Whistleblowing is an important aspect of good organizational governance, involving the act of individuals reporting wrongdoing within their organization. Whistleblowers play an important role in safeguarding the interests and reputation of the CRFM as an organization of excellence.

Whistleblowing involves the act of revealing information about activity within an organization that is deemed illegal, unethical, unsafe, fraudulent or a conflict of interest.

A whistleblower means an Employee, Contractor, Consultant, Vendor or Student who in good faith and on reasonable grounds, reports, attempts to report, is believed to be about to report, or is believed to have reported, an activity that he/she considers to be illegal, unethical, unsafe, fraudulent or a conflict of interest.

This portal facilitates confidential and anonymous online reporting. However, anonymous reports of wrongdoing may also be made by telephone to +501-223-4443 or sent in writing or audio recording via post to the CRFM Secretariat, Princess Margaret Drive, P.O. Box 642, Belize City, Belize.

If a potential Whistleblower has knowledge of or a concern of illegal or dishonest or fraudulent or corrupt activity, he or she should contact one of the persons below, depending on the specifics of the case:
(i.) His or her direct supervisor or Programme Manager
(ii.) Manager Finance and Administration
(iii.) The CRFM Executive Director or Deputy Executive Director, or
(iv.) The Chairperson of the Forum in the event that the alleged improper activity involves the Executive Director

Confidential and Anonymous Reporting

Matters can be reported confidentially with an indication of name and contact information of the whistleblower or, if desired, 100% anonymously, without providing any identifying details.

All inquiries are treated confidentially and securely.

HR related matters

HR related matters cannot be reported in this system, but must instead be discussed with the immediate manager, director or HR.

Full details are set forth in the CRFM's Whistleblower Policy.

Anguilla

Antigua and Barbuda

The Bahamas

Barbados

Belize

Dominica

Grenada

Guyana

Haiti

Jamaica

Montserrat

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Lucia

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Suriname

Trinidad and Tobago

The Turks and Caicos Islands

Note: Items are subject to updates and revisions, based on legislative processes in the CRFM Member States 

Agenda Item 2 - Programme (draft) - 5th Meeting CRFM Working Group on Aquaculture (rev 20082024)

Agenda Item 3 - Summary Sheet - Introductions ToRs and election of Chair

• Ref Doc - TOR for Aquaculture Working Group

Agenda Item 4 - Summary Sheet - Summary on status of aquaculture and update since WGA4_

• Agenda Item 4 - Ref Doc 1 - Technical and Advisory Document 2022-04 - Summary Report 4th CRFM Aquaculture WG Meeting- Final 15082022
• Agenda Item 4 - Ref Doc 2 - Recommendations of the12th Sessions of the COFI sub-committee on aquaculture
• Agenda Item 4 - Ref Doc 2a - Guidelines for Sustainable Aquaculture
• Agenda Item 4 - Ref Doc 2bi - Excerpts from SOFIA 2024 summarising global aquacultue trends
• Agenda Item 4 - Ref Doc 2bii - SOFIA 2024
• Agenda item 4 - Ref doc 3 - CRFM statement for COFI-36 agenda item 5 rev 05072024
• Agenda item 4 - Ref Doc 4 - Overview of CRFM Member States' aquaculture as at July 2024 (updated for WGA 5) 15082024

Agenda Item 5 - Summary sheet - Survey on Five-year Work Plan for aquaculture development in the Caribbean - Current status of Member State implementation

Agenda Item 6a Summary Sheet - Scope for multitrophic aquaculture (mariculture) in CRFM Member States

Agenda Item 6b Summary Sheet - Aquaponics as a mechanism for promoting aquaculture development (rev)

• Agenda Item 6b Ref Doc 1 - Overview of aquaponics in CRFM countries
• Agenda item 6b Ref Doc 2 - Report of the FAO Technical Workshop on Advancing Aquaponics, Antigua 14-18 Aug 2017
• Agenda item 6b Ref Doc 3 - Report of the FAO technical Workshop on advancing aquaponics through strengthened value chains, 14-18 Dec 2018

Agenda Item 6c Summary Sheet - Science Policy INterface for Aquaculture Development in CRFM Member States

