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Website URL: http://www.crfm.net

 

Belize City, August 27, 2014:  The Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) will on September 5, 2014 give oral arguments to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) in Hamburg, Germany in response to a request for an advisory opinion on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing in African waters.

ITLOS, which is made up of 21 Judges, including two from the Caribbean, namely, Judge Dolliver Nelson (Grenada), and Judge Anthony Amos Lucky (Trinidad and Tobago), is hearing oral submissions from States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and International Organisations with an interest in the subject.

Professor Pieter Bekker

Legal Counsel for the CRFM, Professor Pieter Bekker of Dundee University, UK (photo left) will join representatives of nine (9) countries and the SRFC, the European Union (EU), and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) in presenting oral arguments.

Milton Haughton, Executive Director of the CRFM, noted: “The hearing is as important to the Caribbean as it is to the States that have sought advice, as it could set significant precedents for the way illegal fishing is dealt with in the future, particularly regarding the liability of flag States for IUU fishing conducted by their vessels.”

He continued: “IUU fishing is a multi-billion dollar enterprise that inflicts great economic and environmental harm on States that are victims, especially developing countries such as CARICOM countries, with limited capacity for monitoring, control and enforcement of their fisheries laws.”

The SRFC is seeking advice in response to four questions:

1) What are the obligations of the flag State in cases where illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities are conducted within the Exclusive Economic Zone of third party States?

2) To what extent shall the flag State be held liable for IUU fishing activities conducted by vessels sailing under its flag?

3) Where a fishing license is issued to a vessel within the framework of an international agreement with the flag State or with an international agency, shall the State or international agency be held liable for the violation of the fisheries legislation of the coastal State by the vessel in question?

4) What are the rights and obligations of the coastal State in ensuring the sustainable management of shared stocks and stocks of common interest, especially the small pelagic species and tuna?

The Case was initiated on March 28, 2013, when the Sub-Regional Fisheries Commission (SRFC) representing seven African States sought the Tribunal’s assistance regarding IUU fishing by vessels registered in foreign States within waters under the national jurisdiction or control of its members and on the High Seas.  The SRFC includes Cape Verde, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Senegal, Sierra Leone and the Gambia.

The arguments in Case 21 can be viewed via live Web stream through the ITLOS Web site (www.itlos.org).

 

Belize City, July 30, 2014 (CRFM Secretariat)—Globally, aquaculture is a multi-billion-dollar industry, but the Caribbean has yet to tap into its true potential to expand marine and fresh water aquaculture.  The good news is that a recently concluded study will provide the necessary foundation for a region-wide programme to harness more from the culture of fish and other fisheries products.

 Milton Haughton, Executive Director of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), emphasizes that, “Aquaculture has the potential to make greater contribution to economic and social development of the Caribbean, provided that appropriate policy frameworks and incentives are provided for stakeholders in the sector.”

The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (2014), published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, said that world food fish aquaculture production expanded at an average annual rate of 6.2 percent in the period 2000–2012 (and 9.5 percent in 1990–2000), from 32.4 million to 66.6 million tonnes, with growth being relatively faster in Africa (11.7 percent) and Latin America and the Caribbean (10 percent). 

In 2008, only 2.9 percent of fishers and fish farmers were in Latin America and the Caribbean, according to FAO stats. That is because the aquaculture sector is not well developed in the CARICOM region. Significant development has been limited to countries like Jamaica and Belize, but other countries like Guyana, Haiti, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago have begun to put more emphasis on aquaculture as an area for development.

“The practices mainly involve the use of ponds to culture such species as penaeid shrimp (Penaeus spp.), tilapia (Oreochromis spp.), carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus, Hypophthalmichthys nobilis, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and cachama (Colossoma macropomum). Also, there is long line culture for algae (Eucheuma spp. and Gracelaria spp.) in St. Lucia and the mangrove oyster (Crassostrea rhizophorae) in Jamaica,” the CRFM notes. 

The CRFM has identified the promotion and development of aquaculture as one of its priority programme areas and it has identified the formulation of aquaculture development policy and legislation as key areas for attention.

