Costa del Mar: fly fishing in Guyana

I just returned from a stay in Guyana working on a project with McGarrah-Jessee for Costa del Mar. The intent of the project is to utilize sport fishing to develop fisheries conservation practices. Undeveloped land is remarkably intact in Guyana and it contains some of the highest levels of biodiversity in the world. None the less, the country has dealt with development pressures and an aggressive wildlife trade in the 1980s and 1990s. Eco-tourism is now a notable industry in Guyana that both supports local cultures as well as local environments. Sport fishing operates within that array of eco-tourism, though is less prominent in Guyana.

The project is in its early phases and this trip was an exploratory one to gauge the potential of sport fishing in the interior as well further the dialogue with government officials on developing conservation practices. While I captured a number of documentary stills, I was tasked primarily with capturing video and used a Panasonic HVX-200A as well as the new Nikon D7000. The D7000 does a remarkable job shooting from the tripod and capturing scenic imagery, but is a bit more challenging to work with while shuttling along in a river boat, dugout canoe, or aging Land Rover.

The Guyana Chronicle has a write up on some of the government meetings that went on here.