As COP30 begins in Brazil, bringing together global leaders to address the escalating climate crisis, this short article will focus on a critical and imminent climate tipping point: the potential breakdown of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) and its impacts on Caribbean fisheries and countries. For CARICOM States, which already face existential threats from increasingly powerful hurricanes, sea-level rise, altered rainfall patterns, and destabilization of coastal ecosystems and marine living resources, the demise of the AMOC could have dire and immediate consequences, demanding urgent attention from the international community and national and regional policy-makers. The breakdown of the AMOC, often referred to as a slowdown of the ocean's "conveyor belt," would dramatically destabilize and alter global and regional weather, rainfall, the marine environment, fish stocks, and undermine the national economies, food security, and livelihoods across the region.

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Belize City, Belize, 9 October 2025 (CRFM)— The Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) sealed its first bilateral accord with the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) on Tuesday, September 30, 2025. The signing was executed during the Sixteenth Special Meeting of the CRFM Ministerial Council, held in Saint Kitts and Nevis during Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA)—an annual event convened by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat.

The signatories of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) are Dr. Marc Williams, Executive Director of the CRFM Secretariat, and H.E. Dr. Didacus Jules, Director General of the OECS. Dr. Williams hails the MoU as a pivotal instrument for solidifying and strengthening the established relationship between the CRFM and the OECS—8 of whose members are also members of the CRFM. These countries are Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

H.E. Dr. Didacus Jules, Director General of the OECS (left), with Dr. Marc Williams, Executive Director of the CRFM Secretariat, at the signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding during CWA 2025

(Photo: Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources, Saint Kitts and Nevis)

Dr. Williams said: “For many years, the CRFM and the OECS have collaborated on initiatives to support their respective Member States… The informal relationship has worked well for both the CRFM and the OECS, but there is a need to establish official relations. As a result, the signing of the MoU will initiate a collaboration that will guide and formalize cooperation between the CRFM and the OECS for the execution of related and relevant activities in specific areas of fisheries-related matters.”

Dr. Jules said that the MoU, which spans 2025 to 2028, “represents bringing the collaboration between the OECS and the CRFM to a whole new level. It covers governance and management of fisheries, providing support for further integration in the Blue Economy sector... building resilience, harmonization of safety at sea programs, insurance products for fishers, making available information and guidance to support fisheries research, and joint research initiatives, economic development for fisherfolk and communities... focusing on empowerment of youth and women in the fisheries value chain, agriculture and fisheries linkages, trade markets and business development.”

On September 9, 2025, the CRFM also signed an MoU with the University of the West Indies. On that occasion, Dr. Williams signed for the CRFM, while Professor Carl Justin Robinson, Campus Principal of the University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus, based in Antigua and Barbuda, signed on behalf of UWI.

The CRFM (inaugurated in 2003) and the OECS (established in 1981) strengthen their collaboration with signing of a new MoU.

(Photo: Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources, Saint Kitts and Nevis)

Dr. Williams commented that the 5-year MoU between the CRFM and UWI, which will be executed through the UWI Five Island Campus in Antigua and Barbuda, will foster the establishment of a mutually beneficial relationship for educational and academic collaboration in the areas of mutual interest. These include the blue economy development, marine spatial planning, climate change adaptation, ecosystems resilience, and resource mobilization.

He noted that the Centre of Excellence for Oceanography and the Blue Economy (COBE)—a collaboration between the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, the University of the West Indies, the Commonwealth Secretariat, and the Association of Commonwealth Universities—will support the CRFM in its efforts to advance blue economy development in the Caribbean, in collaboration with regional and global partners.

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Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis, 29 September 2025 (CRFM)—The Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) is convening three hybrid events spotlighting the fisheries and aquaculture sector, this week during the 19th Caribbean Week of Agriculture. The annual event, held under the auspices of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat, opened at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort on Monday, 29 September 2025.

Hon. Samal Duggins, host Minister for CWA 2025 and the upcoming 16^th Special Meeting of the CRFM Ministerial Council, addressing the audience at the opening of CWA 2025 in Saint Kitts and Nevis

Host Minister for the weeklong event, Honourable Samal Duggins, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Marine Resources, said in his remarks: “Our region has not always given agriculture the priority it deserves. Too often, it has been seen as a sector of last resort, rather than being recognized as a pillar of sovereignty and a pillar of growth. For too long, our farmers and our fishers—the true heroes of food security—have carried the heaviest of these burdens with too little recognition and too little support.”

