Anguilla 
Antigua and Barbuda 
Grenada 
Bahamas 
Barbados 
Belize 
Dominica 
Guyana 
Haiti 
Jamaica 
Montserrat 
St. Kitts and Nevis 
St. Lucia 
St. Vincent and the Grenadines 
Suriname 
Trinidad and Tobago 
Turks and Caicos 
World Oceans Day Remarks from CRFM Executive Director, Dr. Marc Williams
Today, as we observe World Oceans Day, we are reminded that the Caribbean Sea and our surrounding oceans are not only a source of natural beauty but also the foundation of livelihoods, culture, food security, and economic opportunity for millions of people across our region. The theme of ocean stewardship has never been more important. For the Caribbean, the future of our oceans is inseparable from the future of our people. Healthy marine ecosystems support fisheries, tourism, transportation, coastal protection, and countless other services that sustain our economies and communities. As we celebrate this day, we must reaffirm our collective commitment to safeguarding our marine resources for present and future generations.
Small-scale fisheries remain the backbone of the fisheries sector in most Caribbean countries. Thousands of fishers, fish vendors, processors, and their families depend directly on the sea for their livelihoods and well-being. These fisheries contribute significantly to local food supplies, employment, poverty reduction, and cultural heritage. As global food systems face mounting pressures from climate change, economic uncertainty, and supply chain disruptions, investing in sustainable small-scale fisheries is essential to strengthening regional food and nutrition security. We must continue to empower fishing communities through improved management, access to finance, modern technology, capacity building, and policies that recognize their invaluable contributions to national and regional development.
At the same time, the Caribbean has tremendous opportunities to expand sustainable mariculture and aquaculture as part of a diversified Blue Economy. Responsible mariculture can increase domestic seafood production, reduce reliance on imports, create jobs, attract investment, and build resilience to climate-related shocks. Through innovation, science-based planning, and effective marine spatial management, we can unlock new opportunities in marine fish farming, seaweed cultivation, shellfish production, and other ocean-based industries while safeguarding marine biodiversity. The CRFM remains committed to supporting Member States in advancing sustainable Blue Economy initiatives that balance economic growth, environmental stewardship, and social inclusion.
However, the promise of our oceans cannot be realized if marine pollution continues to endanger our ecosystems. Plastic waste, abandoned fishing gear, land-based runoff, wastewater discharge, and other pollutants are degrading coastal habitats, damaging coral reefs, threatening marine life, and undermining fisheries productivity. Addressing marine pollution requires action by governments, businesses, communities, and individuals alike. On this World Ocean Day 2026, let us renew our commitment to reducing pollution at its source, strengthening waste management systems, promoting sustainable consumption, and protecting the marine environment on which our prosperity depends. Together, we can build a cleaner, healthier, and more resilient Caribbean Sea that continues to nourish our people, support our economies, and inspire future generations.
The Case for Renewable Energy in Caribbean Fisheries
Introduction: A Sector Under Pressure
Across the Caribbean, fisheries and aquaculture provide food, employment, income, and cultural identity for thousands of people. Yet the sector faces growing pressures from rising fuel costs, climate change, aging infrastructure, and increasing demands for efficiency and sustainability.
Energy sits at the centre of many of these challenges. From harvesting and processing to storage and transportation, fisheries value chains rely heavily on fossil fuels. As fuel prices fluctuate and climate-related disruptions become more frequent, operating costs increase, and profitability becomes more uncertain, particularly for small-scale operators.
At the same time, advances in renewable energy technologies are creating new opportunities to improve efficiency, reduce costs, strengthen resilience, and lower greenhouse gas emissions. The question is no longer whether renewable energy has a role to play in fisheries, but how the sector can successfully make the transition.
Understanding the Energy Challenge
For many fisheries operations, energy represents one of the highest operational costs.
Fishing vessels depend on fuel for harvesting activities. Landing sites and processing facilities require energy for ice production, refrigeration, freezing, lighting, and equipment operation. Transportation and distribution systems depend on reliable energy to maintain product quality and market access.
This dependence on fossil fuels creates several challenges:
- Exposure to fuel price volatility
- High operating costs
- Reduced profitability
- Supply chain vulnerability
- Increased carbon emissions
- Reduced resilience to external shocks
For small-scale fisheries and aquaculture enterprises, these challenges can directly affect livelihoods and food security.
Renewable Energy Opportunities Across the Value Chain
The fisheries sector offers multiple opportunities for renewable energy integration. Potential applications include solar-powered ice production, cold storage facilities, fish processing operations, refrigeration systems, aquaculture facilities, lighting systems, and other energy-intensive infrastructure.
In many cases, renewable energy technologies can help reduce operational costs while improving reliability and reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels. The potential benefits extend beyond individual enterprises. More efficient energy systems can strengthen entire value chains by reducing post-harvest losses, improving product quality, extending storage capacity, and increasing competitiveness.
