KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Ministerial Council of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) has approved a series of resolutions, solidifying 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.
CRFM Council of Ministers chairman Randy Baltimore addressing the Council, flanked by CRFM Executive Director, Dr. Marc Williams (left), and Deputy Executive Director, Dr. Sandra Grant. (CARICOM Photo)Antigua and Barbuda Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Fisheries and the Blue Economy, Randy Baltimore, who chaired the 17th Special Meeting of the Council, said that this year’s theme for Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA), spoke directly to the CRFM’s work.
The CWA is being held under the theme “The New F.A.C.E. of Caribbean Food Systems,’ focusing on Food Security, Agri-Business, Climate-Smart Technologies, and Export Expansion”.
“Fisheries and the blue economy must remain an integral part of each of these pillars. Our fisheries sector contributes not only to food and nutrition security, but also to livelihoods, trade and the economic resilience of our coastal communities,” Baltimore said.
“Yet we continue to face challenges from climate change; marine resource pressures; illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing; and changing market conditions,” he added.
He told the meeting that “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,” he added.
A statement issued following the talks said that the CRFM Secretariat briefed the ministers on status and trends in the sector with CRFM Statistics and Information Analyst, June Masters, informing 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 an estimated 133,000 fishers and 5,000 aquaculture workers.
She said that over the five-year period, 2020-25, each member state reported steady growth in sector employment.
The data also indicated 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 US431milliontoUS856 million, representing growth of 99 per cent. At the same time, though, the total weight of the catch increased less dramatically, by 14 per cent, from approximately 141,000 tons to approximately 160,000 tons.
The statement said that another important highlight of the Council meeting was the approval of three new protocols to the Caribbean Community Common Fisheries Policy (CCCFP), namely the Protocol on Marine Spatial Planning (MSP), the Protocol on Aquatic Foods Traceability, and the Protocol on Combating Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing.
“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,” said CRFM executive director, Dr. Marc Williams.
“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.”
Williams said 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 added.
The CRFM Ministerial Council will also be represented at Friday’s 127th Special Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) – Agriculture, which concludes the 20th Caribbean Week of Agriculture here.
