Explore CRFM Links 2

Wednesday, 19 November 2014 22:39

Supporting Smart and Sustainable Growth in Fisheries Featured

Rate this item
(1 Vote)

 Belize City, 19 November, 2014 (CRFM):  The region’s fisheries stakeholders deepen their understanding of the “blue growth concept” at a two-day workshop in St. George’s, Grenada under the theme, “Investing in Blue Economic Growth” on November 20-21, 2014.

 

The Blue Growth Concept is mainly concerned about how to generate economic growth from the living resources in the oceans and seas.

 

The Blue Growth seeks to achieve growth by sustainable use and conservation of aquatic renewable resources in the exclusive economic zones (EEZ) and on the high seas, in an economically, socially and environmentally responsible manner. The major components of the Blue Growth concept include: (1) marine and inland capture fisheries; (2) aquaculture development, (3) livelihoods and food systems, and (4) ecosystem services and marine biodiversity conservation at regional and national levels.

The  regional workshop   is  intended   to  promote   blue  economic growth   in CARICOM countries through   enhanced   involvement   of  fisheries   and aquaculture  stakeholders  in the policy process and improved, broad  public understanding  and appreciation of  the  challenges  and  opportunities of  the  industry   and  its  policies,  and  what  this  means  for investing  in blue growth.

Milton Haughton, executive Director of Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) says, “the benefits in the sector are significant to the region and the global community, these range from foreign exchange earnings, employment to poverty alleviation and food security. Many of the stakeholders including the Fisherfolk on the ground do not sufficiently understand the importance of these benefits to value them adequately to achieve sustainable management of the fisheries resources”.

CRFM has teamed up with the Caribbean Network of Fisherfolk Organisations supported by the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) ACP-EU to raise public awareness in the Caribbean  by deepening knowledge   and  capacity   of  primary   industry   stakeholders   for   more   effective stakeholder   positioning  and participation   in fisheries  policy  and management actions.

The workshop  will address the following:

Under Governance  and Policy

  • Combating  Illegal fishing;
  • Sustainable  use, conservation  and  management  of  the Eastern Caribbean Flying fish, Spiny Lobster, Nassau Grouper and the Coral reefs eco-system;
  • Next steps for the Caribbean Community  Common Fisheries Policy (CCCFP).
  • Readiness for tackling  Sanitary Phyto-Sanitary Measures, under an EU-funded Project that gets underway this month;
  • Understanding the Value chain approach in fisheries, and its lessons from various experiences in the region, Africa and the Pacific..

Under Trade and Market Access

BACKGROUND

Presentlanduse andmarinespaceusageplanningdonotreflect holisticconsideration ofthevarious sectoral needs,with lowpriority giventofisheries andaquaculture needs.Thiscreatesachallenge with regardtocapacityforadaptation ofeconomicactivities especiallyinthefaceofclimate change, andalsofor aquaculture  developmenopportunities  that arealready challenged often bylimited landandcoastalmarine space,environmental  concerns,andeconomic viability.

Allchallengesare exacerbated bythe limited promotion  andunderstanding ofthe sector's contributionsaswellas its potential.

Previous effortbyCRFMand CTAto build fisherfolk  capacity to participatinthe governance processhas seenthesuccessfulestablishment oftheCaribbeanNetwork ofFisherfolkOrganizations (CNFO),improved fisherfolk understanding ofkeypolicyissues, andmoreactiveCNFOparticipation incertain policy advisory activities. Suchcapacity building andparticipation  inthe policy advisory activities areverymuchinthepreliminary stages,andcontinued effort isessentialtodeepenfurther the understanding  of fisherfolof some of the more technical aspects of fisheries policies, e.g. aquaculture,  SPS,and mainstreaminprecautionary  andecosystem approaches inthe context of climate change,andbythismeans,strengthen their capacitytoparticipate activelyandmorefully in ensuringsuccessfulimplementationmonitoring andevaluation ofagreedpolicies.

[Ends]

For more information, please contact:

Adelle Roopchand

Media Relations

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Milton Haughton

CRFM Executive Director

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.

ABOUT THE CRFM

The Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) was officially inaugurated on March 27, 2003, in Belize City, Belize, where it is headquartered, following the signing of the “Agreement Establishing the CRFM” on February 4, 2002. It is an inter-governmental organization with its mission being “to promote and facilitate the responsible utilization of the region's fisheries and other aquatic resources for the economic and social benefits of the current and future population of the region.”

The CRFM consists of three bodies: the Ministerial Council, the Caribbean Fisheries Forum and the CRFM Secretariat. Its members are Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

The CRFM Secretariat

P.O. Box 642,

Princess Margaret Drive,

Belize City, Belize, C.A.

Tel: 501-223-4443

Fax: 501-223-4446

 

Read 9038 times Last modified on Thursday, 20 November 2014 12:09
Login to post comments

Member login

Username and Password