He added that, “This week must be remembered as the moment when we moved from words to deeds, the moment we moved from intentions into deliberate actions… Let us leave with commitments rooted in the soil, reflected in our oceans, and lived in the homes of our people.”

On Tuesday, September 30, 2025, Minister Duggins will host the 16th Special Meeting of the CRFM Ministerial Council, which will be chaired by Honourable Kyle Hodge, Anguilla’s Minister of Economic Development, Industry, Commerce, Lands, Planning, Water, and Natural Resources.

Chair of the CRFM Ministerial Council, Honourable Kyle Hodge of Anguilla (right), with Undersecretary in the Ministry of Agriculture & Marine Resources, The Bahamas, Mr. Montez Williams

The agenda of the CRFM Ministerial Council focuses on items such as the status and trends in fisheries and aquaculture production, trade, and employment; initiatives to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing; a new grievance redress mechanism for the CRFM; a regional training and capacity needs assessment being undertaken by the CRFM with support from GRÓ-Fisheries Training Programme (FTP), under the auspices of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), as well as south-south cooperation with China.

The Ministers will also receive updates and provide policy guidance on regional initiatives to address climate resilience and blue economic growth. These include the Global Affairs Canada-funded Sustainable Technologies for Adaptation and Resilience in Fisheries (STAR-Fish) Project; the GEF/CAF/FAO/CRFM BE-CLME+ Project: Promoting National Blue Economy Priorities through Marine Spatial Planning in the Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem Plus (BE-CLME+); and the New Zealand Bioeconomy Science Institute: Plant and Food Research Group/CRFM Sargassum Products for Climate Resilience in the Caribbean Project.

Also on Tuesday, September 30, starting at 1:00 p.m. in the Saint Kitts (Plenary) Room at the Marriott, the Ministers will be invited to join stakeholders and partners, in person and online, at the final event being implemented under the Sargassum Products for Climate Resilience in the Caribbean Project: the Sargassum Seminar titled, From Sargassum to Biostimulant: Sowing Change and Harvesting Resilience.

Then on Wednesday, October 1, starting at 1:30 p.m. in the Dominica Room, the CRFM will partner with the Department of Marine Resources and the National Fisherfolk Organization of Saint Kitts and Nevis to convene the Caribbean Small-scale Fisheries & Aquaculture Forum.

Both technical events—the seminar and forum—will be held in hybrid format, and interested persons can either attend in person or online. Registration is still open via the CRFM’s website (crfm.int).

Finally, the CRFM, through the Canada-funded STAR-Fish project, will mount a renewable energy exhibit at the 30th Agri Open Day & Marine Expo to be held at the Royal Basseterre Valley National Park, Kim Collins Highway, on Thursday, October 2 and Friday, October 2, 2025.

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(Photos and video footage courtesy Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources, Saint Kitts and Nevis)

 REGIONAL CONSULTANCY TO IDENTIFY VALUE CHAIN CAPACITY NEEDS AND GAPS

Belize City, Belize, 8 July 2025 (CRFM)—Fish trade, fisheries-related crimes, and a new environmental and social safeguard policy were among key matters on the agenda of the Ministerial Council of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), which convened its 19^th Regular Meeting virtually on Friday, 4 July 2025.

The Council—which is comprised of Ministers responsible for fisheries, aquaculture, and the blue economy from 17 CRFM Member States—elected Honourable Kyle Hodge, Anguilla’s Minister of Economic Development, Industry, Commerce, Lands, Planning, Water, and Natural Resources, as the new Chair.

The newly elected chair of the CRFM Ministerial Council - Honourable Kyle Hodge of Anguilla

(Photo: Government of Anguilla)

Hon. Hodge said: "we will forge resolutely ahead with... actions aimed at ensuring safe, healthy and fair working and living conditions for over half-million fishers, fish workers, and others employed across our fisheries and aquaculture value chains."

