was first certified in 2011 and Guyana’s fishery in 2019.

The Seabob Working Groups of Guyana and Suriname—which are made up of representatives from the respective Fisheries Departments, the industrial and artisanal seabob sectors, and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)—will subsequently lead the implementation of the outcomes and recommendations from the meeting.

The CRFM CSWG aims to promote the sustainable utilization of continental shelf resources and associated ecosystems through the review and analysis of fisheries and related data, to inform management strategies, consistent with the ecosystem, precautionary and participatory approaches to fisheries management.

FISH4ACP is a five-year fish value chain development programme, spanning 2020 to 2025. It is being implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) with funding from the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

In Guyana, FISH4ACP is working towards a sustainable, resilient, well-managed, and inclusive shrimp fishery to strengthen the country’s position as a leading exporter of Atlantic seabob shrimp while ensuring long-term stability of stocks and bringing more benefits to local fisherfolk, especially women.

The CRFM collaborates with  FAO on the implementation of FISH4ACP.

- ENDS -

 Photos shared on Flickr courtesy FISH4ACP Guyana (Dawn Maison)

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