Fisheries Management Plan for Suriname 2014-2018.

This Fisheries Management Plan for Suriname for the period from 2014 to 2018 sets out the general policy. The Policy is prepared within the framework of an ACP Fish II project "Strengthening fisheries management in ACP Countries" under the coordination of the Directorate of Fisheries (Onderdirectoraat Visserij). General directions for the agricultural and fisheries sector are set out in the Development Plan (2012-2016) and the Policy Note 2010-2015 of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (LVV). Sustainable fisheries is a cornerstone of the Plan and the Policy Note. Other important elements are the meeting nutritional requirements of the people of Suriname, safety of fish products and the development of aquaculture. These general goals are further elaborated in this Plan having regard to internationally-accepted principles and in particular those for an ecosystem-approach as set out in the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, the Rio Declaration 1992 and the Johannesburg Declaration of 2002. The Plan sets out the basic principles of fisheries management an conservation in Suriname. These include also principles of social equity and the polluter pays principle.
The main objective of the Plan is to safeguard the biological diversity of fish resources in Suriname and a sustainable exploitation of those resources. Specific objectives derived from the main objective include, among other things, control of fishing fleet capacity, reduction of undesirable bycatch (especially of protected species), enhancement of use of new fishing methods, improvement of control and monitoring measures, better quality control regarding export of fishing products, improvement of fisheries data for management decisions, improvement of the resilience of stakeholders in the fisheries sector.
The Plan gives a general overview of the fisheries sector in Suriname and of the administrative framework and main legislation. The Sub-Directorate of Fisheries is the principal authority for the administration of fisheries in Suriname. A new fisheries law is being drafted and revised and it is expressly states that, since it may still take several year before the new law will enter into force, this delay in adoption of new rules shall not impede or obstruct the implementation of this Plan.
This Plan sets out general a general policy for fisheries and specific measures with regard to registration of fishing vessels, licensing of fishing vessels, VMS, the obligation to land fish in Suriname, fisheries areas and protected areas, and installation of Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs). The Plan also sets out policy measures for specific fisheries such as large pelagic fisheries (for tuna, regulated by ICCAT) and related protection of sharks, line fisheries for snappers and mackerel, bottom trawling for shrimps (grids will be tested), seabob bottom trawling fisheries (regulation of authorizations), fishing for demersal species (regulation of authorizations), driftnet fishing for specific species (introduction of restrictions), inland fishing (only authorization of small vessels). Furthermore the Plan dedicates a chapter to the decision-making process and participation in this process by stakeholders (category associations) and improvement of organization of fishermen. Other matter dealt with are improvement of Monitoring, Surveillance and Control (MCS), regional cooperation and fisheries research. A specific plan for fisheries control shall be developed.