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

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Recommended Strategies to Protect Parrotfish Populations in Barbados

Christopher Parker and Shelly-Ann Cox

Fisheries Division, Bridgetown, Barbados
Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  

ABSTRACT

Parrotfish are considered ecologically keystone species that play key roles as grazers, agents of bio-erosion of calcareous substrate, sediment production and transport in coral reef ecosystems and shoreline stabilisation. Recent reported declines in populations of some parrotfish species on Barbadian reefs due to several anthropogenic factors, has raised understandable alarm resulting in calls to significantly reduce or completely ban fishing of parrotfish. This of course will have significant impacts on the livelihoods of the many people involved in the island’s reef fisheries especially given the high commercial and cultural value of parrotfish more commonly known locally as ‘chubs’. Relevant scientific information on this issue is critically examined in this paper and a recommended holistic strategy is proposed to protect parrotfish populations while selectively mitigating the social and economic impacts on the more vulnerable participants in the reef fisheries that harvest parrotfish. The first overarching recommendation is that selective protection of parrotfishes or any subset of species in the family (i.e., corallivorous or non-corallivorous) is not supported. Instead, it is recommended that the focus should be on reducing fishing pressure on all reef fish species eliminating the incidences of wasteful ghost fishing and physical damage to reefs caused by the fishing activities. A co-management approach is recommended as being essential in the implementation of adaptive management measures that are grounded in participatory action research. This approach engenders buy-in, cooperation and effective compliance with a “carrot” rather than the “stick” approach, as is considered vital to the success of these initiatives.

HOW TO CITE: Parker, C. and S-A. Cox, 2026.  Recommended Strategies to Protect Parrotfish Populations in Barbados. Contribution 6.11, p485-492 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=941

 POWERPOINT

VIDEO PRESENTATION 

FULL SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATION

Download CRFM Special Publication No. 37:

Proceedings of the CRFM 20^th Anniversary Scientific Conference

Volume I: Technical Papers

Volume II: National Reports 

 KEY LINKS

Scientific Conference Home Page

Scientific Conference Proceedings Page

Explore all 20^th 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.

 CRFM Review - relevant developments re FADS