As a part of the initiative, the CRFM has established a new Aquaculture Working Group which will be tasked with identifying bottlenecks and constraints to aquaculture development and make proposals to the Caribbean Fisheries Forum, the technical and advisory arm of the CRFM, and the CRFM Ministerial Council, for addressing these constraints.

The Aquaculture Working Group will promote sustainable aquaculture development at the national and regional levels. The Group will also advise countries on policies, programmes and projects which would help promote the development of aquaculture.  

The objective is to increase food production and security, improve rural income and employment, diversify farm production, and increase foreign exchange earnings and reduce the high food import bill.

The Working Group is also tasked with promoting market and value-added product research to improve the marketing and trade of fish and fish products from the aquaculture sector.
 
The Group will also assist CRFM Member States with developing feasibility studies, socio-economic analyses, policy, planning and project formulation. It will promote interdisciplinary research on selected aqua-farming systems, with the intent of adapting and or improvement of technologies, and for the development of new technologies that are environmentally suitable/appropriate and the utilization of renewable energy sources.

The Aquaculture Working Group will assist in the development of programmes for the promotion of the participation of women and youth in the aquaculture industry/sector at all levels.  It will also promote the transfer of appropriate aquaculture technologies and techniques developed at the national and regional levels, and assist CRFM Member States to strengthen their national aquaculture agencies/organizations.

Aquaculture experts from CRFM Member States, the private sector, international aquaculture experts, as well as institutions which focus on the aquaculture development at the national and regional levels, such as UWI and FAO, will form a part of the new Working Group.

The Working Group will hold regular electronic meetings in between annual face-to-face annual meetings. The first face-to-face Meeting of the CRFM Aquaculture Working Group will be held at the Grand Coastal Hotel in Guyana from July 31 to August 1, 2014, with funding provided by The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA) .  The upcoming Workshop will review and finalize a Regional Study and Five-Year Action Plan for aquaculture development in the region.

 

Saturday, 26 July 2014 21:48

Youth Interns Produce New Feature Video

 Our Time Interning at the CRFM Secretariat

For starters, CRFM is the acronym for Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism. That was the first bit of knowledge that I accquired on my internship. The CRFM is an organization that promotes the proper use of the Caribbean’s fisheries and other aquatic resources for the economic and social benefit of current and future generations.

AsherMy experience as an intern at CRFM was quite informative as it required me to learn more about the fishing industry, such as the socio-economic impacts of the fishing industry, new careers that can be found in the fishing industry and the many benefits of eating fish. Who knew the many benefits of consuming fish?

I can recall reading a CRFM publication stating that fishes are powerhouses for nutrition. They sport twenty percent of our daily protein and are rich in vitamins and trace elements that the body requires. Also they are low in sodium and fat which makes them even healthier. Furthermore, consuming fish helps with brain development. 

None of this would be possible if one day our fish stocks were to become depleted. This is where CRFM steps in, to promote sustainable fishing, and proper management of our aquatic resources.

-- Asher Canto, Student, St. John’s College Junior College, Belize City, Belize

 

PhillipMy time interning with the CRFM Secretariat was a very good experience. While there I was able to learn more about the work that they do at the CRFM and how it makes a difference throughout the CARICOM member countries.

Most of my time was spent helping to update their website. For example, I added new documents to it that were related to the various projects that they are involved in. Also, I aided in making a video to help to increase awareness about the opportunities and challenges in fisheries and its related issues to the young people of the country of Belize. The video will be on the CRFM's YouTube channel.

-- Phillip Haughton, Student, Lee University, Tennessee, USA

 

 

 

KaylaI, Kayla Enriquez, worked at the CRFM Secretariat for a week (26 June to 2 July 2014). It was truly a great experience for me to engage in the internship. Working with two other youths gave me a chance to connect with other people my own age and meet new people.

I was able to give my service to the CRFM in a project by putting together pictures and a video featuring several interviews. I basically assisted with the technological aspect of things. We created a mini-documentary of how youths see the fishing industry and what they can do to be a part of it and to help improve it.

This was a very interesting and eye opening experience for me, because I was closed-minded to this industry, unaware of how much fishes impact our lives. After this experience I will definitely try my very best to improve my health and eat fish more often. I am truly grateful for the experience and hope that whenever another opportunity comes up that I can help.