Building Resilience Through Energy Transition
The case for renewable energy is not solely about reducing emissions.
For Caribbean fisheries, energy transition is fundamentally about resilience.
Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events across the region. Fisheries infrastructure is often located in vulnerable coastal areas where disruptions to energy systems can have immediate impacts on livelihoods and food security.
Renewable energy technologies, when appropriately designed and deployed, can improve operational continuity and reduce vulnerability to external shocks.
They can also support broader national goals related to energy security, climate adaptation, and sustainable development.
The Importance of a Just Transition
Technology alone will not determine the success of the energy transition.
The benefits of renewable energy must be accessible to those who depend on fisheries and aquaculture for their livelihoods. This requires attention to financing, training, governance, access to technology, and the different ways in which women, men, and youth participate throughout fisheries value chains.
A just transition seeks to ensure that no one is left behind as the sector evolves. It recognizes that social inclusion, economic opportunity, and environmental sustainability are interconnected and must advance together. By placing people at the centre of the transition, fisheries modernization can contribute to stronger communities as well as stronger businesses.
Creating the Conditions for Investment
Despite the promise of renewable energy, significant barriers remain.
Many fisheries operators face challenges accessing financing, understanding available technologies, or assessing the economic viability of investments. Financial institutions may also have limited experience evaluating renewable energy opportunities within fisheries and aquaculture.
Addressing these barriers requires better information, stronger partnerships, supportive policies, and practical demonstration of what works. Creating the conditions for investment is therefore just as important as the technologies themselves.
How STAR-Fish is Supporting the Transition
The STAR-Fish Project was established to help address these challenges.
Through technical assessments, stakeholder engagement, capacity development, financing dialogue, renewable energy awareness initiatives, and low-carbon fisheries activities, the project is helping to create the enabling environment needed to support energy transition across Caribbean fisheries and aquaculture.
Rather than promoting a single technology or solution, STAR-Fish seeks to identify practical pathways that reflect the realities of fisheries operations in participating countries.
The goal is to generate evidence, strengthen partnerships, and support investments that contribute to a more resilient, competitive, and sustainable sector.
Looking Ahead
The transition to renewable energy within fisheries and aquaculture will not happen overnight.
It requires planning, investment, collaboration, and learning. However, the opportunities are significant. Cleaner energy systems have the potential to reduce costs, strengthen resilience, improve competitiveness, and support sustainable livelihoods throughout the Caribbean.
As countries continue to pursue climate and development goals, renewable energy will increasingly become an important component of the future of fisheries and aquaculture. The challenge now is turning opportunity into action.
Powering Change: Advancing Gender Equality in Caribbean Fisheries
Why does gender equality matter for the transition to sustainable and low-carbon fisheries?
Introduction: An Energy Transition Must Work for Everyone
Across the Caribbean, fisheries and aquaculture support thousands of livelihoods and contribute significantly to food security, employment, and rural development. Yet participation in the sector is not experienced equally.
Women play critical roles throughout fisheries value chains, particularly in processing, marketing, administration, and household-level fisheries enterprises. Despite these contributions, they often face barriers to accessing finance, productive assets, training opportunities, decision-making processes, and leadership positions. Young people similarly face challenges entering and remaining within the sector.
As Caribbean countries pursue renewable energy adoption and low-carbon fisheries development, there is growing recognition that technological solutions alone are not enough. The transition must also be fair and inclusive. This principle is often described as a just transition- an approach that seeks to ensure that the benefits and opportunities arising from economic and environmental change are shared equitably, while minimizing the risk that vulnerable groups are left behind.
In the context of fisheries and aquaculture, a just transition means ensuring that women, men, and youth have equitable access to the knowledge, skills, financing, technologies, and decision-making processes needed to participate in and benefit from the shift towards cleaner and more resilient production systems. It also means recognizing the different roles people play within fisheries value chains and addressing the barriers that may prevent them from benefiting equally from new investments and opportunities.
For this reason, gender equality and social inclusion have been embedded as central pillars of the STAR-Fish Project from its inception. By integrating these considerations into project planning and implementation, STAR-Fish seeks to support a transition that is not only environmentally sustainable, but also economically inclusive and socially equitable.
Understanding the Gender Landscape
One of the project's earliest priorities was to improve understanding of how gender dynamics shape participation in fisheries and aquaculture across the Caribbean.
The project's regional Gender Equality Strategy highlighted a number of common challenges affecting women throughout the region, including lower labour force participation, limited access to financing, underrepresentation in leadership and decision-making roles, and persistent gender-based inequalities that influence economic opportunities and livelihood outcomes.
While these challenges vary among countries, they share a common theme: women continue to contribute significantly to fisheries and aquaculture while often receiving fewer opportunities to influence decisions and access resources.