“It is a distinct honor for Anguilla to take up this mantle of Chair from The Turks and Caicos Islands. We have very important work to do over the next year, as we continue to chart the way forward for this regional authority for fisheries and aquaculture across the Caribbean Community,” Minister Hodge said.

“As Ministers responsible for fisheries, we will forge resolutely ahead with promoting the efficient management, conservation and development of the region's living marine resources; developing and maintaining relations with national, sub-regional, regional, and international partners that share our vision and mission for sustainable Caribbean fisheries; as well as supporting actions aimed at ensuring safe, healthy and fair working and living conditions for over half-million fishers, fish workers, and others employed across our fisheries and aquaculture value chains,” he added.

The fisheries sector lies at the heart of a vibrant Caribbean blue economy, which operates within a dynamic international legislative and policy landscape that impacts fish trade in the Caribbean—and by extension both national and regional economies. The Council deliberated upon the implications of the listing of the queen conch under the United States Endangered Species Act (ESA). It also deliberated upon strategies for securing Caribbean trade amid measures arising under the US Marine Mammal Protection Act, the US Import Provisions & High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act, the US NOAA Fisheries Seafood Import Monitoring Program, and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Strategy on Reduction of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions from Ships.

The CRFM has played an active role in regional and international initiatives to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and other fisheries-related crimes. The Council received updates on the efforts made by the CRFM Secretariat and Member States to address fisheries-related crimes, including efforts through the global Blue Justice Initiative and the Blue Justice Caribbean Hub, based in Jamaica. They also received updates on interventions led by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), as well as a new partnership with the Caribbean Community Implementing Agency for Crime and Security (CARICOM IMPACS) and Auxilium Worldwide.

The Ministers approved the CRFM’s new Environmental and Social Safeguard Policy, which will serve as a guiding framework to manage environmental and social risks and ensure compliance with relevant national, regional, and international safeguard principles and standards.

They also approved the CRFM Strategy for Mainstreaming Biodiversity into Regional Fisheries Management. This document signals the commitment of CRFM Member States to ensure that marine biodiversity and environmental protection are integrated into fisheries management.

The CRFM expresses its sincerest gratitude to Hon. Josephine Olivia Connolly, former Minister of Tourism, Environment, Fisheries and Marine Affairs, Culture and Heritage, Agriculture and Religious Affairs, of The Turks and Caicos Islands, for her stellar service as Chair of the Council for the 2024 Programme Year. We also welcome her successor, Hon. Zhavargo Jolly, who became the new Minister of Tourism, Agriculture, Fisheries & Environment in the Turks and Caicos Islands in February 2025.

The Council is scheduled to hold an in-person meeting in October 2025 at Caribbean Week of Agriculture, to be convened by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat in Saint Kitts and Nevis. 

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Belize City, Thursday, 19 June 2025 (CRFM)—The Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) is moving full speed ahead with the implementation of the Canada-funded STAR-Fish Project: “Sustainable Technologies for Adaptation and Resilience in Fisheries.” This CAD 4 million initiative is designed to increase clean energy transition in Caribbean fisheries and aquaculture while building resilience, by addressing the need to improve competitiveness and unleash key economic drivers.

This month, the CRFM Secretariat welcomed two highly experienced project staff: Mr. Sherrón Barker – Regional Project Coordinator, and Mrs. Daintyann Barrett-Smith – Environmental and Social Safeguards Specialist.

"The STAR-Fish Project represents an important opportunity to drive innovation and sustainability in Caribbean fisheries. I am honoured to support our partners in delivering real progress on climate resilience, gender equity, and clean energy transition in this critical sector for our region’s economies and communities," Mr. Barker said.

He joined the CRFM Secretariat in Belize City in February 2025, as the Environmental and Social Safeguards Officer under another regional initiative – the GEF/FAO/CRFM BE-CLME+ Project titled, “Promoting National Blue Economy Priorities Through Marine Spatial Planning in the Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem Plus.” He previously worked as Project Manager for the Sustainable Seabed Knowledge Initiative, at the International Seabed Authority in Jamaica from 2023 to 2024.

In his new role as the Regional Project Coordinator for the STAR-Fish Project, Mr. Barker will oversee and coordinate the implementation of STAR-Fish. He also holds responsibility for planning, implementing, and ensuring the delivery of timely and quality project outputs.

