Colombia’s fishing industry remains sustainable, having expanded its protected areas- Former President

Feb 17, 2023 News

By Allyiah Allicock

Kaieteur News – Colombia’s fishing industry remains sustainable and viable despite the country’s increase in oil production, former President Ivan Duque said at the opening of the second annual International Energy Conference and Expo. being held at the Marriott Hotel. The former Colombian leader said this was achieved by extending the country’s protected areas from 14 percent to 34 percent.

“We use regular energy so that we make the transitions, but we still have to protect nature, we have to protect the landscapes, we have to protect those areas that are crucial ecosystems for the present and future humanity,” he told the gathering.

Duque shared that Guyana, which has more than 90% of its territory in tropical jungle, is still one of the countries that has one of the lowest levels of deforestation around the world.

Former President of Colombia, Ivan Duque speaking at the opening ceremony of Guyana’s second International Energy Conference and Expo held on Tuesday.

He noted that as countries advance in energy and as they advance in the transitions and wanting to build a low carbon development economy, they also have to ensure that the protected areas are increased for the good and sake of humanity.

According to Duque while Colombia has been able to increase its oil production, and reserves, grant new fields, develop offshore oil and gas, the country that has almost 2 million sq. km combining on land and maritime territory, took the decision to increase its protected areas.

Notwithstanding, the former president said this does not only help to protect the tropical jungle, the rainforest and the high attitude ecosystem but also helps to protect the country’s coral reefs which guaranteed the sustainability of the fishing industries in different part of the country.

He said too that this also guaranteed that Colombia is protecting the home of more than 45 percent of the maritime species.

“So it’s all complimentary and it makes sense and we try to look the right compensation,” Duque said.

Meanwhile, Kaieteur News had reported that to save Guyana’s dying fishing industry the Government had undertaken a number of initiatives geared at improving fish production including the fish cage initiative and the brackish water shrimp ponds.

Additionally, this publication reported on numerous occasions the cries of Guyanese fishermen who complained of a steep decline in their catches and predicted that they may very well be out of jobs in the next five years. They attributed the decline in catch to the country’s burgeoning oil and gas offshore operations.

Discover more from Kaieteur News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Colombia, Government, Guyana, International Energy Conference and Expo, Ivan Duque

Latest News