The strategy also identified the need for better data, stronger institutional capacity, and more intentional efforts to ensure that gender considerations are integrated into fisheries policies, programmes, and investments.
Listening to Communities
Recognizing that meaningful solutions must be grounded in local realities, STAR-Fish supported a series of gender and livelihoods assessments in participating countries.
These assessments examined how women and men participate across fisheries value chains, the challenges they face, and the opportunities that may emerge through renewable energy adoption and climate-resilient development.
The process created space for fisherfolk, processors, community leaders, government agencies, and other stakeholders to share perspectives on how energy transition initiatives can be designed to support more inclusive outcomes.
The findings reinforced an important lesson: while renewable energy technologies can create new opportunities, deliberate action is required to ensure those opportunities are accessible to everyone.
From Assessment to Action
Information alone does not create change.
Building on the assessments, STAR-Fish supported the development of Gender Action Plans designed to translate analysis into practical actions.
These plans identify opportunities to strengthen participation, improve access to information and training, support leadership development, and address barriers that limit equitable participation within fisheries and aquaculture sectors.
Rather than treating gender equality as a standalone activity, the project seeks to integrate these considerations throughout implementation, from stakeholder engagement and capacity development to technical assessments and future investments.
This approach helps ensure that gender equality becomes part of how decisions are made, rather than an additional activity undertaken after decisions have already been taken.
Knowledge Product Spotlight
Powering Change: Fueling a Gender-Responsive Energy Transition in Fisheries
Developed under STAR-Fish, this training programme provides practical guidance for integrating gender equality and social inclusion into fisheries and renewable energy initiatives across the Caribbean.
Equipping Stakeholders for a Just Transition
Understanding gender dynamics is only the first step. Achieving a just transition requires that stakeholders have the knowledge, skills, and tools needed to apply gender-responsive approaches in practice.
To support this objective, STAR-Fish developed a regional training programme focused on gender equality and social inclusion in the context of fisheries and renewable energy transition. The programme was designed to help fisheries practitioners, government officers, community leaders, and other stakeholders better understand how gender influences participation, access to resources, decision-making, and the distribution of benefits within fisheries value chains.
The training package goes beyond awareness-raising by providing practical tools and approaches that can be applied during project planning, stakeholder engagement, policy development, and implementation. Topics include gender analysis, inclusive participation, barriers to equitable access, and strategies for promoting meaningful engagement of women and youth in fisheries development initiatives.
The programme formed the basis for a series of regional and national capacity-building activities that brought together stakeholders from across participating countries. These engagements created opportunities for dialogue, peer learning, and reflection on how renewable energy investments and broader fisheries development initiatives can be designed to support more inclusive outcomes.
By strengthening institutional and individual capacity, STAR-Fish is helping to ensure that gender equality becomes an integral part of decision-making and implementation processes rather than a standalone consideration.
Building Capacity for Inclusive Change
Creating more inclusive fisheries systems requires both awareness and skills.
Through a series of regional and national activities, STAR-Fish has supported dialogue and learning around gender-responsive fisheries development, renewable energy transition, and social inclusion.
These activities have brought together fisheries practitioners, government representatives, community stakeholders, and development partners to explore practical approaches for strengthening participation and reducing barriers faced by women and youth.
Importantly, these discussions have also helped broaden understanding that gender equality benefits entire communities by improving economic opportunities, strengthening resilience, and supporting more effective resource management.
Why Gender Equality Matters for Renewable Energy Transition
The shift towards renewable energy has the potential to reshape fisheries value chains.
New technologies can reduce operating costs, improve product quality, strengthen cold-chain systems, and create new economic opportunities. However, if access to these technologies is limited to those who already possess resources, financing, or decision-making authority, existing inequalities may deepen.
A gender-responsive approach helps ensure that the benefits of innovation are distributed more equitably. It encourages consideration of who has access to equipment, financing, information, training, and leadership opportunities. It also helps identify unintended barriers that may prevent certain groups from benefiting from project investments.
In this way, gender equality is not separate from energy transition; it is fundamental to ensuring that the transition is inclusive, effective, and sustainable.
Looking Ahead
As STAR-Fish moves into implementation, gender equality will remain a cross-cutting priority across all project activities.
Future renewable energy interventions, low-carbon fisheries initiatives, stakeholder engagement activities, and capacity-building programmes will continue to apply lessons emerging from the project's gender assessments and action plans.
By placing people at the centre of the transition, STAR-Fish aims to support a future in which cleaner energy systems contribute not only to environmental sustainability, but also to greater opportunity, resilience, and inclusion across Caribbean fisheries and aquaculture communities.
