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 
Promoting a Fishery-Centered Blue Economy Through Co-Benefits and Knowledge Sharing
Nariaki Mikuni*1, Saori Imamura*2, Rita Straughn Mitchel*3 and Hiroaki Terashima*2
JICA project for Forming Good Practices of Islands-type Blue Economy in Palau,
Former project member of CARIFICO*1
P.O. Box 359 Koror, Palau 96940
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
IC Net Limited. Member for the Project for Strengthening Sustainable Use
and Management of Coastal Fisheries Resources in the CARICOM Countries (COASTFISH)*2
LA Tower 27 F., 11-2 Shintoshin, Chuo-ku, Saitama-shi, 3306027, Japan.
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Department of Fisheries, Saint Lucia*3
Pointe Seraphine Castries Saint Lucia
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
ABSTRACT
The Caribbean region is currently witnessing a diverse range of projects aimed at promoting the blue economy. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is formulating a strategy that recognizes co-benefits and knowledge sharing as fundamental drivers for advancing the blue economy. This strategy encompasses several stages: viz. 1. Development of concrete examples through pilot activities; 2. Extraction of knowledge from these examples (including good practices and lessons learned) and accumulation in a comprehensive database or toolbox; 3. Implementation of seminars and workshops to facilitate knowledge sharing and the formation of a multilateral cooperation framework or platform involving governments, donors, international organizations, and public-private-academic sectors; and 4. Development of an international strategy or initiative to promote the blue economy and the establishment of a positive cycle that enhances the priority of pilot activities in national development plans, increases budget allocation and donor funding, and implements additional pilot activities based on the initiative. These components draw upon Japan's extensive experience in co-benefits, such as fisheries resource co-management, food value chains, and the concept of satoumi, which seeks to enhance production and biodiversity through harmonious human-nature interaction. Furthermore, the strategy incorporates effective mechanisms for knowledge sharing, including the utilization of an online knowledge database or toolbox specifically focused on small-scale coastal fisheries, as well as national public presentation events featuring representatives from successful fishermen groups. In this context, JICA has been actively implementing pilot projects in the Caribbean, including the co-management of Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs), the integration of food value chains with tourism sector through processing seafood products and diver-driven lionfish eradication as well as the satoumi approach through utilizing seaweed cultivation. In future, collaborative efforts with the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), governments, and donors, including JICA, are expected to facilitate knowledge sharing, formulation, and accumulation of further examples, effectively promoting the blue economy.
HOW TO CITE: Mikuni, N., S. Imamura, R. Straughn Mitchel and H. Terashima, 2026. Promoting a Fishery-Centered Blue Economy Through Co-Benefits and Knowledge Sharing. Contribution 9.1, p606-617 IN CRFM, 2026. Volume I: Technical Papers. Presented at the CRFM 20th Anniversary Scientific Conference, 28-31 August 2023. CRFM Special Publication No. 37, CRFM Secretariat https://www.crfm.int/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=952
POWERPOINT
VIDEO PRESENTATION
FULL SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATION
Download CRFM Special Publication No. 37:
Proceedings of the CRFM 20th Anniversary Scientific Conference
KEY LINKS
Scientific Conference Home Page
Scientific Conference Proceedings Page
Explore all 20th Anniversary Scientific Papers
NOTE
If you have challenges accessing or downloading documents in this series, please email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , copied to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , or call us at +501-223-4443. Some browsers do not properly load Google Drive documents, so if you have challenges accessing the PowerPoint slides or the full special publication, try switching to another browser such as Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge.