-- Kayla Enriquez, Student, St. John’s College Junior College, Belize City, Belize

 

 




 

BELIZE CITY, Tuesday, April 22, 2014 (CRFM)—In the face of new and emerging challenges—such as climate change adaptation and disaster risk management, and food and nutrition insecurity—Caribbean countries are strengthening collaborative effort which they hope would maximize their initiatives to further drive down poverty rates within fishing communities and improve food and nutrition security, while ensuring that they take advantage of modern technological avenues to add dollar-value to the fisheries resources that are a source of livelihood for nearly 200,000 fishers across the region.

It is in this vein that heads of national fisheries authorities from the seventeen (17) member states of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), as well as observers and partner agencies, will converge at the 12th Meeting of the Caribbean Fisheries Forum, the technical, advisory arm of the CRFM, on Wednesday, April 23, 2014, at Fort Young Hotel in Roseau, Dominica.

  Honourable Dr. Kenneth Darroux, Dominica's Minister of the Environment, Natural Resources, Physical Planning and Fisheries, is scheduled to deliver the keynote address, at this auspicious gathering of fisheries managers and stakeholders from across the region.

 The Caribbean Fisheries Forum will discuss plans for the region to adopt the Caribbean Community Common Fisheries Policy – a progressive legal instrument which is ready for endorsement by Caribbean Heads of Government.

The country representatives will also look at the advancement of the region in implementing the Castries (St. Lucia) Declaration on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing, including the recent conclusion of a Prosecution Manual and the companion Standard Operating Procedure Manual for Caribbean states, and a regional strategy to strengthen monitoring, control and surveillance systems.

The Forum will be updated on the progress of technical activities being undertaken by the CRFM Secretariat, its member states and network partners. For example, the technical team will review the Pilot Program for Climate Resilience (PPCR), supported by the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank, as well as joint action to strengthen the conservation and management of important fisheries such as the spiny lobster, queen conch and flyingfish.

Finally, they will formulate recommendations on the way forward, for consideration by the Ministerial Council, due to meet on May 23, 2014 in Dominica.

At the 11th Forum Meeting held in Barbados a year ago, the fisheries managers contributed greatly to the development of the newly adopted Information Communications Technology (ICT) Strategy for the CRFM, as well as the Independent Performance Review and Strategic Plan for 2013-2021 for the regional fisheries body.

CRFM Executive Director, Milton Haughton underscored the importance of the upcoming meeting of CRFM states and regional development partners.

"We will have thorough discussion on several key issues in fisheries and aquaculture and reach consensus on the way forward in improving the contribution fisheries make to the region's social and economic development," Haughton said. "We will review the progress made over the past year and discuss concrete initiatives to strengthen conservation and management of key fish species and ecosystems through cooperative actions, innovative development and value addition in the sector, as well as promote policy and institutional reforms and capacity-building initiatives to achieve sustainable growth of aquaculture and fisheries."

The CRFM Executive Director concluded by saying that "...this meeting will provide expert guidance and intellectual support to strengthen regional cooperation in fisheries in the coming years."

 

 

CRFM Secretariat, Belize City, Wed. 25 June 2014—The Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) Secretariat in Kingstown, St Vincent and the Grenadines, hosted the 10th Annual Scientific Meeting from June 10 to 17, 2014. Thirteen CRFM Member States: Anguilla, Belize, Grenada, Dominica, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, The Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago, and Turks and Caicos Islands, participated in this year’s meeting.

photo 2The meeting benefitted from technical support provided by Professor John Hoenig, Consultant, Professor of Marine Science at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science; Nancie Cummings, Fisheries Expert at US National Marine Fisheries Service; Professor Hazel Oxenford from the Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies, UWI, Cave Hill campus; and Dr. Paul Medley, International Fisheries Consultant from the UK.

In its efforts to build the Caribbean's capacity for the statistical analysis of fisheries data, so as to improve on the information base available for informed fisheries management decisions, the Secretariat facilitated training for twelve persons under the activities of the CRFM Data, Methods and Training Working Group. This Working Group initiated efforts to identify and agree upon the ten most important commercial fisheries in the region to be analysed or assessed in the future, and for which the management performance will be monitored and evaluated on a regular basis.