Agenda Item 7 - Summary Sheet - Update_on_FAO__digitised_library_of_public_and_private_farms_in_CARICOM

BE-CLME+ Project Activities

The following are the main project activities which have commenced:

Carbon Footprint Assessments

• Regional Consultancy to Conduct a Seafood Value Chain Carbon Footprint Analysis [View TOR | English]

BE Strategies

• National Consultancy to Draft the Blue Economy Roadmap Implementation Plan for the Fisheries Sector in Barbados, including Identification of National Blue Economy Sustainable Financing Options [View TOR | English]
• Consultancy To Conduct A National Blue Economy (Be) Assessment and a Draft BE  Strategy For The Republic Of Panama, Including Identification Of National Sustainable Financing Options For The Blue Economy [View TOR| Spanish | English]

National Data Gap Assessments

• National Consultancies to Analyze Data Needs and Gaps to Inform Marine Spatial Planning

• • Panama [View TOR| Spanish | English]
  • Belize [View TOR | English]
  • Jamaica [View TOR | English]
  • Barbados [View TOR | English]
  • Saint Lucia [View TOR | English] 

Mainstreaming SSF Guidelines

• National Consultancy to provide Capacity Building for Mainstreaming FAO’s Small-Scale Fisheries Guidelines into Value Chains in Caribbean Fisheries [View TOR | English]

>> BACK TO BE-CLME+ Project Page << 

Heads of Government of CARICOM have committed to reducing the Region’s large food import bill by 25% by 2025. The implementation of the CARICOM Agri-Food Systems Strategy in the Member States, is expected to help achieve this target, by giving special attention to priority crops and products which are highly imported products in the region.

"Generally, structural characteristics of our economies have meant that we import more than 60% of the food we eat, with some countries importing more than 80% of the food they eat. Over the period 2018-2020, the CARICOM food import bill was US$13.76 billion or approximately 5% of GDP.”

-- CARICOM Secretariat Secretary-General, Dr Carla Barnett, speaking at the opening of the Caribbean Investment Forum, November 2022

CARICOM's Vision 25 by 2025 Initiative

IS VISION 25 BY 2025?

CARICOM’s Vision 25 by 2025 is a long-term social and economic partnership among Member States, the Regional Private Sector (through the CARICOM Private Sector Organization-CPSO), Regional Organizations, Producer Groups, Development Partners, and Civil Society, which outlines actions and critical areas of intervention to tackle the region’s rising food import bill, improve intra-regional trade, and create wealth and economic opportunities for every CARICOM Member State.

The Special Ministerial Taskforce on Food Production and Food Security (MTF) guides the implementation of VISION 25 BY 2025. The MTF is made up of Ministers of Agriculture from throughout the region who meet monthly to provide guidance on  the transformation of the agri-food system, to one that is resilient, provides attractive and sustainable wealth creation opportunities for potential investors, and guarantees food and nutrition security for the Member States. 

The CRFM - Accelerating Vision 25 by 2025

CRFM Member States export approximately US$295 million worth of fish and other seafood products, but our imports within this category are valued at US$387 million. Intraregional trade accounts for approximately 20% of this overall trade, so there is much room for improvement. To achieve our target in the Fisheries and Aquaculture sector, we need to reduce imports by at least US$78 million, bringing imports to US$235 million.

Several actions have been advanced by the CRFM towards attaining this VISION 25 BY 2025 mandate, to narrow the trade gap between imports and exports, especially through the promotion of intraregional trade, which remains a high priority for our region. 

CRFM MINISTERIAL COUNCIL DECISIONS

Among the matters prioritized by the CRFM Ministerial Council during its 18th regular Meeting held in April 2024 is the mandate by the CARICOM Heads of Government at the Thirty-Third Inter-Sessional Meeting held in March 2022, to reduce region’s food import bill by 25% by the year 2025.

The Ministers recognized the continued support from CARICOM, Member States, the private sector (including fishers and factory processors), regional and international partners to enhance production and trade of fisheries and aquaculture products and to thereby reduce reliance on extra-regional trade.