Building the Foundation for a Clean Energy Transition in Caribbean Fisheries
Introduction: Why Change is Needed
Across the Caribbean, fisheries and aquaculture play a vital role in food security, employment, and coastal livelihoods. Yet the sector remains highly dependent on fossil fuels, exposing fishers, processors, and aquaculture operators to volatile energy prices, supply disruptions, and increasing climate-related risks.
Recognizing these challenges, the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), with support from the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada, launched the Sustainable Technologies for Adaptation and Resilience in Fisheries (STAR-Fish) Project. The initiative seeks to support a transition towards cleaner, more resilient, and more inclusive fisheries systems across eight Caribbean countries.
While much attention is often placed on physical investments and technology deployment, successful transformation begins long before equipment is installed. It requires strong institutions, evidence-based planning, stakeholder engagement, and a clear understanding of the social, environmental, and economic realities facing the sector.
The first phase of STAR-Fish has therefore focused on creating the foundations necessary to support meaningful and sustainable change.
Building the Enabling Environment for Change
Transforming energy use within fisheries and aquaculture requires more than identifying suitable technologies. It requires governance systems capable of supporting implementation, accountability mechanisms that ensure transparency, and processes that enable participation by those most affected by the transition.
During its initial years, STAR-Fish established the management, oversight, monitoring, and safeguards systems needed to guide implementation across eight participating countries. These systems now provide a framework for consistently and transparently planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating future investments.
Emphasis has been placed on environmental and social safeguards, ensuring that proposed interventions are environmentally responsible, socially inclusive, and responsive to stakeholder concerns. The project has also introduced mechanisms to support stakeholder participation and grievance management, helping to strengthen accountability throughout implementation.
Taken together, these efforts provide a strong institutional platform for future renewable energy and low-carbon fisheries interventions.
Putting People at the Centre of the Energy Transition
The transition to cleaner energy systems is not only a technical challenge; it is also a social one.
Across the Caribbean, women and men often participate differently within fisheries and aquaculture value chains. Women are frequently concentrated in post-harvest processing, marketing, and supporting roles, while remaining underrepresented in decision-making and access to productive assets.
Recognizing this reality, STAR-Fish has embedded gender equality and the facilitation of a just transition as a core element of project implementation rather than treating it as a standalone activity.
Through regional and national assessments, stakeholder consultations, and targeted capacity-building initiatives, the project has worked to better understand how energy transition opportunities and challenges may affect different groups. This process has informed the development of Gender Action Plans and practical recommendations aimed at ensuring that women, men, and youth can participate equitably in the benefits generated through renewable energy investments.
By placing social inclusion at the centre of project planning, STAR-Fish is helping to ensure that the transition to cleaner energy strengthens livelihoods while reducing existing inequalities.
Generating the Evidence for Investment
A key challenge facing the fisheries sector is the limited availability of information needed to guide investment decisions.
Questions such as where renewable energy technologies can provide the greatest benefit, which fisheries offer the strongest opportunities for low-carbon development, and what financing mechanisms are most appropriate for small-scale operators require careful analysis.
STAR-Fish has therefore invested heavily in generating the evidence base required to support future action. Ongoing assessments are examining fisheries and aquaculture value chains, evaluating renewable energy opportunities, identifying barriers to adoption, and exploring pathways for low-carbon fisheries certification.
These studies will provide governments, financial institutions, development partners, and fisheries stakeholders with practical information to support future investments and policy development.
Building Partnerships Across the Region
Regional transformation cannot be achieved by any single institution.
The STAR-Fish approach recognizes that lasting change requires collaboration among governments, fisheries authorities, fisherfolk organizations, development partners, academic institutions, financial institutions, and private sector actors.
Over the past two years, the project has established and strengthened relationships with stakeholders across participating countries, creating opportunities for dialogue, knowledge sharing, and collective problem-solving.
These partnerships will become increasingly important as the project moves from assessment and planning toward implementation and demonstration activities.
Looking Ahead
With the foundations now in place, STAR-Fish is entering an important new phase.
Over the coming years, the project will support the identification and implementation of renewable energy solutions, advance low-carbon fisheries initiatives, strengthen awareness and technical capacity, and work with stakeholders to unlock investment opportunities that support a resilient and sustainable future for Caribbean fisheries and aquaculture.
The lessons emerging from this work will not only benefit participating countries but will also contribute to broader regional efforts to address climate change, improve energy security, and strengthen sustainable blue economy development.
CRFM Ministerial Council addresses fisheries, aquaculture, and blue economy priorities at 20th Regular Meeting
Belize City, Belize, 3 June 2026 (CRFM)—The Ministerial Council of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), a regional inter-governmental body of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), convened its Twentieth (20th) Regular Meeting today. The Council, comprised of Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Blue Economy Ministers from the Caribbean, deliberated via teleconference on key issues confronting the sector. These include bolstering aquaculture development, improving food security, strengthening resilience to climate and disaster risks through insurance, and notable gains in addressing illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
Before delving into these pressing matters, the Council elected Hon. Randy Baltimore, Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Fisheries and the Blue Economy, Antigua and Barbuda, as Chair. Minister Baltimore succeeds Hon. Kyle Hodge, Minister of Economic Development, Industry, Commerce, Lands, Planning, Water, and Natural Resources, Anguilla, who rendered stellar service as Chair of the CRFM Ministerial Council during the previous year.