The group also committed to updating national fisheries sampling plans to improve the quality of the data available for fisheries analyses and stock assessments in the coming years, and provided recommendations for further training and use of available ICT tools to share information on best practises in the use of statistical software for fisheries analyses.

Under the auspices of the Pelagic Fisheries and Reef and Slope Fisheries Working Groups, data were analysed for the scad fishery in Dominica, the dolphinfish fishery in St Lucia, the large pelagic fishery in Grenada and St Vincent and the Grenadines, the pelagic fishery in St Kitts and Nevis, the longline fishery in Trinidad and Tobago, the reef fishery in Anguilla, the needlefish fishery in Montserrat, the mutton snapper fishery in Belize, and the Queen Conch fishery in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

The Reef and Slope Fisheries Working Group also developed specific weight conversion factors for the Queen Conch in Belize and the Bahamas, to fulfil trade requirements under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. The Working Group intends to conduct further analyses in the inter-sessional period. It also reviewed and endorsed the 2013 assessment of the Pedro Bank (Jamaica) Queen Conch fishery and the respective, estimated total allowable catch, and it provided scientific inputs to a proposed draft regional declaration for the management, conservation and sustainable use of the spiny lobster.

photo 1Fisheries Working Group reviewed and endorsed the rules developed for management of the Guyana seabob fishery. The group considered specific measures to improve data collection and monitoring of the fishery, as well as to address issues of by-catch in trawl gear.

In support of Guyana’s attempts to boost trade through ‘sustainable fishery certification’ by the Marine Stewardship Council, the Continental Shelf 

Data collection, quality control, data preparation for analysis, and analytical methods were the general areas highlighted for attention during the inter-sessional period. Specific priority areas include improving the quality of regional data for the blackfin tuna, in support of the CRFM’s contribution to the 2015 stock assessment to be conducted by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas; improving data collection systems to facilitate the implementation of the Sub-regional Fisheries Management Plan for the Eastern Caribbean Flyingfish endorsed by the CRFM Ministerial Council on 23 May 2014; developing a data collection and information system for fisheries which use fish aggregating devices; and collecting and analysing data on the lionfish. Training of data collectors, improvements in national data collection programmes and stakeholder awareness building on the importance of data collection were other critical areas identified for attention.

Regional scientists, following the intensive one-week period, returned to their respective countries with a renewed sense of commitment and dedication to begin work during the inter-sessional period in preparation for next year’s scientific meeting. In keeping with international best practice, the outputs of the meeting will be posted on the CRFM’s website (www.crfm.int) and shared nationally and regionally with a range of stakeholders, including decision makers associated with the fishing industry.

photo 4

ROSEAU, Dominica, May 24 (CRFM)--Caribbean fisheries ministers have agreed on an urgent action plan by CARICOM’s Climate Change and Fisheries agencies to save Caribbean coral reefs – worth an estimated five billion dollars – in a bid to stem more than 100 million dollars in annual losses to the region's economy.

The ministers and officials on the Ministerial Council of the 17-nation Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) on Friday, May 23, 2014, endorsed a Regional Coral Reef Plan of Action at the council’s eighth meeting held here at the Fort Young Hotel.

diversMore than three-quarters of Caribbean coral reefs are either severely stressed or are close to dying, due to local threats, including pollution and sediment runoff, which make them less resilient to climate change and warming waters.

Research indicates that failure to reverse the current trend will lead to annual losses of US$95 - $140 million as more reefs lose the battle to provide a home for fisheries to spawn, protect shores from waves and storm surges, and provide tourist attractions.

It is estimated that the Caribbean’s coral reefs offer the region benefits totalling US$3.1 - $4.6 billion dollars annually.

star fishThe aim of the plan is to strengthen coordinated action to protect, conserve and manage the region’s important ecosystems, said CRFM’s executive director Milton Haughton.

Haughton told ministers and other senior government representatives from Anguilla, Barbados, St. Kitts and Nevis, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and host country Dominica, that healthy coral reef ecosystems are critical to both the tourism and fisheries sectors and by extension, the livelihoods and well-being of coastal Caribbean communities and societies.