Complementing his work, Mrs. Barrett-Smith will assess environmental and social risks, recommend solutions, ensure compliance with the relevant environmental and social safeguard policies and standards, as well as provide technical support for the implementation of the project and its activities. She will also lead the development of an environmental and social screening checklist for the project. She is furthermore tasked with identifying mitigation and corrective measures which may be required by the project. Of note is that Mrs. Barnett-Smith has also been retained to fill the role vacated by Mr. Barker as the Environmental and Social Safeguards Officer for the BE-CLME+ Project.

In 2024, Global Affairs Canada (GAC) approved the implementation of STAR-Fish—a four-year project which was developed by the CRFM to address climate resilience in the Caribbean. The Government of Canada, through Global Affairs Canada, has donated CAD 4 million to the project, while the CRFM has committed CAD 324,000 in counterpart funding. Although this project is being implemented in countries eligible for Official Development Assistance (ODA)—namely Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Suriname—the CRFM Secretariat is committed to ensuring that other Member States across the region garner as many spin-off benefits as possible.

The fisheries sector consumes energy across its value chain, particularly for fish processing—cooling, cleaning, drying, and freezing. The STAR-Fish Project seeks to demonstrate that energy costs can be substantially reduced by transitioning to renewable energy technologies. The project intends to ultimately increase clean energy transition in Caribbean fisheries and aquaculture by applying a gender-responsive approach to its interventions, as it supports the certification of low carbon or carbon neutral fisheries in the region and facilitates technical collaboration and knowledge exchange.

The STAR-Fish Project is pivotal for the advancement of the CRFM’s 2022-2030 Strategic Plan. It particularly supports the attainment of Strategic Goal 4, which envisions “Increased use of renewable energy and energy efficient harvesting, processing, and cold storage systems, and reduction of the region’s reliance on fossil fuels in fisheries and aquaculture.”

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About Global Affairs Canada:

Global Affairs Canada (GAC)—under the leadership of the Minister of Foreign Affairs; the Minister of International Trade; the Minister of Canada-U.S. Trade, Intergovernmental Affairs; and the Secretary of State of International Development—is responsible for advancing Canada’s international relations, including, inter alia: developing and implementing foreign policy; fostering the development of international law, international trade and commerce; and providing international assistance (encompassing humanitarian, development, and peace and security).

4 June 2025, Dominica--The Regional Seminar for the Project for Strengthening Sustainable Use and Management of Coastal Fisheries Resources in the CARICOM Countries (COASTFISH) has just concluded in Dominica after two days of spirited engagements.

Hon. Jullan Defoe, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Blue and Green, Economy, Dominica, welcomed the attendees during the opening ceremony held yesterday.

The purpose of the regional seminar was to disseminate the outputs, achievements, good practices and lesson learned across several project activities which focused on strategies and actions to achieve co-management as a tool for resource management and for fostering better livelihoods. The ultimate goal is to further expand the co-management approach established during the project to the wider Caribbean, in line with the overall project goal.

The COASTFISH Regional Seminar brought together fishers and fisheries officials from the project's six participating countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Two experts from the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) Secretariat, Dr. Sandra Grant - Deputy Executive Director and Dr. Maren Headley - Programme Manager, Fisheries Management and Development, provided integral technical support and delivered presentations during the course of the two-day event. Dr. Joeli Veitayaki, University of South Pacific, delivered a lecture on "The role of co-management in Fisheries Association in South Pacific Country," while Dr. Mitsutaku Makino, University of Tokyo, delivered a lecture on "Tool Box in Blue Economy in the Fisheries."

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.

Here are some highlights:

• Among the pilot activities were the construction, deployment, and monitoring of artificial reefs designed to boost the recruitment of juvenile species such as the spiny lobster in nearshore marine environments. An important link to the tourism sector was also showcased through the use of artificial reefs as a dive attraction, and highlighted intersectoral linkages within the blue economy.

• Countries also piloted the construction of fish pots with biodegradable panels to reduce ghost fishing, the use of zinc anodes to combat fish trap corrosion, and the application of pop-up tags to deter theft of fish pots.