In accepting the Chairmanship, Antigua and Barbuda reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening regional cooperation, promoting sustainable use of marine resources, supporting fisherfolk livelihoods, and advancing innovative solutions to challenges facing the fisheries sector, including climate change, illegal fishing, and marine resource management.
Minister Baltimore said: “The Government of Antigua and Barbuda looks forward to working closely with CRFM Member States and regional partners to further the sustainable development of the Caribbean’s fisheries and blue economy sectors during its tenure as Chair.”
He noted that he had recently been assigned to the portfolio following national elections in the Member State. Supported by the Chair of the Caribbean Fisheries Forum, Mr. Ian Horsford, Chief Fisheries Officer, Antigua and Barbuda, the Ministers effectively addressed a range of topics, resulting in the passage of 19 resolutions critical to the advancement of the fisheries and aquaculture sector.
Minister Baltimore chairing the Council meeting from Antigua and Barbuda (Photo: Government of Antigua and Barbuda)
In addressing the Council at the conclusion of the meeting, CRFM Executive Director, Dr. Marc Williams said: “The Caribbean stands at a pivotal moment when sustainable fisheries, aquaculture, the Blue Economy, climate resilience, and ocean governance must be integrated to secure prosperity for present and future generations. I encourage all Member States to maintain their strong engagement in implementing today's resolutions and to continue supporting the CRFM as a premier regional institution for fisheries and ocean governance.”
The Ministers approved a new 5-year aquaculture action plan, as well as a new biennial work plan and budget for the CRFM, spanning 2026-2027. They also received updates on three regional initiatives through which critical work is being undertaken by the CRFM, in collaboration with its Member States and institutional partners, to strengthen the sector. These are the Canadian-funded Sustainable Technologies for Adaptation and Resilience in Fisheries (STAR-fish) Project, the IICA/EDF-EU Food Security Project, as well as the GEF/FAO/CAF/CRFM BE-CLME+ Project: Promoting National Blue Economy Priorities Through Marine Spatial Planning in the Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem Plus.
“The Council’s decisions on the CRFM work plan and budget, financial management, staffing, and strategic priorities provide a strong foundation for advancing the CRFM’s goals and delivering tangible benefits to the people who depend on our marine resources,” Dr. Williams said.
The Council is scheduled to meet again later this year, during the 20th Caribbean Week of Agriculture in Jamaica.
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Canada-funded STAR-Fish ramps up clean energy interventions for Caribbean fisheries
Belize City, Tuesday, 2 June 2026 (CRFM)—Amid rising energy costs and growing climate pressures affecting Caribbean Fisheries and Aquaculture, the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) is ramping up clean energy interventions under the CAD4.324 million STAR-Fish Project: “Sustainable Technologies for Adaptation and Resilience in Fisheries.”
Implementation activities across participating countries—Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Suriname—will focus on strengthening the resilience and competitiveness of fisheries and aquaculture through clean energy solutions and low-carbon development. Planned interventions include the identification and deployment of renewable energy technologies, including cold storage solutions to improve cold chain efficiency, as well as support for selected fisheries to pursue low-carbon certification.
Participants engaged in the “Powering Change: Fueling a Gender-Responsive Energy Transition in Fisheries” training and workshop series held in Grenada during Year 2 of the STAR-Fish Project’s Gender Equality and Social Inclusion consultancy implemented by EnGen Collaborative.
At the 2nd Regional Project Steering Committee Meeting held on 14 May 2026, Sherron Barker, Regional Project Coordinator for the STAR-Fish Project, presented the approved 2026–2027 Work Plan and Budget, which will guide the next phase of implementation. Key near-term priorities include developing viable business models to support investment in clean energy technologies, advancing the conversion of selected fish processing operations, and strengthening market opportunities for low-carbon certified fisheries.
Ms. Ena Ćimić, STAR-Fish Project Lead at the High Commission of Canada to Jamaica, representing Global Affairs Canada (GAC), acknowledged that the Caribbean’s fisheries and aquaculture sectors are important drivers of economic activity, livelihoods, and food security across the region. Addressing the meeting, she noted that, “the sectors also remain highly vulnerable to climate change, rising energy costs, and evolving market demands.”
Ms. Ćimić added: “the activities implemented through this project position STAR-Fish to further strengthen institutional capacity, advance gender-responsive approaches, and support the adoption of sustainable energy technologies within the fisheries and aquaculture sector, while also improving access to finance, enhancing competitiveness, and building resilience to climate and disaster risks across participating countries.”
