The CRFM is seeking a suitably qualified Belizean to serve as PROJECT ASSISTANT for the Sargassum Products for Climate Resilience Project.
The Project Assistant will play a strong supporting role to the Executive Director in the planning, management, implementation, scheduling, monitoring, coordinating activities and reporting on the project. While he/she will constantly seek advice and direction from the Executive Director and Programme Manager, Fisheries Management and Development, he/she must have the knowledge, skills and maturity to work independently to carry out the duties and responsibilities of the position.
Duties and responsibilities include:
• Help to coordinate involvement of project team members, partner organizations, Member States and other service providers to achieve project objectives;
• Monitor and ensure effective collaboration, consultation and exchange of information and good communication among project partners, stakeholders and collaborators;
• Prepare and manage progress reports, schedules, and financial reports and budgets;
• Help with preparation of contracts and monitors progress of consultants and stakeholders involved in project implementation;
• Carry out administrative duties by collecting data, sorting, filing and sending out project information to project partners, stakeholders in the countries and collaborators.
The vacancy will remain open until filled.
View full details here.
Belize City, Wednesday, 5 April 2023 (CRFM)—The Caribbean Fisheries Forum, the technical and advisory arm of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), convened its Twenty-first Meeting earlier this week, on 3 – 4 April 2023. The Forum—which is made up of the heads of national fisheries departments and divisions of the CRFM countries, stakeholders, and regional and international development partners—focused on advancing sustainable management, conservation and development of the region’s fisheries and aquaculture sector.
Forum seeks to accelerate blue economic growth and resilience from the marine living resources in the waters of CARICOM countries
The Executive Director of the CRFM, Milton Haughton, said: “The Forum discussed and agreed on a number of very important actions to strengthen governance and management of the fisheries sector as we move forward to realize our collective vision of a future of profitable, sustainable fisheries and aquaculture industries, thriving and resilient fishing communities, underpinned by healthy ecosystems and marine biodiversity and driven by the application of science, technology, innovation and entrepreneurship of our people.”
He added that, “It is imperative at this time that we accelerate development and implementation of the policy, legal and institutional reforms and make the investments needed to realize the full potential of our marine and other aquatic resources for sustainable development of our countries, and to provide adequate food, decent jobs, and a better quality of life for our people in the region.”
The gathering addressed a range of regional challenges and opportunities, including building the sector’s resilience to environmental and economic shocks, improving food security, strengthening regional and international trade, and the state of the fisheries resources. They also discussed implementing the recently concluded World Trade Organization (WTO) Fisheries Subsidies agreement and the Post 2020 Global Biodiversity Framework adopted by the 15th Meeting of the Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, as well as collaboration with international development partners and donors, training, and capacity building in the public and private sector. Furthermore, they discussed blue economic development, including the initiation of the GEF-funded BE-CLME+ Project (Promoting National Blue Economy Priorities Through Marine Spatial Planning in the Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem Plus), which is valued at approximately USD 47 million.
A healthy and resilient Caribbean fisheries underpins a vibrant sector that feeds families across the Caribbean (Photo: CRFM)
Also high on the Forum’s agenda was the need to reduce disaster risk and improve the climate resilience of the fisheries and aquaculture sector, as well as the persistent Sargassum influxes—which are forecasted to be the largest ever recorded for this region this year—through the development of innovative climate resilient products to bolster economic growth, under the New Zealand-funded project being implemented by the CRFM and Plant and Food Research Limited of New Zealand, in collaboration with other regional partners.
The Forum, which supports the CRFM Ministerial Council with the development of regional policies and decisions, also finalized the text of a new regional protocol to the Caribbean Community Common Fisheries Policy, focused on the Role of Fish and Seafood as a strategic resource for food and nutrition security in the region. The formulation of this policy is timely, as the CRFM and other CARICOM bodies make a concerted effort to reduce the region’s food import bill by 25% by 2025.
The Forum also finalized the text of a regional policy document aimed at preventing Abandoned, Lost or otherwise Discarded Fishing Gear (ALDFG), and the CRFM’s collaboration with the Global Ghost Gear Initiative to address the problem, which adversely affects the marine environment and ecosystems. Efforts to address illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing and transnational organized crime, which use fishing as a cover for illegal maritime activities, were also discussed. The Forum noted the contributions of the CRFM and Member States to an international effort to develop voluntary guidelines for transshipment, under the auspices of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Mrs. Nerissa Lucky, Director of Fisheries (A.G.), Trinidad and Tobago –
chair of the Caribbean Fisheries Forum, 2023-2024 (Photo: CRFM)
For the past year, Suriname has served as Chair of the Caribbean Fisheries Forum. At the start of the Forum meeting, a new chair was elected, and Mr. Zojindra Arjune, Deputy Director of Fisheries, Suriname, handed over the leadership of the Forum to Mrs. Nerissa Lucky, Director of Fisheries (A.G.), Trinidad and Tobago. The Turks and Caicos Islands was elected as vice chair.