• The project further supported activities in sea moss farming and processing, including the development of value-added sea moss products.

• Fish preservation techniques, such as fish salting and product marketing were also promoted. In addition, a lionfish derby and culinary initiatives featuring lionfish recipes aimed to raise awareness and promote the consumption of this invasive species were undertaken.

• To support data-driven management of marine resources, a juvenile queen conch abundance survey was conducted to assess current population levels and inform fishery management strategies.

• Capacity-building was a key component of the project, with training provided in fish processing, product development, facility management and also dive certification for fishers.

• Coral gardening activities were also implemented, contributing to habitat restoration amid growing threats such as coral bleaching and disease.

• In keeping with its commitment to inclusivity, the COASTFISH Project piloted gender mainstreaming initiatives to increase the participation and leadership of women in the fisheries sector.

The success of these pilot initiatives highlights the value of regional collaboration and innovation in strengthening coastal communities and ensuring the long-term sustainability of marine resources in the Caribbean, using a co-management approach and highlighting the roles of fishers.

Closing remarks were made by Mr. Hisashi Suzuki, Deputy Director General of JICA, Dominican Republic who noted the successful outcomes of the project. Mr. Andrew Magloire, the project consultant, praised the excellent collaboration of all the partners.

On behalf of its Member States, the CRFM Secretariat thanks the Government and people of Japan for the support provided to the region through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). 

Saint Vincent and Grenadines, 12 May 2025 (CNFO)—The National Fisherfolk Organisation in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), with the Caribbean Network of Fisherfolk Organisations (CNFO), is implementing a workshop: “Promoting fisher-led implementation of SSF Guidelines in the Caribbean Region." Partners are Sandals Resorts International (SVG) and CSFUND. The workshop is being held from May 12-13, 2025 at the Sandals Resort's conference room in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

The CNFO has participated in the development of both the Caribbean Community Common Fisheries Policy (CCCFP) and the global policy, the Voluntary Guidelines on Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the context of food security and poverty eradication (or the SSF Guidelines). 

The network was instrumental in having the SSF Guidelines enshrined into the first protocol of the Caribbean Community Common Fisheries Policy. Although the SSF guidelines is imbedded within the fisheries policy of the Caribbean Community, there is limited focus on active implementation while SSF fishers are increasingly being challenged by NGO agendas, climate change, ecosystem degradation, marine protected areas (MPAs) and marine spatial planning (MSP), and so called “Blue Economy” initiatives. 

The objectives of this meeting are:

• Build awareness and understanding of regional and global fisheries policy, namely the Caribbean Community Common Fisheries Policy, and the Voluntary Guidelines on Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the context of food security and poverty eradication;
• Develop draft advocacy plans for fishers to address major concerns;
• Develop draft plans for fisher-led implementation of the SSF Guidelines;
• Build awareness of the CNFO’s Regional Code of Conduct;
• Fisheries value chain discussions; and
• Marketing of fish in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

The National Fisherfolk Organisation in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines joins the regional network in spearheading the active implementation of these policy documents, as one of the means to improve fishers’ lives in the region. The SSF Guidelines place the people (small-scale fishers) at the centre of development in a clearly synergistic manner with the Sustainable Development Goals.

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PRESS CONTACT:
NAME: Winsbert Harry
PHONE: +1 (784) 495-2008
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About CNFO: The Caribbean Network of Fisherfolk Organisations (CNFO) is a regional network of small-scale fisherfolk and their organisations operating across the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). The network is committed to the realization of profitable and sustainable fisheries that support fisherfolk's livelihoods, promote effective ecosystem-based management of fisheries resources, contribute to food security for Caribbean communities, and increase resilience to risks, including climate change. For more information on CNFO, see: https://cnfo.fish/.

Disclaimer: This press release was shared by the Caribbean Network of Fisherfolk Organisations, and the views expressed herein are those of the CNFO and not necessarily those of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism.