Reflecting on progress during the previous year, Dr. Marc Williams, Executive Director of the CRFM Secretariat, noted that STAR-Fish advanced key technical workstreams, including renewable energy business model development, carbon footprinting, and low-carbon certification processes. He added that Project Year 2 marked an important transition as the project moved from foundational planning toward more structured and coordinated implementation across participating countries.
Westmoreland, Jamaica Seamoss farmers participated in consultations and capacity-building activities under the “Powering Change: Fueling a Gender-Responsive Energy Transition in Fisheries” initiative implemented through the STAR-Fish Project’s Gender Equality and Social Inclusion consultancy led by EnGen Collaborative.
Dr. Williams added: “One of the project’s key achievements during the reporting period was the completion of major activities on gender equality and social inclusion. This work strengthened understanding of gender and social issues associated with the clean energy transition, supported the development of national and regional guidance tools through Gender Action Plans (GAPs) for Belize, Grenada, Jamaica, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and advanced gender-responsive capacity building and stakeholder engagement across participating countries.”
Ms. Ćimić said that GAC welcomed STAR-Fish’s gender-responsive approach, vital to strengthening national capacities, promoting inclusion, and ensuring that the benefits of the clean energy transition are shared equitably.
“This aligns with Canada’s priorities of advancing gender equality, climate action, and sustainable, inclusive growth, while also supporting expanded trade opportunities in the region,” she said, pledging GAC’s continued support for the CRFM initiative.
Dr. Williams said that the project now enters Project Year 3 with “activities underway, strengthened governance arrangements, and a clearer pathway toward the practical application of renewable energy solutions across fisheries value chains in the Caribbean.”
“We look forward to continuing to work with all of you to support effective implementation and to contribute to a more resilient, sustainable, and inclusive Caribbean fisheries sector,” Ćimić affirmed.
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Caribbean Fisheries Forum hosts its 24th Regular Session ahead of Ministerial Meeting
Belize City, Belize, 24 April 2026 (CRFM)—The Caribbean Fisheries Forum, comprised of 17 heads of fisheries authorities across the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), is convening its 24th Regular Meeting this week. The Forum, which provides technical guidance to the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), began its meeting on Thursday, 23 April 2026, with deliberations on the CRFM’s Seventh Biennial Work Plan (2026-2027), which sets the framework for the regional fisheries body to advance the development of fisheries and aquaculture across the region. Today’s agenda is focused on pressing regional and international developments, as well as the status and trends of the sector.
Across the Caribbean Community, approximately half-a-million people are employed in the fisheries and aquaculture sector, including 122,198 fishers, 4,926 aquaculture farmers, and 412,078 others who hold fisheries-dependent jobs across the value chain.
Dr. Marc Williams, Executive Director of the CRFM, said: “The Caribbean Fisheries Forum provides the CRFM with a platform to discuss fish stocks, the blue economy, marine ecosystems, and fishing activities. Given the proximity of the Member States in the Caribbean and the transboundary nature of the fish stocks, cooperation is essential for the sustainable management of these stocks.”
He added that, “The Forum meeting provides a platform for the Member States to share data, examine common challenges such as illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, climate change, habitat degradation, and overfishing, and coordinate policies that protect resources while supporting livelihoods. Additionally, it reinforces partnerships among governments, fisherfolk organizations, researchers, and other nongovernmental organizations to foster trust, harmonize plans, improve enforcement, and attract funding for joint projects that benefit the CRFM Member States.”
On Thursday, 24 April 2026, the Forum also held elections for a new Chair and Vice Chair, as well as members of the Executive Committee of the Forum and the Resource Mobilization Sub-committee. After the elections, Mr. Ian Horsford, Chief Fisheries Officer, Antigua and Barbuda, assumed the Chair, succeeding Mr. Remone Johnson of the Turks and Caicos Islands for the next year.
"In these times of geopolitical uncertainty, CRFM—through its various organs such as the Forum—remains a shining example of what can be achieved through multilateralism as we chart the way forward for the sustainable development of Caribbean fisheries and blue economy," Mr. Horsford said.
The two-day meeting, which concludes today, Friday, 24 April, addresses the sustainable management of fisheries and aquaculture, as well as cross-cutting dimensions related to climate change, adaptation, and innovation, including the strategic adoption of renewable energy options within seafood value chains. The Forum’s deliberations also encompass initiatives to combat IUU fishing and fisheries crime, as well as gender mainstreaming in fisheries.
Furthermore, the Forum is providing technical guidance on two new protocols under the Caribbean Community Common Fisheries Policy (CCCFP): a protocol on marine spatial planning and the other on aquatic foods traceability, which involves tracking seafood across the value chain. Deliberations extend to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Fisheries Subsidies Agreement, the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (the BBNJ Agreement), as well as the International Legally Binding Instrument on Plastic Pollution—all important legal instruments for the sector.
