In collaboration with the Fisheries Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency, WWF-Guianas hosted a closing ceremony for the BIODEV2030 Phase II Project on November 28, marking a major step toward integrating biodiversity considerations into Guyana’s fisheries sector.BIODEV2030 Phase II was implemented over the past year with support from the French Development Agency (AFD), Expertise France, the Fisheries Department, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Fishing Cooperatives in Regions 2 and 5. Halting the decline in biodiversity is an urgent imperative to ensure sustainable access to the ecosystem goods and services that underpin human survival and sustainable development, such as food, fibre, timber, carbon sequestration, water regulation and more. By adopting the Kunming-Montreal Global Framework for Biodiversity in December 2022, States affirmed a strong ambition for biodiversity, notably through its integration into all economic sectors and the adoption of sustainable production practices that preserve nature (links to targets 10, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19).
Launched in 2020 in 15 pilot countries, with funding from Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and coordination by Expertise France, the first phase of the BIODEV2030 project initiated a dynamic multi-stakeholder dialogue based on science, which mobilized, in each country, all stakeholders - States, the private sector, civil society organizations, indigenous peoples and local communities, citizens, men, women and young people - around this vital issue, in close collaboration with each National Focal Point of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
BIODEV2030 Phase II implementation in Guyana, focused on supporting national public authorities in proposing public sector reforms within Guyana’s artisanal fisheries that would ensure the integration of biodiversity consideration within current fishing practices.
In her opening speech on behalf of Aiesha Williams, Conservation Director, WWF-Guianas, Diana Fernandes, Technical Officer, Oceans Programme, and Project Manager for BIODEV2030 in Guyana, shared that the event marked more than a closing, but a discussion on the collective efforts to realise better solutions and a shared vision for better mainstreaming biodiversity in Guyana’s fisheries sector. “Through the BIODEV2030 project this past year, WWF has partnered to help bridge the gap between Biodiversity conservation and fisheries management, which stands to help provide benefits to both ecosystems and human wellbeing and livelihood.”
Ms Fernandes also thanked fisherfolk and cooperatives, who she stated were integral to the process, pointing out that, through a practical and inclusive approach, they served as conversation leaders to shape sustainable fisheries and biodiversity mainstreaming, and to design and inform policy recommendations and concepts rooted in their realities.
Odacy Davis, Project Consultant, provided an overview of the process while highlighting several key achievements:
- Three national policy briefs were drafted to support sustainable fisheries governance, biodiversity integration, and improved research and monitoring systems.
- National and regional multi-stakeholder dialogues involving fisherfolk, cooperatives, government agencies, and private sector actors.
- Identification of biodiversity pressures linked to gear use, declining fish stocks, and competition from other sectors
- Recommendations for policy reform aligned with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, Guyana’s LCDS 2030, and existing fisheries legislation.
A brief panel discussion, facilitated by WWF, followed the opening remarks and included Randy Bunbury, Officer, Fisheries Department; Felicia Adams, Head of Department, Multilateral Environmental Agreements, EPA; Calvin Bernard, Director of the Institute for Marine and Riverine Ecologies and Economies (IMAREE), University of Guyana; Khemraj Malchan, Chairman, Rosignol Fishermen Cooperative Society Limited; and Diana Fernandes, of WWF.
Phase II also helped catalyse broader conversations on how Guyana can better integrate biodiversity objectives into fisheries regulations, including the Fisheries Act, the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP), and the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030. Recommendations emerging from the project emphasise the need for stronger inter-agency coordination, the inclusion of biodiversity indicators in fisheries planning, and expanded research partnerships.
WWF-Guianas reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Guyana as it advances these policy pathways into implementation. Results from Phase II will inform future planning and biodiversity work, including actions to reduce threats to Guyana’s marine ecosystems, protect vulnerable marine wildlife, and strengthen the resilience of coastal and estuarine habitats that underpin the country’s fisheries and food security.