The preparation of the Regional Plan of Action was coordinated by the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre, with funding and technical assistance provided by the Government of Australia and Australian Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.

Speaking ahead of the signing of the plan of action by Chairman of the Belize-based CRFM, Haughton said: “The overall intention of these initiatives is to ensure that the living marine resources of the region are managed and protected in such a way that they are able to make optimum sustainable contribution to the region’s economic and social development.”

Speaking at the signing, Lydia Bezeruk, First Secretary in Development Cooperation with the Trinidad-based Australian High Commission, stressed the importance of engaging stakeholders and primary users of the reef.

“It is very difficult to convince someone who has responsibility for family, who may be poor, that it’s better to save something for the future,” she said. “So it’s really a case of trying to bring about the awareness and education but also providing them with alternative livelihoods. That was a particular strategy noted in the plan as well.”

The next stage of the plan is execution and Mr. Haughton said the current challenge is funding and capacity for implementation.

“The regional Climate Change Centre has been engaged with the Germans and we’re hoping to get some initial seed funding from them to begin implementing some aspects of this plan,” he said.

Immediate past chairman of the Ministerial Council, Barbados’ Minister of Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and Water Resource Management, Dr. David Estwick, suggested that the CRFM needs to reposition itself in order to cushion the impact of the current economic crisis facing the Caribbean.

“The challenge to the CRFM is to make sure it adapts to its present environment in order to succeed,” he said. “This will require thinking outside the box and hence adapting to this new environment will require change in the present structure and processes in order to be successful.”

Estwick suggested that the organisation embraces current technology to cut down on the cost of communications, build and reinforce partnerships, form and develop new linkages, source more funding for training, develop appropriate infrastructures, be more flexible, act as a change agent and be part of the decision-making process.

Dominica’s Minister of the Environment, Natural Resources, Physical Planning and Fisheries, Dr. Kenneth Darroux, who has succeeded Dr. Estwick as chair of the CRFM Ministerial Council, lauded the CRFM for its work.

“I must commend the CRFM Secretariat for doing a tremendous job,” he said.

 (Photos of divers and starfish courtesy ACP Fish II)

BELIZE CITY, BELIZE, MAY 24 (CRFM)--A historic Flying Fish Fisheries Policy has been endorsed by the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism’s (CRFM) Ministerial Council.

The Sub-Regional Fishery Management Plan for the Eastern Caribbean Flying Fish Fishery was approved at the council’s just concluded eighth meeting held at the Fort Young Hotel in Roseau, Dominica.

The CRFM’s Executive Director Milton Haughton (photo below) says it is the first time the Caribbean has approved a joint management plan for the shared resource. 

Milton Haughton Executive Director CRFM Secretariat“This is a significant development because this is the way we need to go in order to strengthen the governance arrangements for the shared resources, so this is a first step,” he said.

Haughton says the plan is necessary for the entire region but particularly Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, St. Vincent, St. Lucia and Dominica, which depend on the marine resource.

“Flying fish is shared by these countries. Six CARICOM states, plus the French Department of Martinique, exploit the flying fish at this time. These countries need to come together and together decide on the measures that they would put in place to ensure sustainable utilization, proper management and conservation of this fishery,” he added.

Haughton said this is important so that fishermen can have decent livelihoods, and ensure optimum production for food security and external trade.

Meanwhile, immediate past chairman of the Ministerial Council, Barbados’ Minister of Agriculture, Dr. David Estwick, says a pending fishing agreement between Barbados and Trinidad is being considered by the Barbados’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He explained that because it is a foreign trade issue, the agreement does not lie with his ministry.

“I believe very strongly that the interaction of the various ministers of fisheries [should] allow, therefore, a portal through which you can get into the cabinet and get up to the Prime Ministers, but that is not the way it is structured,” he said.

Dr. Estwick continued: “Within the exclusive economic zone and given that we don’t have the classical 200-mile space sometimes delimiting both countries, I really believe that at the ministerial level, that level of minister-to-minister discussion could resolve a whole lot of this set of delimitations and set the environment for truly having access to the marine space and the resources within that marine space without forming encumbrances.”

Haughton says that with the Sub-Regional Fishery Management Plan for the Eastern Caribbean Flying Fish Fishery now endorsed at the council level, the next step is implementation.