This week’s Forum meeting precedes the upcoming 20th Regular Meeting of the CRFM Ministerial Council, comprised of Ministers from the CRFM’s Member States.
COASTFISH Outputs
COASTFISH PROJECT OUTPUTS
The Project for Strengthening Sustainable Use and Management of Coastal Fisheries Resources in the CARICOM Countries (COASTFISH) concluded in 2025. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-funded COASTFISH Project, implemented through IC Net Ltd. of Japan in collaboration with the CRFM, has successfully supported a diverse range of pilot initiatives across the region aimed at enhancing the sustainability and resilience of coastal fisheries. The CRFM is pleased to share some key outputs delivered under the project.
Documents
ACCESS DOCUMENTS
Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Juvenile Queen Conch Survey
Guidelines for Installation and Monitoring of Artificial Reefs in Caribbean Countries
Outcome Statements for COASTFISH Project
Report on the Regional COASTFISH Seminar (Third Term)
Report of the First Regional COASTFISH Workshop
Videos
Fisher exchange with Grenada prepares Turks and Caicos Islands for launch of a sustainable FAD fishery
Belize City, Belize, 23 March 2026 (CRFM)—Fishers from the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) recently concluded a very successful exchange in Grenada. From March 16-19, a delegation of six fishers, supported by two fisheries officers, gained firsthand knowledge on the construction and deployment of fish aggregating devices (FADs). FADs can be very effective in attracting fish in the open sea, thereby boosting production, exports, and economic impacts. The Turks and Caicos Islands hopes to also reap these long-term benefits from the recent fisher exchange.
Representatives of Grenada, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and the CRFM Secretariat based in Belize partnered to provide invaluable hands-on learning on FAD fishing technology for sustainable livelihoods
(Photo: Minister of Blue Economy and Marine Affairs, Grenada)
Grenada’s FAD technology has been modernized under the World Bank-funded project titled, Unleashing the Blue Economy of the Caribbean (UBEC), which commenced implementation in 2022. However, Grenada was also one of six Member States of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) which benefited from the mainstreaming of FAD fishing technology under the Japan-funded Caribbean Fisheries Co-management (CARIFICO) project, implemented between 2012-2017 in partnership with the CRFM. Since then, the CRFM has been facilitating knowledge transfer to other Member States, building upon this foundational work. It previously facilitated a similar exchange through which Grenada also shared its FAD expertise with Jamaica. This exchange, executed through the fisheries authorities in Grenada and TCI, was also facilitated by the CRFM.
Grenada’s Minister of Blue Economy and Marine Affairs, Hon. Lennox Andrews, said: “I see this as one very good example where, as a people, we can come together and work together to share our knowledge, share experiences, and create the competence and the human resources that we all need to develop our region.”
CRFM Deputy Executive Director, Dr. Sandra Grant, noted that this fisher exchange will provide TCI fishers with an initial understanding of FAD technology and an opportunity to reflect on how it can be applied in the Turks and Caicos Islands to provide year-round income generation for fishers.
The goal of the fisher exchange was to strengthen regional fisheries cooperation and support sustainable livelihoods. The visit of the TCI delegation to Grenada provided valuable hands-on exposure to Grenada’s well-established FAD fishery, allowing participants to observe operations, fishing techniques, and the harvesting of key pelagic species, including yellowfin tunas weighing over 100 pounds. Participants also took part in the construction of FADs, gaining practical, technical experience that will be directly applicable to TCI’s planned FAD pilot programme.
Turks and Caicos Islands fishers learn to build FADs in Grenada
(Photo: Minister of Blue Economy and Marine Affairs, Grenada)
By the end of the fisher exchange, it was clear that the Grenada experience—which enabled TCI fishers to witness the scale and efficiency of Grenada’s FAD operations—had a monumental impact upon the fishers who participated. In a closing session held last Thursday, Mr. David Clare said, “It’s the greatest fishing [technology] I’ve ever seen in my life, and it works perfectly!”
Another fisher, Mr. Kevin Harvey, noted how effective the FADs were in capturing fish in the middle of the ocean compared with trolling from shore to where the FADs had been deployed.
For his part, Mr. Dwaine Cox shared Mr. Clare’s enthusiasm for this invaluable learning opportunity. He said that they have been talking for a while about the need for the TCI to diversify its fishing industry, and the time has now come to do so.
FADs deliver prized catch (105 lbs)
(Photo: Minister of Blue Economy and Marine Affairs, Grenada)
The Director of the TCI’s Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources Management, Mr. Alwyn R. Ponteen, stated: “The Department deeply values the traditional knowledge and dedication of the TCI fishers. They demonstrate a readiness to embrace new techniques with a progressive mindset. This programme represents a strategic and sustainable investment in the youths, men, and women who form the backbone of our fisheries sector. It also advances our collective commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): 2, 8 and 14 - 'Zero Hunger', 'Decent Work and Economic Growth' and 'Life Below Water', respectively.”
