In a sudden development breaking on April 23, Juliette Colli-Wongsoredjo, the founding and long-serving director of Suriname’s Fisheries Inspection Institute (Viskeuringsinstituut, VKI), has stepped down from her role with immediate effect. The decision, outlined in an official letter addressed to Suriname’s Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Mike Noersalim, stems from what Colli-Wongsoredjo describes as an unworkable dynamic with the VKI’s Supervisory Council.
At the core of the conflict is a fundamental disagreement over institutional policy direction and the legal division of responsibilities between the institute’s executive management and the Supervisory Council. According to Colli-Wongsoredjo, these divergent perspectives have eroded working relations between the two bodies, creating a dysfunctional environment that prevents effective leadership.
Tensions escalated dramatically after the secretary of the Supervisory Council made what Colli-Wongsoredjo calls unsubstantiated and unjust claims about VKI’s policy operations. These unvetted allegations were distributed to high-level stakeholders including the President of Suriname, Minister Noersalim, and multiple sector-wide industry organizations. Critically, Colli-Wongsoredjo notes that neither the Supervisory Council nor the minister has publicly disavowed these damaging statements. In her letter, she emphasizes that the unchallenged claims have harmed her personal reputation and professional integrity, making it impossible for her to continue fulfilling her leadership duties in a responsible manner.
Colli-Wongsoredjo has led the VKI since its establishment in 2007, and in her resignation letter she highlights key institutional achievements under her tenure. She notes that throughout her leadership, Suriname has retained full international recognition for its fisheries regulation and management systems. Most notably, she confirms that the country has repeatedly passed European Union audits, avoiding placement on the EU’s blacklist for unregulated fisheries products — a critical outcome for Suriname’s fisheries export sector.
Following her announcement, Colli-Wongsoredjo has formally requested Minister Noersalim issue formal instructions to facilitate an orderly handover of her institutional responsibilities to a successor.