The management plan for the flying fish was prepared with the assistance of FAO/WECAFC, the CLME Project and CERMES-UWI.

 

Thursday, 22 May 2014 12:33

Fisheries ministers to meet in Dominica

BELIZE CITY, BELIZE, Thursday, May 22, 2014 (CRFM)--Fisheries ministers from member states of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) will meet at Fort Young Hotel, in Roseau, Dominica, on Friday, May 23, 2014, for the Eight Meeting of the CRFM Ministerial Council.

 

According to CRFM's Executive Director, Milton Haughton, the first sub-regional fisheries management plan (FMP) to facilitate co-operation in the conservation, management and sustainable use of the flying fish resources shared among countries in the Eastern Caribbean, recently endorsed by the Caribbean Fisheries Forum, will be presented to the ministers for their review and endorsement. It is anticipated that the Council will sign an accompanying resolution approving the Plan.

 

The meeting is also expected to approve a Regional Coral Reef Plan of Action aimed at strengthening coordinated action to protect, conserve and manage these important ecosystems and secure their contribution to the regional development. Healthy coral reef ecosystems and their fisheries are central to the health of the Caribbean Sea and the wellbeing of coastal communities and Caribbean societies. The preparation of the Regional Plan of Action was coordinated by the Climate Change Centre with funding and technical assistance provided by the Government of Australia and Australian Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.

 

It is also anticipated that the meeting will serve as a vital forum to promote the signing of the Caribbean Community Common Fisheries Policy by Heads of Government of Caribbean member states.

 

The ministers will also be updated on the progress of technical activities being undertaken by the CRFM (the Secretariat, member states and network partners) and provide guidance on the way forward in coordinating the CRFM’s work in the region. They will discuss progress on initiatives to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the region and provide further direction to the countries and regional institutions to intensify efforts in this critical area.

 

The ministerial meeting’s agenda also calls for a look at the sustainable use and management of key fisheries resources in the region, as well as fisheries policy, legislation and institutional development. Ministers will also review current activities being undertaken through the CRFM's Statistics and Information Programme, as well as human resource development and capacity-building activities. Finally, the Caribbean fisheries ministers will receive an update on projects and activities of strategic partners, as well as the CRFM's work plan and budget for 2014-2016.

 

 

Friday, July 20, 2012—In an effort to advance best practices in fisheries management and development across the wider Caribbean, fisheries officials from 6 member countries of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) will converge for a special technical meeting at the Conference Room of the Fisheries Division in Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, from Wednesday, July 25, to Friday, July 27, 2012.

                The meeting will be facilitated by the CRFM Secretariat and experts of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The first ‘Good Practices’ workshop held in February focused on fish quality assurance and the marketing of fish and fish products.

                “This second JICA/CRFM Good Practices Workshop will serve to bring together some of the key stakeholders and partners in the fisheries sector of the region to share experiences, success stories and lessons learned in some of the critical areas for sustainable fisheries development,” said Terrence Phillips, Programme Manager, Fisheries Management and Development CRFM Secretariat, and CRFM’s coordinator for the workshop.

                Nariaki Mikuni, JICA’s Senior Fisheries Expert, Latin America and the Caribbean Department and JICA’s coordinator for the Workshop, said that the goal of fisheries management and development is to ensure both profitability and sustainability. The purpose of Japan’s collaboration, Mikunu said, is to improve fisheries infrastructure and technology in the region to help achieve this end.

                During the three-day workshop, senior fisheries officers, as well as fisherfolk leaders from Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines will explore modern principles and best practices for fisheries management.

                Prior to the workshop, country representatives were asked to prepare case studies highlighting best practices in their country. For example, Dominica will present its work to improve management of the pelagic fishery using the fish aggregating device (FAD), as well as the pot fishery, including efforts to reduce ghost fishing or the accidental capture of fish by non-selective gear. The St. Lucian participant will present on the Soufriere Marine Management Area (SMMA) as a model for integrated coastal management approaches. Participants will also hear from Dr. Yugraj Singh Yadava, Director of the Bay of Bengal Programme (India), about the lessons learned from the promotion of fisheries co-management in the Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem.

