The maritime service of French Guiana since 1930

Roger Jaffray

Around 1930, the daily life of French Guiana was dominated by the presence of the penal colony. Thirty years later, the construction of the Guiana Space Center marked local development and determined the installation of new infrastructures. Until then, due to a lack of land routes, the coast and the rivers were the only components of the internal network, while the rare external links were provided by metropolitan shipping lines.

The “Maritime History of the French West Indies” series, of which this book is part, was honored with a mention from the Académie de Marine in October 2018.

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Logging, mining research, aquaculture and fishing mean that its evolution is made up of development prospects.

The only constants in the history of Guyana are the many small shipowners and owners of local ships. Through their courage and stubbornness, they were able to meet the demands of this region which is so rich and so special.

From his memories, specialized archives and interviews with many professionals in the maritime sector, the author offers us here a concrete maritime history of the French territories of America.

Born in 1930, Roger Jaffray sailed as a naval officer. Including fifteen years in the West Indies and Guyana. He has lived in Martinique since then, from where he continues to follow with the same passion the evolution of local maritime life.