Belize City, Friday, 12 April 2024 (CRFM)—A multi-country mission to monitor progress with the regional Sargassum Products for Climate Resilience Project, funded by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, has recently concluded. Representatives from the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) and the New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited (PFR) met with key partners in Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, and Jamaica in February and March 2024, to review progress and plan future activities. Based on the successful outcome of recent scientific studies and greenhouse trials for a Sargassum-derived liquid fertilizer, the partners will commence field trials within the next few weeks. These efforts, which will be advanced in collaboration with the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) and regional private sector partners, signal promising progress towards valorization of Sargassum and strengthening the Caribbean’s food security and climate resilience.
“Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the cost of fertilizers has skyrocketed, and farmers across the region need more affordable, high-quality fertilizers to improve their yields, especially in the stressful environment brought about by warmer temperatures and drought conditions. Anything that we can do to improve the supply and reduce costs and dependence on imports will be impactful,” Milton Haughton, Executive Director, CRFM Secretariat, stated.
“The project is working with multiple reputable research organizations to ensure a strong evidenced-based approach to the product development process. We understand the complex nature of the Sargassum issue and concerns in the agricultural sector and are prioritizing human, environmental and plant health in our research and development,” Sophie Jones-Williams, PFR’s Program Manager - International Development, said.
“We are excited about the positive results achieved thus far towards developing a safe and effective liquid fertilizer for the agriculture sector, and the potential for scaling out for wider impact across the Caribbean. Efforts to optimize the fertilizer production process, based on the greenhouse trials, are underway. The CRFM and PFR are working in collaboration with researchers at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus in Barbados, as well as CARDI and the private sector, to ensure that the project taps into the best expertise available in the region. Sargassum is a versatile, natural, renewable marine living resource that, if harvested and used safely and sustainably, could birth new economic opportunities for fishers and coastal communities, as well as entrepreneurs across the region, contributing to the realization of the vision of blue economic growth,” Haughton added.
The project's two main guiding principles are the circular economy approach, which ensures total utilization of the Sargassum, including conversion of the residue or waste into other products; and the precautionary principle, which ensures that adequate caution is taken when there is uncertainty and a risk of harm.
This is in keeping with the overall aim of the Sargassum Products for Climate Resilience Project, to mitigate the environmental and economic impacts of Sargassum influxes in affected Caribbean countries through the creation of inclusive value chains for Sargassum seaweed. Since the inception of the project in 2020, the CRFM and PFR have been working diligently to develop safe harvesting and handling techniques. They have been rigorously testing to ensure safety from hazardous heavy metals throughout the process of product development, all along the value chain—from harvesting through to pilot scale production, as well as greenhouse trials that utilized the prototype product to grow vegetables. This effort builds upon the CRFM’s prior work, since 2015, to address the persistent problem of recurring Sargassum inundations which have been plaguing the region for the past 13 years.
The region has been seeing high levels of Sargassum inundations almost every year since 2011, and this regional project focuses on developing processes by which the Sargassum can be transformed from a bane to blessing for the Caribbean economy, using science, technology, and evidence-based decision-making to produce safe and viable commercial products. Although the Caribbean Sea continued to be largely free of Sargassum since the beginning of 2024, the eastern Caribbean Sea is starting to receive large quantities of Sargassum from the central Atlantic, and this trend is likely to continue with increasing inundation of the coastal waters and beaches of several CRFM countries during the coming months.
The final phase of the PFR-CRFM Sargassum Products for Climate Resilience Project will focus on outreach and supply chain development, which would entail the dissemination of a workable model to Caribbean industry stakeholders.
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Belize City, Monday, 25 March 2024 (CRFM)—As the global discussion continues on the elimination of harmful subsidies to the fisheries sector, following the adoption of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies at the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference on 17 June 2022, Caribbean countries have been engaged on its far-reaching implications. The WTO Agreement sets new, binding, multilateral rules to curb harmful subsidies, which are a key factor in the widespread overfishing of the world’s fish stocks. Specifically, the Agreement prohibits subsidies for illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, for utilizing overfished stocks, and for fishing on the unregulated high seas. Implementation of this Agreement will contribute to the fulfillment of United Nations Sustainable Development Goal target 14.6.
The Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), the CARICOM Secretariat, the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), and WTO are co-hosting the 2nd Regional Technical Workshop on the Ratification and Implementation of the Fisheries Subsidies Agreement in CARICOM Member States. The purpose of the event—which is bringing together Caribbean senior Trade and Fisheries officials and representatives from partner organizations in Bridgetown, Barbados, from 25-26 March 2024—is to provide resources and tools to guide ratification and implementation of the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies.
The Technical Workshop will also help to chart a way forward for the implementation of the Agreement and strengthen the capacity of national Fisheries and Trade Officials to implement the Agreement. It will also build upon the outcomes of the first technical workshop on Fisheries Subsidies for the Caribbean region held in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, 17-19 January 2023. The ongoing second wave of fisheries subsidies negotiations, which seek to develop additional provisions on subsidies that contribute to overcapacity and overfishing, will also be discussed, with reference to the recently held 13th WTO Ministerial Conference in Abu Dhabi.
The Keynote Speaker for the Opening Ceremony will be the Hon. Kerrie Symmonds, M.P., Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and Senior Minister coordinating the Productive Sector, of Barbados. Ambassador Wayne McCook, Assistant Secretary-General, CARICOM Single Market and Trade, and Therese Turner-Jones, Vice-President (Operations)(Ag.) at the Caribbean Development Bank, will also deliver remarks during the Opening Ceremony.