Belize City, Tuesday, 29 October 2024 (CRFM)—Caribbean ministers responsible for Fisheries, Aquaculture, and the Blue Economy held fruitful deliberations during the 18th Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA), convened by the CARICOM Secretariat in partnership with the host country—Saint Vincent and the Grenadines—from 7 – 11 October 2024. The 14th Special Meeting of the Ministerial Council of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) concluded with a firm commitment to improve climates-smart blue economic growth from the marine living resources and tackling the state of fisheries and aquaculture in the Caribbean through expanded production across the 17 CRFM Member States, to improve food security and jobs. At the conclusion of the week’s events, representatives of the CARICOM Member States convened the 115th Meeting of the CARICOM Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED), which endorsed significant decisions to strategically accelerate blue economic growth, including aquaculture transformation in our region.

Mr. Milton Haughton, Executive Director, Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) Secretariat; Honourable Josephine Olivia Connolly, Minister of Tourism, Environment, Fisheries and Marine Affairs, Culture and Heritage, Agriculture and Religious Affairs, The Turks and Caicos Islands – Chair of the CRFM Ministerial Council; and Mrs. Kathy Lockhart, Acting Director of Fisheries, The Turks and Caicos Islands – Chair of the Caribbean Fisheries Forum of the CRFM (Photo: CRFM Secretariat)

“These meetings of regional policy-makers were a crucial opportunity to address some of the most pressing challenges in the blue economy and fisheries sector. The decisions we made will help to protect marine ecosystems while supporting food security and the livelihoods of those who depend on our coastal and marine resources,” said Honourable Josephine Olivia Connolly, Minister of Tourism, Environment, Fisheries and Marine Affairs, Culture and Heritage, Agriculture and Religious Affairs, The Turks and Caicos Islands – Chair of the CRFM Ministerial Council, in an official statement following the CRFM meeting.

The CRFM Ministerial Council sets the policy direction of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism, and it is the highest decision-making body of the organization. The Council is comprised of ministers from the 17 Member States of the CRFM. (Photo: CRFM Secretariat)

During its 14^th Special Meeting, the CRFM Ministerial Council deliberated upon priority policies and actions needed to advance the work of the CRFM and its Member States, building upon the decisions made during the 18th Regular Meeting of the CRFM Ministerial Council held in April this year.

“Our previous meeting in April 2024 saw significant progress with the adoption of the resolutions that have helped guide our work... We have the opportunity to further advance these initiatives and solidify our commitment to ensuring the sustainability of our marine resources,” Minister Connolly told her fellow ministers at the start of their deliberations.

The Ministers held extensive discussions following a presentation by the CRFM Secretariat on the status and trends of the fisheries and aquaculture sector in the CARICOM region, which indicated that for the most recent reporting period (2021/2022), domestic production (which excludes high seas fisheries production) stood at approximately 158,000 metric tonnes, valued at US $575 million. Aquaculture accounts for 6% of this production (8,777 tonnes), while marine capture fisheries in areas under the national jurisdiction of Member States accounts for the remainder.

Honourable Saboto S. Caesar, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Rural Transformation, Industry and Labour, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, highlighted the need for priority attention to be given to boosting production and productivity across the region, particularly from the under-utilized and unutilized resources beyond the coastal waters.

“What percentage of our marine economy is left unharvested that should be harvested, and how [are] we going to set about having an increase in production and productivity to lift our numbers?” he questioned, noting the need for the successes of Member States [such as Grenada in developing their tuna fisheries and Saint Lucia in boosting sea moss aquaculture], to be quickly replicated across the region.

“Grenada is a shining example of what can happen in longline fishing for tuna from a micro-state. Grenada is in the OECS [Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States]; Grenada is in CARICOM; Grenada is covered by the CRFM—so is Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Dominica, and the others around the table! Jamaica, for example, did excellent work in aquaculture. Saint Lucia has done excellent work with sea moss production, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, we are trying to model what we're doing from Saint Lucia...” Minister Caesar added.

Mr. Milton Haughton, Executive Director, Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) Secretariat, noted that growth in aquaculture and the blue economy requires targeted and strategic policy actions and investments. These actions include (i) strengthening capacities at the CRFM Secretariat, the National Fisheries Administrations and private sector of Member States to provide the leadership and expertise needed to steer blue economic growth, including aquaculture development; (ii) mobilizing resources from multilateral and bilateral donors as well as private sector partners to provide the finances and investments needed to modernize the sector and realize blue economic growth; (iii) enhancing regional and national policy and legal and institutional frameworks to incentivize and support the envisioned transformation; and (iv) address biosecurity controls and other technical and marketing challenges to minimize the risk of losses and to build a profitable, resilient and sustainable sector. These necessary actions have been incorporated by the Ministers into the resolutions passed at the conclusion of their deliberations.

