Trelawny, Jamaica, 29 September 2026 (CRFM)—The Ministerial Council of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) convened its 17^th Special Meeting at the Ocean Coral Spring Resort in Trelawny, Jamaica, on Monday, 28 September 2026, during the 20^th Caribbean Week of Agriculture. Under the chairmanship of Antigua and Barbuda, the Ministers responsible for fisheries, aquaculture, and the blue economy approved twelve resolutions, solidifying their decisions regarding the future policy direction of the region’s fisheries and aquaculture sector with respect to data and information, marine spatial planning, traceability across seafood value chains, and illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

Delegation heads from CRFM Member States at the end of the 17th Special Meeting of the Ministerial Council in Jamaica (Photo – CRFM Secretariat) 

In his opening remarks, the Chair of the CRFM Ministerial Council, Hon. Randy Baltimore, Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Fisheries and the Blue Economy, Antigua and Barbuda, said that this year’s theme for Caribbean Week of Agriculture, ‘The New F.A.C.E. of Caribbean Food Systems,’ focusing on Food Security, Agri-Business, Climate-Smart Technologies, and Export Expansion, speaks directly to the CRFM’s work.

“Fisheries and the blue economy must remain an integral part of each of these pillars,” Minister Baltimore said. “Our fisheries sector contributes not only to food and nutrition security, but also to livelihoods, trade and the economic resilience of our coastal communities. Yet we continue to face challenges from climate change; marine resource pressures; illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing; and changing market conditions.” 

Minister Baltimore addressing the Council, flanked by CRFM Executive Director, Dr. Marc Williams (left), and Deputy Executive Director, Dr. Sandra Grant. (Photo – CARICOM Secretariat) 

The CRFM Secretariat briefed the Ministers on status and trends in the sector. CRFM Statistics and Information Analyst, Mrs. June Masters, informed the Council that the most current regional data indicate that over half-a-million people are employed in the sector across the 17 CRFM Member States, including approximately 133,000 fishers and 5,000 aquaculture workers. She reported that over the five-year period spanning 2020 to 2025, each Member State reported steady growth in sector employment.

Meanwhile, the data indicate that the total ex-vessel value of fish produced by the region’s domestic fleet, representing the prices that fishers receive directly for their catch across over 30,000 vessels, almost doubled, presumably due to increased market prices. Mrs. Masters said that over the five-year period, this value increased from US$431 million to US$856 million, representing growth of 99%. At the same time, though, the total weight of the catch increased less dramatically, by 14%, from approximately 141,000 tons to approximately 160,000 tons.

Representatives from Haiti, the host country – Jamaica, and Montserrat were among the policymakers who attended the Special Council meeting. (Photo – CARICOM Secretariat)

This is the backdrop against which the Ministerial Council discussed policies and the strategic direction of the sector, as well as the capacities of the CRFM Secretariat and its Member States to steer the sector’s sustainable growth and development. They deliberated on a recently concluded training and capacity needs assessment conducted by the CRFM in partnership with GRÓ Fisheries Training Programme under the auspices of UNESCO. The Council, which had commissioned the assessment, committed to taking prompt action to help bridge the capacity gaps.

Another important highlight of the Council meeting was the approval of three new protocols to the Caribbean Community Common Fisheries Policy (CCCFP). These are the Protocol on Marine Spatial Planning (MSP), the Protocol on Aquatic Foods Traceability, and the Protocol on Combating Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing.

Reflecting on this milestone, CRFM Executive Director, Dr. Marc Williams, said: “Adopting these three new protocols marks a major step toward strengthening the governance, sustainability, and economic resilience of the Caribbean’s fisheries and marine resources. Together, the new CCCFP protocols on marine spatial planning, aquatic foods traceability, and combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing give our Member States stronger regional frameworks to manage competing uses of our ocean space, build confidence and transparency in Caribbean seafood, and protect our fisheries from illegal activities.”

He added that these protocols also help safeguard the livelihoods of legitimate fishers, improve market access, strengthen food and nutrition security, and ensure that the benefits derived from our marine resources are shared sustainably.

“Importantly, these protocols demonstrate the Caribbean Community’s commitment to moving from policy to coordinated action and to building a modern, integrated, and resilient fisheries governance system. Our objective is clear: to protect the Caribbean’s fisheries and ocean resources while creating greater economic opportunities and securing their benefits for present and future generations,” Dr. Williams concluded.

In closing the Special Meeting of the Council, Minister Baltimore said: “Our countries face many shared challenges, but each also brings valuable experience and ideas to the table. I ask that we continue to learn from one another, share approaches that work, and follow through on the decisions made here. That is how we will build a stronger fisheries sector and a blue economy that creates lasting benefits for our fisherfolk and coastal communities.”

The CRFM Ministerial Council will also be represented at this Friday’s 127^th Special Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) – Agriculture, which concludes the 20^th Caribbean Week of Agriculture in Jamaica.

DIGIFISH: Data Driven Solutions to Inform Decision Making

Richéda Speede¹*, Shelly-Ann Cox²*, Vernel Nicholls³, Veta Wade⁴, Jen Cole⁴, Ché Greenidge⁵, Juan Carlos Marti⁶, Kelvin Carter⁷, Adriel Jackman²; Corresponding author*: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  

Blue Shell Productions¹; Fisheries Division, Bridgetown, Barbados²; Barbados National Union of Fisherfolk Organisation (BARNUFO)³; Pelagic Data Systems⁴; Barbados Environmental Conservation Trust⁵; Remora Fishing Traceability⁶; Mr. Fish Inc⁷

ABSTRACT

DigiFish aims to promote the use of digital technologies and innovative data analytical methods to support the application of the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (EAF) in Barbados. Phase 1 of DigiFish is being implemented by Barbados National Union of Fisherfolk Organisations (BARNUFO) and Blue Shell Productions in collaboration with the Barbados Environmental Conservation Trust and Pelagic Data Systems (PDS). This initiative piloted the installation of 30 PDS vessel tracking devices on small-scale vessels in Barbados to illustrate how fishing effort changes through space and time. The pilot demonstrates how vessel tracking systems can be used to make informed decisions about how fisheries can be best managed to balance diverse societal and environmental objectives while improving livelihoods. It also aims to foster productive partnerships between industry stakeholders, the Coastal Zone Management Unit (CZMU) and Barbados Coast Guard (BCG) in applying integrated data solutions to support fisheries management and MSP. This pilot is now being replicated in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Phase 2 of DigiFish aims to address the fragmentation of seafood value chains and promote traceability by transforming landing sites into intelligent spaces. The project seeks to pilot the installation of 40 Remora Vessel Monitoring Devices (VMS) aboard longline vessels and station two Smart Scales in the Bridgetown Fisheries Complex. The data intelligence and visualization platform will compile the data collected to determine catch location, calculate fishing effort, analyze landings, and begin the traceability certification process. These same data are also relevant for eco-labels related to the premium growing market of responsibly-caught fish. This phase is being implemented by Blue Shell Productions in collaboration with Remora Fishing Traceability and Mr. Fish Inc. In this paper, we provide an overview of the initiative, present a data analytics summary, and offer recommendations for sustaining and scaling up this initiative across the Caribbean. 

HOW TO CITE: Speede, R., S-A. Cox, V. Nicholls, V. Wade, J. Cole, C. Greenidge, J. C. Marti, K. Carter, and A. Jackman, 2026.   DIGIFISH: Data Driven Solutions to Inform Decision Making. Contribution 3.6, p159-171 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=911

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