During its 21st Meeting, the Caribbean Fisheries Forum formulated a set of policy recommendations for action by the CRFM Ministerial Council, comprised of Ministers responsible for Fisheries and Aquaculture from the 17 CRFM Member States, when they meet near the end of April.
– ENDS –
"Climate change and ocean acidification pose significant threats to fish production on top of the many other pressures, such as overfishing, habitat degradation, pollution and invasive species—all undermining our food and nutrition security..."
-- Mr. Milton Haughton, CRFM Excecutive Director
Published Thursday, 4 August 2022 by the CRFM Secretariat
The Executive Director of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), Mr. Milton Haughton, has underscored the need for access to financing and technology in addressing the threats which climate change pose to Caribbean fisheries and aquaculture. In addressing the Latin America and the Caribbean Climate Week 2022 (LACCW) side event in July on Anticipating climate risks and preventing disaster: climate resilient development pathways in Latin America and the Caribbean, he emphasized the need to build partnerships as well as capacity at the local and community levels. He also spoke of the need to pursue an integrated approach to implementing and mainstreaming the best practices developed over the years to improve resilience and empower coastal communities.
Mr. Haughton expressed concern that adverse climate change impacts will inevitably result in reduced availability of fish for local consumption and export—compounding the threats that already confront the fisheries and aquaculture sector.
"Climate change and ocean acidification pose significant threats to fish production on top of the many other pressures, such as overfishing, habitat degradation, pollution and invasive species—all undermining our food and nutrition security," he stated.
The CRFM Executive Director also stressed the need for CRFM Member States to take the whole-of-government approach, rather than a siloed approach to combating these myriad challenges and threats arising from climate change. The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has placed a high priority on supporting climate change adaptation and mitigation, as well as disaster risk management across the Community. In this regard, in 2005, the CARICOM Heads of Government established the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC). The CRFM maintains a close partnership with the CCCCC as well as the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), in addressing adaptation to climate change and disaster risk management in the fisheries sector. Furthermore, the CRFM works closely with several other key partners, including Member States, donors, local civil society and NGOs, to develop and implement best practices.
In 2018, the CRFM’s policy-makers, the Ministerial Council, adopted the Protocol on Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Management in Fisheries and Aquaculture, an important protocol to the Caribbean Community Common Fisheries Policy (CCCFP) which promotes cooperation and collaboration among Caribbean people, fishers and governments in conserving, managing, and sustainably using fisheries and related ecosystems, as well as improving the welfare and livelihood of fisherfolk in the region. Another key instrument is the CRFM’s Regional Strategy and Action Plan for Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Management in Fisheries and Aquaculture (2020-2030) .
Mr. Haughton noted that at the national level, several CRFM Member States have developed climate change policies and strategies, providing a roadmap at the national level to address the problems arising from climate change.
Fisherfolk in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines received equipment obtained through the CRFM Secretariat under the CIF/IDB Pilot Program for Climate Resilience - Caribbean Regional Track.
He also highlighted several projects that the CRFM has been involved with, which address the issue of climate change. These include the Climate Change Adaptation in the Eastern Caribbean Fisheries Sector Project (CC4FISH) and the Caribbean Fisheries Co-management Project (CARIFICO), which promoted the development and deployment of Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) capable of withstanding category 5 hurricanes, thereby reducing damaging impacts to the environment, including ghost fishing.
The CRFM was also integrally involved in the IDB Pilot Program for Climate Resilience (PPCR) - Caribbean Regional Track, which was funded by the Climate Investment Fund (CIF). The CRFM Secretariat coordinated the marine sub-component of the Regional Project, which was executed by the Mona Office for Research and Innovation (MORI) at the University of West Indies, Jamaica. The CRFM coordinated the development and testing of the Fisher Early Warning and Emergency Response (FEWER) Moobile App in collaboration with UWI. The CRFM is partnering with CDEMA, in an effort to expand the reach and uptake of this tool and scale up its benefits across the region.