                “These case studies should contribute to improving knowledge and fostering greater collaboration among the stakeholders in the conservation and co-management of important fisheries at the local, national and regional levels,” Phillips commented.

                Apart from coming up with best practices that will be shared regionally with other CRFM, CARICOM and CARIFORUM member states, the participating countries are also expected to outline strategies for the formulation and implementation of action plans to improve the management and long-term sustainable use of their respective fisheries and marine ecosystems.

 

Saturday, 05 April 2014 23:44

Caribbean leaders sharpen fisheries focus

Wednesday, June 21, 2012 --Member countries of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) now have a more focused agenda for improving sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, coming out of the 6th Meeting of the CRFM’s Ministerial Council, hosted on Friday, June 15, in Nassau, The Bahamas.

 

Outgoing chairman of the Ministerial Council, Minister Hilston Baptiste of Antigua and Barbuda, urged the incoming chairman to provide strong and decisive leadership so that the CRFM would remain relevant to the needs of the region.

 

“If we are to continue to benefit from the resources of the sea, we have an imperative to do all in our power to protect our resources for the many livelihoods which depend on them,” said the new chairman of the CRFM Ministerial Council, Hon. V. Alfred Gray, recently appointed Minister of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Local Government in The Bahamas. In his opening address, Minister Gray noted that fisheries contributes 2% of the Bahamas' national GDP, employs more than 12,000 Bahamians, with lobster alone generating more than US$75 million in export earnings each year.

 

CRFM Executive Director Milton Haughton, who has worked in fisheries management for over 25 years, noted the results of numerous studies that have confirmed the health benefits of eating fish each week. He pointed to brain development in children and brain health in adults; as well as a lower risk of asthma, dementia, depression and inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, stroke and heart disease.

 

During their daylong deliberation, Ministerial Council members reiterated their commitment to regional cooperation, and enhancing the role of the CRFM Secretariat and the operation of the Caribbean Fisheries Forum, made up of Chief Fisheries Officers and Director of Fisheries. They also thanked FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) for agreeing to assist with a performance review of the CRFM, and a new Strategic Plan to guide the work of the organization for the next 10 years.

 

Highlighted were the need for coordinated regional action to control the negative impact of the invasive lionfish on marine ecosystems and fish stocks; and the negative impact of unprecedented large quantities of Sargassum seaweed that inundated the waters and coastline of the Eastern Caribbean Islands in the latter half of 2011. The meeting noted with grave concern the reappearance of the seaweed this year and urged Member States to monitor the situation closely and take preparatory action to minimize disruption to fisheries and other economic activities in the coastal areas, should the phenomenon also pose a problem this year.

 

The 6th Meeting of the Council also addressed the development of a strategy and action plan on disaster management and climate change for fishing communities, and actions to better mitigate impacts on marine resources and livelihoods of fishers and fishing communities.

 

 The Fisheries Ministers received and endorsed recommendations aimed at reducing poverty and vulnerability in fishing communities arising from a regional study on poverty in fishing communities done with technical support from Spain. The recommendations of a study to prepare a master plan for sustainable use of coastal resources, undertaken with technical assistance from Japan, were also endorsed.

 

 The Council also agreed on the establishment of a Working Group on Aquaculture to spearhead the expansion of aquaculture development (including mariculture) in the region, and a Working Group on ICCAT (International Commission for Conservation of Atlantic Tunas), to improve coordinated regional involvement of CARICOM countries in the activities of ICCAT, aimed at sustainable management of tuna and tuna-like species.

 

 The Council urged Member States to strengthen the implementation of international fisheries instruments, as well as their national legislation to help combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in the region.

 

 In light of international developments, the ministers called upon members to review the new FAO Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (2009), and the International Labour Organisation (C-188) - Working in Fisheries Convention (2007), to determine whether these could assist in improving fisheries in the region.

 

 They thanked their development partners such as JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency), FAO, Government of Spain, European Union, CTA, AusAID, CLME (Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem Project), Government of Iceland and the United Nations University Fisheries Training Project, IBD/World Bank Pilot Project on Climate Resilience, IOI/Dalhousie University, University of Florida Sea Grant, and the US SEFSC/NMFS for their contributions to fisheries.

 

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