Guyana like any other country in the world is faced with the impacts of global warning. These impacts affect climate change and create general environmental problems especially in our coastal zone. The Government has taken measures to mitigate climate change by addressing anthropogenic emissions as well as the removal and control of greenhouse gases in all relevant sectors. This is necessary since Guyana is one of few Countries that have pristine rainforests.

Guyana, bordered by two Latin American Countries, Venezuela and Brazil, is home to less than a million people and has eighty per cent (80%) of its land covered by an intact rainforest larger than England. The Guyana Shield is one of only four intact rainforests left on the planet; and at its heart lays the Iwokrama reserve, gifted to the Commonwealth in 1989 as a laboratory for pioneering conservation projects. Iwokrama, which means “place of refuge” in the Makushi language, is home to some of the world’s most endangered species including jaguars, giant river otters, anacondas and giant anteaters. In addition to its sixteen point eight (16.8) million acres of rainforest, Guyana can boast of its nine natural ecosystems.

The natural ecosystems are the Continental shelf or the Coastal Zone, Ocean or the Maritime Zone, Estuaries, Rivers and Creeks (fresh water), Swamps and Marshes, Tropical forest (rainforest), Savannahs and the agro-ecosystem. However, the Coastal Zone is home to approximately ninety percent (90%) of the Country’s population. The Coast itself is under sea level about two metres (2m). The flat narrow strip along the Atlantic coast was built up from centuries of sediment accumulation from the large South American rivers. This action has given rise to the fluvial soil type, which is mostly clay of varying properties along the coast. Due to this the Coast has become the agricultural centre of Guyana. Our pristine rainforest on the other hand is the antidote for climate change and the President of Guyana, His Excellency Bharat Jagdeo is vigorously advocating such.

The name Guyana substantiate itself, having derived from an Amerindian word meaning ‘Land of Many Waters’ shares with the Amazon River approximately eighteen hundred (1800) species of fish. This is so since the Guyana shield in the south west is crowned by nine thousand feet (9000ft) Mount Roraima, which sources the journey of many rivers that drain the Amazon Amazonian rainforest.

In Guyana there are several game fish species such as the Payara, Arowana, Himara and what is considered by professional anglers worldwide as the worlds most popular Fresh Water Game Fish, the Peacock Bass (Lukanani). There are five (5) distinct species of Peacock Bass (Lukanani) three (3) of which are dominant in Guyana’s Rivers. The Peacock Bass is considered exotic because of its vibrant colours, shape and weight. A Peacock Bass (Lukanani) weighs an average of fifteen (15) to twenty six pounds (26lbs) and sometimes a mature male as much as thirty pounds (30lbs). So if your mind is on a Lukanani, Payara, Arowana, Himara, Pacu or even Catfish, then You better make sure it is the season for it.

There are two productive fresh water fishing seasons in Guyana. February to April and August to November are the times to go up river. During this time, the rains would have stopped and the water receded from the Savannah’s and the forest floors. This time is known as dry season, the rivers usually become narrow as the water recedes. This makes fishing very exciting as less water means less space per fish and competition to feed and to survive predators of the river.