The CRFM’s collaborative work has extended to the mainstreaming of the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF)—a very important parametric insurance arrangement to help counter the impacts of adverse weather events and other natural disasters affecting the fisheries sector—and the roll-out of the Caribbean Ocean and Aquaculture Sustainability Facility (COAST)–an innovative climate risk insurance mechanism to promote food security; livelihoods of fisherfolk; resilient fisheries; sustainable management of coastal infrastructure; and disaster risk reduction in the Caribbean.
The CRFM has also supported the expansion of the Caribbean’s Coral Reef Early Warning System (CREWS) Network , through which stations have been installed in some Caribbean countries with support from the CCCCC.
The most recent initiative of the CRFM is being implemented in partnership with the Government of New Zealand through Plant and Food Research Limited. The Sargassum Products for Climate Resilience Project seeks to turn the large swaths of Sargassum seaweed that have been inundating Caribbean beaches and coastal waters annually since 2011, into commercially viable products that would provide new opportunities for enterprise, livelihoods, employment and economic growth.
To access the body of CRFM documentation on climate change adaptation and disaster risk management, visit the CRFM Portal . You can also register to become a member of the portal.
#CaribbeanFisheries #climatechange #LACCW #CRFM
© 2022 Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism
Belize City, Friday, 15 July 2022 (CRFM)—Delegations from the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) and Plant and Food Research Limited (PFR) of New Zealand have concluded a month-long tour in the Caribbean, including Cancun, Mexico, to gain firsthand knowledge of how the region has been coping with the persistent Sargassum problem. Incidentally, the mission was taking place as Sargassum influxes for the month of June hit a new historical record, underscoring the urgency of scaling up collaboration and private-public partnerships to convert Sargassum into economically viable, climate resilient products.
The CRFM contingent, comprised by Mr. Milton Haughton - Executive Director, Dr. Sandra Grant - Deputy Executive Director, Dr. Maren Headley - Programme Manager, Fisheries Management and Development, and Mrs. Beverley Sutherland - Project Coordinator, was joined by PFR’s Head of International Development - Dr. Suzie Newman, and her team: Ms. Rosie Paterson-Lima - Program Manager International Development, Mr. Wilson Huang - Senior Commercial Manager, and Dr. Mario Alayon - Scientist & Development Engineer.
This tour marks an important milestone in the New Zealand-funded Sargassum Products for Climate Resilience in the Caribbean project, which seeks to mitigate the environmental and economic impacts of Sargassum seaweed influxes in affected Caribbean countries through the creation of inclusive value chains. The partners are now transitioning from phase 1, which involved raw material safety testing and harvesting operations review, to phase 2, which will focus on product and process development for Sargassum-derived products. Following the mission, the team is accessing the information gathered to formulate a plan of action for phase 2.
The first leg of the mission took the CRFM and PFR teams to Barbados, where they met with Hon. Adrian R. Forde, Rph. - Minister of Environment, National Beautification and the Blue and Green Economy and senior Government officials with responsibility for Blue Economic Growth and Fisheries, individuals from the private sector, and representatives of the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), the University of the West Indies’ Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies (UWI-CERMES), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), between June 8-10, 2022.
Subsequently, the mission traveled to Saint Lucia, where they also met with Hon Jeremiah Norbert, Deputy Speaker of the Lower House of Parliament, and other senior government officials and individuals from the private sector, including the Caribbean Network of Fisherfolk Organisations (CNFO) from June 11-14, 2022. They met with representatives of Sir Arthur Lewis Community College, in addition to community leaders in some of the heavily impacted coastal communities in Vieux Fort, Micoud and Dennery.
On the third leg of the mission, the CRFM and PFR contingents traveled to the Dominican Republic, where they met the District Director of Punta Cana Town – Mr. Ramon Antonio Ramirez, as well as representatives of the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo and private sector representatives involved in collection and management of Sargassum.
From there, the mission traveled to Belize, where the representatives of the CRFM and PFR met from June 21-26, 2022, with officials of government ministries responsible for Tourism, Agriculture, and Blue Economy, as well as CARDI, the University of Belize, and members of the private sector. While in Belize, the CRFM and PFR mission also traveled to the island of San Pedro for a site visit, to assess the areas that are being affected by Sargassum.
The final leg of the mission was Mexico. During June 26-29, 2022, the representatives of CRFM and PFR visited two (2) private sector companies, one which makes liquid fertilizer and soil enhancer from Sargassum, and the other which manufactures construction supplies from Sargassum.
