As Barbados’ youngest Chief Fisheries Officer, Shelly-Ann Cox helped connect policy, science and the realities of fishing communities, contributing to more sustainable and resilient fisheries in Barbados and across the Caribbean.

Shelly-Ann Cox worked to keep people at the centre of fisheries, connecting the sustainable management of marine resources with the livelihoods and resilience of the communities that depend on them.

Photo © Courtesy of Barbados' Fisheries Division

On any given day, Shelly-Ann Cox could have been found where the work of fisheries mattered most: alongside the people whose livelihoods depended on the sea.

She understood that fisheries was never simply boats, fish and the ocean. It was about families putting food on the table, communities nurturing cultural identity and safeguarding heritage, sustaining livelihoods, and a country protecting the marine resources that would sustain generations to come.

As Barbados’ youngest Chief Fisheries Officer, Shelly-Ann Cox worked to make that future more secure. Her work focused on sustainable fisheries management, responsible aquaculture, climate resilience and stronger coastal communities, bringing together fisherfolk, government agencies, regional institutions and international partners to help ensure that the Caribbean’s aquatic resources could continue to nourish its people.

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