Haughton noted that the Caribbean lags far behind in aquaculture production, although globally aquaculture produces most of the seafood (including fish) that people eat. He added that aquaculture production today is mostly done in the marine environment—called mariculture, which is the ideal approach for Caribbean countries, most of which have limited land spaces and freshwater availability but large ocean spaces.

The Ministers requested that the CRFM prioritizes the development of aquaculture regionally and that it prepares a modernization strategy with technical support from a cadre of aquaculture experts from across the region, including persons comprising the CRFM Working Group on Aquaculture.

Another major development discussed during the 14th Special Meeting of the Ministerial Council is the innovative work being done by the CRFM and the New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Ltd, under the New Zealand-funded Sargassum Products for Climate Resilience in the Caribbean Project, to utilize Sargassum, which is a valuable marine resource, to develop a viable and safe biostimulant to enhance plant growth. This initiative to valorize Sargassum was the showpiece of one of the CRFM’s technical events at CWA 2024, held under the theme: Climate Smart Agriculture for a Sustainable Future.

“We have worked with our partners in the region to design a process that gets rid of [virtually all] of the heavy metals, and we have been able to produce this biostimulant that tested and performed very well in the greenhouse and initial field trials with farmers. The field trials are wrapping up, but the initial findings indicate that it has contributed very well to plant growth,” Haughton said.

“This is a win-win situation. We are still at the early stages. We have the product now, and we will be doing further development work in Jamaica with a private sector partner, where we will set up a pilot production plant. We hope that the pilot commercial type operation will demonstrate a viable and efficient production process that will produce a good organic-based fertilizer from… Sargassum that has been a problem and a challenge for us. Fertilizer is a required input by farmers, and it is very expensive. If we can produce an effective fertilizer/bio-stimulant from Sargassum that can help reduce the high import bill of fertilizer, that would be good for our farmers and help to achieve our goal of reducing the region’s large food import bill,” he added.

The Ministers also provided guidance for the development of a CARICOM Regional Strategy for Mainstreaming Global Biodiversity Considerations in Fisheries and Aquaculture Policies and Practices, which should be returned to them for their review and approval at their next meeting due in April 2025.

They also reviewed the progress being made under the GEF/CAF/FAO/CRFM BE-CLME+ Project: Promoting National Blue Economy Priorities through Marine Spatial Planning in the Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem Plus, and provided guidance on the way forward to advance several regional initiatives, including a new project funded by Global Affairs Canada titled, Sustainable Technologies for Adaptation and Resilience in Fisheries or the STAR-Fish Project.

To round out their work, the Ministers addressed the need for the CRFM to facilitate strengthened disaster recovery from hurricanes and other severe weather events, such as Hurricane Beryl, a major hurricane which struck several Caribbean islands, including Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados, Saint Lucia, and Jamaica, in July 2024.

Apart from the Special Meeting of the Ministerial Council, the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism hosted two hybrid public events at CWA 2024, with a focus on Promoting Climate-Smart and Resilient Fisheries and Aquaculture for Food Sovereignty & Food Security, and a Sustainable & Profitable Future. The Sargassum Seminar on Supporting Climate-Smart Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Agriculture through Product Innovation was held on Wednesday, 9 October 2024, in partnership with Plant and Food Research of New Zealand; while the Caribbean Small-Scale Fisheries & Aquaculture Forum took place on Tuesday, 8 October 2024, at the same venue.

The CRFM Secretariat also partnered with the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Fisheries Services to showcase their work, aimed at strengthening the Fisheries and Aquaculture sector, at the CWA 2024 Tradeshow and Expo which ran the entire week, from 7 – 11 October, at the Kingstown Cruise Ship Terminal.

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CONSULTANCY TO DEVELOP A BUSINESS CASE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF FISH SILAGE AND ITS DERIVED PRODUCTS IN BARBADOS