“We were able to observe firsthand the effects of the Sargassum influx in the countries we visited. This allowed us to better understand the ongoing initiatives to utilize the Sargassum. The mission furthermore enabled us to make some critical connections with both private and public sector partners that will be useful as we move into the second phase of the Project,” said Ms. Sutherland, the Project Coordinator for CRFM.
Based on the information gathered during the tour and the analysis done on the samples that were collected in the first phase of the project, the focus will be on the formulation of liquid fertilizers and construction supplies.
The June 2022 Outlook of Sargassum blooms in the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico, recently published by the University of South Florida Optical Oceanography Lab said, “…the total Sargassum [in the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico and Central Atlantic area] amount increased from ~18.8 million tons in May 2022 to ~24.2 million tons in June 2022, thus setting a new historical record.”
President of the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines National Fisherfolk Organisation and Deputy Chair of the Caribbean Network of Fisherfolk Organizations, Mr. Winsbert Harry and two other fishers, Cafu Guy and Mac Clement St. Rose (L-R) receiving safety and navigation equipment to replace those lost in an at-sea accident earlier this year.
The equipment was obtained through the Secretariat of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) under the Pilot Program for Climate Resilience. The CRFM Secretariat coordinated the marine sub-component of the IDB-funded Pilot Program for Climate Resilience - Caribbean Regional Track which was executed by the Mona Office for Research and Innovation (MORI) at the University of West Indies at Mona, Jamaica.
A key output of the marine component was the FEWER (Fisheries Early Warning and Emergency Response) mobile app which gives fisherfolk the tools to prepare and respond to the effects of climate change-related disasters.
The FEWER APP can be downloaded from the Google Play Store.
Sargassum seaweed has been inundating Caribbean beaches since 2011. (Photo: CRFM 2019)
Sargassum Products for Climate Resilience to mitigate harsh impacts on Caribbean States
BELIZE CITY, 2 MARCH 2021 (CRFM)—The Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) and Plant & Food Research, a New Zealand Crown Research Institute, will host a virtual training workshop on Wednesday, 3 March 2021. The session—which will be conducted with the assistance of Prof Mona Webber of the Marine Science Centre, UWI, Mona Campus, Jamaica—will focus on techniques for harvesting, handling, species identification and processing of Sargassum seaweed for initial evaluation.
It will be attended by the four target countries for field work, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, and Jamaica, as well as other interested CARICOM States and organisations such as CARDI, CERMES UWI, University of Belize, the Caribbean Network of Fisherfolk Organisation (CNFO) and IAEA.
The training supports the effective implementation of the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade-funded project entitled, Developing Sargassum Products for Climate Resilience in the Caribbean, due to commence in April 2021. In addition to the target countries, other CRFM Member States will benefit either directly or indirectly from the project, which aims to mitigate the environmental and economic impacts of Sargassum seaweed influxes in affected Caribbean countries through the creation of inclusive value chains.
Since 2011, periodic influxes of massive quantities of Sargassum seaweed have been entering Caribbean waters, resulting in substantial economic losses and adverse impacts on human and environmental health.
The Outlook of 2021 Sargassum blooms in the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico, released by the University of South Florida Optical Oceanography Lab on at the end of February 2021 indicated that, “…the eastern [Caribbean Sea] will likely experience increased amounts of Sargassum in March and April 2021, while some of the Lesser Antilles Islands will continue experiencing beaching events on both their windward leeward beaches." It forecasted that the situation could continue into summer, with the overall bloom intensity possibly like that of 2019.
In September 2020, the CRFM entered into a 3-year collaborative agreement with Plant & Food Research, to address Sargassum seaweed influxes in affected Caribbean countries. Plant & Food Research and the CRFM are collaborating to explore the creation of new technologies and value chains from the Sargassum seaweed. The project aims to develop Sargassum-derived product prototypes and production processes, including a commercialisation strategy to support its marketing.
In September 2020, the CRFM entered into a 3-year collaborative agreement with Plant & Food Research, to address Sargassum seaweed influxes in affected Caribbean countries. Plant & Food Research, a New Zealand Crown Research Institute, and the CRFM, an inter-governmental organization which promotes and facilitates the responsible utilization of the Caribbean's fisheries and other aquatic resources, are collaborating to explore the creation of new technologies and value chains from marine biomass, particularly the Sargassum seaweed.
The overall aim of the project is to mitigate the environmental and economic impacts of Sargassum seaweed influxes in affected Caribbean countries through the creation of inclusive value chains for Sargassum seaweed.