Mr. Nigel Gibbs, Chief Fisheries Officer (Ag.), Fisheries Division, Grenada, said: “We do look forward to continued collaboration and believe that this is the beginning of a lasting Caribbean relationship that will grow stronger in the future."
The collaborators expressed their gratitude to Jamaica for its hospitality towards the TCI delegation during their stopover on their way to Grenada.
The TCI delegation with Dr. Grant of the CRFM
(Photo: Minister of Blue Economy and Marine Affairs, Grenada)
The Turks and Caicos Islands Government (TCIG) remains resolute in its commitment to develop a sustainable FAD fishery as part of its Sustainable Livelihoods Strategy. TCIG plans to launch its FAD pilot programme in the coming months. This will include robust stakeholder consultations, FAD construction and deployment, development of a fisheries management plan grounded in best practices, and advancement of the necessary legislative reforms to support a sustainable FAD fishery.
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CRFM and GRÓ FTP engage in Iceland on strategies to strengthen Caribbean fisheries
Belize City, Belize, 3 March 2026 (CRFM)—Representatives of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), headquartered in Belize, and the GRÓ Fisheries Training Programme (FTP), met last week to explore ways to strengthen cooperation with CRFM Member States and to further enhance the region's capacity in fisheries management and development. The discussion took place on Friday, February 27, 2026, at GRÓ FTP in Reykjavik, Iceland. Dr. Marc Williams, CRFM Executive Director, met with Mr. Thor Ásgeirsson, GRÓ FTP Director, and Stefán Úlfarsson, Specialist, to chart the way forward.
From left to right: Dr. Marc Williams, CRFM Executive Director; GRÓ FTP 2025-2026 fellow - Ms. Deandra Roberts of Jamaica; Mr. Thor Ásgeirsson, GRÓ FTP Director; and GRÓ FTP 2025-2026 fellow - Ms. Annakay Crawford of Jamaica
This engagement builds upon 18 years of collaboration between the parties. The CRFM and GRÓ FTP, formerly the United Nations University Fisheries Training Program (UNU FTP), entered into a memorandum of understanding in 2008 to enhance institutional capacity. Under this arrangement, Caribbean fisheries practitioners continue to benefit from GRÓ FTP training, including short courses, six-month training programs, as well as master’s and doctoral degrees.
Currently, the CRFM and GRÓ FTP are conducting a capacity needs assessment of the CRFM fisheries administrations and the CRFM Secretariat. Two GRÓ FTP fellows from Jamaica, Ms. Annakay Crawford and Ms. Deandra Roberts, are gathering and analyzing data for the assessment, which will provide the evidence that the Member States and the CRFM Secretariat need to chart the future direction of their respective organizations.
On Wednesday, February 25, 2026, at the FAO’s 2nd Committee on Fisheries (COFI) Subcommittee Meeting on Fisheries Management in Iceland, Ms. Crawford and Ms. Roberts briefed the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines delegation—Honorable Conroy Huggins, Minister of Fisheries, Marine and Land Conservation, and Climate Resilience, and Mr. Kris Isaacs, Senior Fisheries Officer—on their progress. The delegation reaffirmed its commitment to support the successful completion of the assessment reports.
Last September, the CRFM Ministerial Council—comprised of ministers responsible for fisheries, aquaculture and the blue economy from across the Caribbean Community (CARICOM)—issued a resolution approving the CRFM Capacity Needs Assessment Roadmap 2025. The Council said it looks forward to the successful completion of the regional and national capacity assessment summaries that would support a more holistic response in addressing the gaps at both the regional and national levels.
Dr. Williams said: “The CRFM Secretariat acknowledges and thanks all Member States that have been contributing to the Capacity Needs Assessment. These inputs have been essential in enabling a comprehensive regional analysis of our institutional and human capacities, in accordance with the directives of the CRFM Ministerial Council. Continued collaboration is critical as the process advances toward validation and subsequent presentation to the Council.”
Since 2008, sixty-five (65) Caribbean fisheries professionals have benefited from training through GRÓ FTP. Several of the program's alumni have moved on to leadership roles within fisheries administrations, the CRFM Secretariat, and the CRFM Ministerial Council. Notably, Ministerial Council member, the Honorable Jullan Defoe, Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Blue and Green Economy in Dominica, and the CRFM Secretariat’s Executive Director, Dr. Williams, both received fisheries training from GRÓ FTP.
GRÓ FTP, which promotes sustainable use and management of living aquatic resources, has reaffirmed its desire to continue supporting the development of fisheries management capacity and the training of future Caribbean leaders.