The Council agreed that a regional project to address the constraints faced by regional marine capture fisheries and aquaculture processors should be developed for submission to potential funders at the earliest opportunity.

Finally, it reiterated its its commitment and support for the efforts of the CRFM/CARICOM Fisheries and Aquaculture Priority Commodity Working Group and Member States to reduce the imports of fish products into the Community by 25% by the year 2025 and to improve food and nutrition security, thereby ultimately improving the social and economic welfare of Caribbean people.

A year earlier, in April 2023, the CRFM Ministerial Council approved the Protocol to the Caribbean Community Common Fisheries Policy on Aquatic Foods as a Strategic Resource for Food and Nutrition Security.

The Ministerial Council also approved resolutions on Addressing the Constraints of Fisheries and Aquaculture as Priority Commodities to Achieving 25 by 25 and on blue economic growth through sustainable seafood value chain development.

The CRFM commenced work in 2023 with the Caribbean Network of Fisherfolk Organisations to develop an action plan to work towards the CARICOM food production goal through increasing sustainable production of fish and other aquatic foods. The Council received and approved the implementation of the CNFO/CRFM Small-Scale Fisheries Action Plan 2023-2025: Contributing to Achieving the 25% Reduction of CARICOM’s Food Import Bill by the year 2025, plan in April 2024.

The CRFM must continue to promote the sustainable development of aquaculture, through new initiatives to advance the implementation of the CRFM’s 5-year Work Plan for Aquaculture Development. This will enhance the contribution of aquaculture to food and nutrition security, job creation, trade, and blue economic growth, and reduce pressure on nearshore fisheries through exploring integrated multi-trophic aquaculture and expanding mariculture.

CNFO/CRFM Small-Scale Fisheries Action Plan 2023-2025

Contributing to Achieving the 25% Reduction of CARICOM’s Food Import Bill

CRFM action is partnering with the Caribbean Network of Fisherfolk Organisations (CNFO) to implement a number of initiatives, including the CNFO/CRFM Small-Scale Fisheries Action Plan 2023-2025. This is a plan that aims to contribute to achieving the 25% reduction of CARICOM’s food import bill by the year 2025. 

The CRFM plays a supportive role in working with the CNFO to secure sustainable fisheries management and development. The CRFM Secretariat, CNFO, and regional development partners have been asked by the CRFM Ministerial Council to develop project proposals for the implementation of the CNFO/CRFM Small-Scale Fisheries Action Plan 2023-2025. The Council underscored the need to promote the development of the CNFO, national fisherfolk organizations, and fishers across the region through networking, representation, and capacity building.

Promising Potential: New Plant Enhancer from Sargassum Seaweed

“Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the cost of fertilizers has skyrocketed, and farmers across the region need more affordable, high-quality fertilizers to improve their yields, especially in the stressful environment brought about by warmer temperatures and drought conditions. Anything that we can do to improve the supply and reduce costs and dependence on imports will be impactful.”

-- Milton Haughton, Executive Director, CRFM Secretariat

We are working towards developing a prototype plant enhancer or biostimulant to boost agricultural production under the regional Sargassum Products for Climate Resilience Project, funded by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. This initiative is being implemented by the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) and the New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited (PFR). The accompanying photo (courtesy M. Haughton) shows the outcome of the greenhouse trial with liquid organic fertilizer derived from Sargassum.

The project has the potential to support a reduction in production costs through substituting for high-cost fertilizer imports. This can also contribute towards Vision 25 by 2025 by supporting agricultural production for increased food production, food security, and food sovereignty.

 Vision 25 by 2025 YouTube Playlist 

The CRFM is seeking a PROJECT COORDINATOR for the CAF/FAO/CRFM/GEF - BE-CLME+ Project: Promoting National Blue Economy Priorities Through Marine Spatial Planning in the Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem Plus.

The CRFM is seeking a suitably qualified Belizean to serve as PROJECT ASSISTANT for the Sargassum Products for Climate Resilience Project.

The CRFM Secretariat is soliciting Calls for Expressions of Interest (EOI) under the Promoting National Blue Economy Priorities Through Marine Spatial Planning in the Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem Plus (BE-CLME+ Project).