The CRFM has produced a leaflet with further details. View it online below or download a PDF copy HERE.
Several information and knowledge products have been generated by the CRFM coordinated marine sub-component of the IDB-funded Pilot Program for Climate Resilience - Caribbean Regional Track that is being generally managed by the Mona Office of Research and Innovation (UWI, Mona).
These products give key messages to fishers, fisheries managers, vendors and consumers on the impacts of climate change on life below water, and ways to adapt.
Download the posters listed below. Check out the video playlists on CRFM's youtube channel, titled 'Working for Climate resilience' (posted here also for convenience).
And check out CRFM's latest Research Paper Collection Volume 9 that gives the most up to date details of the technical studies revealing expected climate change impacts on the marine capture fisheries sector.
Belize City, Wednesday, 31 July 2019 (CRFM)—The Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) to enhance comprehensive disaster management and climate change resilience in the fisheries and aquaculture sector within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
CRFM Executive Director, Milton Haughton, signed the MOU for CRFM while the Executive Director of CDEMA, Ronald Jackson, signed on behalf of CDEMA. The signing took place during the Tenth General Meeting of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the United Nations (UN) System, on Wednesday, 24 July 2019, in Georgetown, Guyana.
The CRFM Executive Director said: “This MOU was prepared to facilitate enhanced cooperation between the CRFM and CDEMA, recognizing the need for effective and progressive responses to the urgent and growing threats of climate change and associated hazards, as well as the vulnerability of our fisherfolk and fishing communities which constitute a very important part of our food production system.”
CRFM Executive Director, Milton Haughton (right), joins Ronald Jackson, CDEMA Executive Director, in inking a Memorandum of Understanding (attached) to strengthen cooperation in disaster management and resilience (Photo: CARICOM Secretariat)
Immediate attention will be given to cooperation for sustained support for the Fisheries Early Warning and Emergency Response (FEWER) ICT Solution that had been spearheaded by the CRFM during 2017-18 in the course of the Regional Track of the Pilot Programme for Climate Resilience (PPCR), supported by the Inter-American Development Bank and The Mona Office of Research and Innovation (MORI) at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Jamaica.
Other areas of cooperation include joint project initiatives, training, capacity building and awareness activities, data and information collection and dissemination, and a support mechanism to help CARICOM countries and fishing communities prepare for and manage the threats and risks arising from manmade and natural hazards, including storms and hurricanes. The agreement also addresses post-disaster rehabilitation and recovery support for the restoration of services, infrastructure and livelihoods, as well as the restoration of the physical and ecological integrity of the affected coastal ecosystems.
In commenting on the signing, the Executive Director of CDEMA indicated that, “This represents CDEMA’s commitment to partnerships with other regional Institutions in an effort to advance resilience.” He expressed enthusiasm that CDEMA would be able to support the hosting infrastructure for the FEWER ICT Solution. Mr. Jackson furthermore pointed out this was in keeping with CDEMA’s role in advancing a comprehensive programme for Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems, as well as serving as a regional hub for warning infrastructure.
FEWER reduces fishers’ vulnerability to the impacts of climate change but also allows them to share local ecological knowledge to inform climate-smart fisheries planning and management, decision-making, as well as risk management in the fisheries sector. During 2017-18, the CRFM, IDB and UWI ICT experts worked with government authorities and fishers in Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to pilot the development of the FEWER. The CRFM-CDEMA partnership is an essential step towards sustainably rolling out FEWER to other countries.
The CRFM’s Ministerial Council had signaled its support at its 13th Regular Meeting held this June 2019 in Saint Kitts and Nevis, for the CRFM’s partnership with CDEMA, which had been developing as both CARICOM inter-governmental agencies mobilized to support to Member States in the wake of Hurricanes Irma and Maria in September 2017.
In October 2018, the Council approved a protocol on climate change and disaster risk management under the Caribbean Community Common Fisheries Policy, for which the CRFM has the implementation lead.
The CRFM has also been working with the CCRIF and World Bank to introduce risk insurance to protect the fisheries sector against disasters. The Caribbean Oceans and Aquaculture Sustainability Facility (COAST) Parametric insurance policy for the fisheries sector was launched at the beginning of July 2018. The policy was developed by CCRIF and the World Bank with support from the Government of the USA.
The 17 Member States of the CRFM are also members of CDEMA. They are Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Commonwealth of the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Republic of Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Republic of Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos Islands. The Virgin Islands is the only CDEMA member that is not a member of the CRFM.