Latest update April 18th, 2024 12:59 AM
Feb 15, 2014 News
National Geographic’s Monster Fish documentary team, which has been filming since 2007 and completed two seasons, has touted Guyana as the best fishing ground with the highest diversity of fish.
The Monster Fish documentary team arrived in Guyana on January 30 and will be leaving today after spending two weeks travelling the Rupununi and Essequibo Rivers in search of the largest wolf fish/ Himara.
During a press conference at the Ministry of Tourism’s boardroom, yesterday, Zeb Hogan, Presenter/ Fish Biologist of Monster Fish documentary series expressed how impressed he is about Guyana’s large fish population and pristine environment.
The two-week expedition that will be aired in July/August in the United States of America, allowed Hogan and team to encounter various fish species. Guyana’s large population of fresh water fish in healthy environments would contribute to Hogan’s study on fresh water fish.
However, more time was needed to explore the waterways in search of monster sized Himara and other fish species, Erin Buxton Producer of Monster Fish documentary said. There was a problem of finding many of these fishes because of commercial fishing that is done on a large scale, she added.
Logistical support for the team was provided by Guyanese Dwayne De Freitas of Rupununi. He related that the team commenced their adventure at Gunns Strip, where members of the Wai Wai tribe provided guidance along the Essequbio River.
After spending several days with the Wai Wai tribe, the team flew to Apoteri (the junction between Rupununi and the Essequbio Rivers and more specifically at the centre of Guyana). With boats from South Savannah, the team sailed the Rupununi River in search of their monster wolf fish, he said.
However, not every segment of the journey provided sightings of the wolf fish but it did allow the National Geographic team to encounter other species of Guyana’s diverse fish stock. According to De Freitas, during the journey from Apoteri down the Essequibo River to Kurupukari crossing no Himara was seen.
He noted that the team travelled through rapids and spent two nights at Iwokrama. Guided by Daniel Allicock the explorers took their search into the Siparuni River. There residents complained about illegal poaching of animals and overfishing, De Freitas said.
Pleased with the exposure Guyana will be having with the airing of this Monster Fish episode, Tourism Minister Irfaan Ali said Guyana’s eco and adventure tourism products would be marketed to the tens of millions of viewers, who tune in to look at the documentary.
He stressed that this level of publicity, particularly at primetime is priceless. It is the ideal avenue to showcase the way the country manages its environment, the Low Carbon Development Strategy, and the biodiversity.
Ali encouraged the National Geographic team to revisit Guyana to be part of the deep sea sport fishing initiative the Ministry is working on. He noted that a red snapper boat is being reconfigured to facilitate this venture.
According to Ali, “beyond Guyana’s brown water into the blue there is a large population of cuffum that is good for sport fishing.”
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