Milton Haughton, Executive Director, CRFM Secretariat, will also present remarks during the Opening Ceremony and later lead off the technical engagement with a presentation on Sustainable Fisheries Management and Development in the Caribbean in the context of fisheries subsidies. Clarisse Morgan, Director - Rules Division at the WTO Secretariat, will deliver remarks as well as an Overview of the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, and Chantal Ononaiwu, Director of External Trade at the CARICOM Secretariat, will present on the second wave of negotiations on Fisheries Subsidies.
As of 12 March 2024, 71 countries had ratified the WTO Fisheries Subsidies Agreement, including five (5) CRFM Member States: Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Haiti, and Saint Lucia. According to the World Trade Organization, for the Agreement to enter into force, two-thirds of WTO members (or 109 countries) must formally accept the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies by depositing an “instrument of acceptance” with the WTO. Once the Agreement enters into force, it will remain open for acceptance by any other WTO member and will take effect for that new signatory as soon as its instrument of acceptance is deposited with the WTO.
Member States will speak on their internal processes and approaches towards ratification and implementation of the WTO Agreement, including any challenges experienced. International and regional organizations providing technical assistance and capacity building support will provide details on opportunities available to support countries with implementation of the agreement once it has come into force.
This week’s technical workshop also provides a forum for other regional and international organizations, fisherfolk, donors, non-CARICOM countries, and private sector representatives who would be directly or indirectly impacted by the Subsidies Agreement to be engaged on this critical matter.
It is expected that at the conclusion of the 2nd Regional Technical Workshop on the Ratification and Implementation of the WTO Fisheries Subsidies Agreement, Caribbean countries will be better equipped to chart the way forward for the ratification and implementation of the Agreement.
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The fisheries sector in Guyana provides sustainable jobs for thousands of artisanal fishers (Photo: FISH4ACP, Guyana)
GUYANA, Tuesday, 12 March 2024 (CRFM)—A technical working group of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM)—the Continental Shelf Fisheries Working Group (CSWG)—is collaborating with the global value chain development programme – FISH4ACP, private sector processors, and the Seabob Working Groups of Guyana and Suriname to convene a joint stock assessment workshop in Guyana from 11-15 March 2024.
The assessment of the seabob, a short-lived shallow water shrimp found in the Western Central Atlantic, will cover the stocks of Guyana and Suriname, situated in the North Brazilian Shelf Large Marine Ecosystem. The assessment aims to review and validate the most recent scientific evaluations of the Atlantic seabob fisheries of Suriname and Guyana. The results will be shared with industrial and artisanal fishery stakeholders from Guyana and Suriname for their input during the last two days of the workshop, on 14-15 March 2024.
During the workshop, regional and international technical experts will propose harvest control rules (HCRs) and the related fisheries management plans, taking into account compliance with Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification requirements. The seabob fisheries in both Guyana and Suriname are MSC certified; Suriname’s fishery was first certified in 2011 and Guyana’s fishery in 2019.
The Seabob Working Groups of Guyana and Suriname—which are made up of representatives from the respective Fisheries Departments, the industrial and artisanal seabob sectors, and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)—will subsequently lead the implementation of the outcomes and recommendations from the meeting.
The CRFM CSWG aims to promote the sustainable utilization of continental shelf resources and associated ecosystems through the review and analysis of fisheries and related data, to inform management strategies, consistent with the ecosystem, precautionary and participatory approaches to fisheries management.
FISH4ACP is a five-year fish value chain development programme, spanning 2020 to 2025. It is being implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) with funding from the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.
In Guyana, FISH4ACP is working towards a sustainable, resilient, well-managed, and inclusive shrimp fishery to strengthen the country’s position as a leading exporter of Atlantic seabob shrimp while ensuring long-term stability of stocks and bringing more benefits to local fisherfolk, especially women.
The CRFM collaborates with FAO on the implementation of FISH4ACP.
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Photos shared on Flickr courtesy FISH4ACP Guyana (Dawn Maison)
LISTEN TO THE OPENING CEREMONY RECORDING
Belize City, Friday, 8 March 2024 (CRFM)—Several Member States of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), as well as representatives of regional and international observer organizations, including the Caribbean Network of Fisherfolk Organisations (CNFO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), met from Wednesday, 6 March to Friday, 8 March 2024, to deliberate on developments in fisheries and aquaculture. The CRFM convened this 22nd Regular Meeting of the Caribbean Fisheries Forum to receive technical inputs from national fisheries authorities across the Caribbean, as well as key stakeholders and partners, in addressing the priorities of the sector.
The Forum also held elections for a new chair and vice chair, as well as members of the Executive Committee of the Forum and the Resource Mobilization Sub-committee. Trinidad and Tobago, which served as chair of the Forum for the past year, handed over the leadership to the Turks and Caicos Islands. After the elections, Kathy Lockhart, Assistant Director of Fisheries, Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources Management, Turks and Caicos Islands, assumed the Chair, succeeding Louanna Martin, Acting Director of Fisheries, Fisheries Division, Trinidad and Tobago.
In welcoming attendees to the Forum Meeting, Martin highlighted the value of the CRFM, an intergovernmental institution of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), to Trinidad and Tobago, one of its 17 Member States. She said that the CRFM has been very instrumental in helping to address the myriad issues that confront the fisheries and aquaculture sector.
During the opening session, Milton Haughton, Executive Director at the CRFM Secretariat, noted that the Caribbean Fisheries Forum was meeting against the backdrop of myriad challenges as well as opportunities for harnessing the benefits of blue economic growth.
“Notwithstanding the various global crises—the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East—and the challenging economic situation in many of our countries, we have to continue to work hard to strengthen our economies and to provide new opportunities for growth, especially for the youth, which is very important for our future prosperity,” Haughton said.
He added that this prosperous future lies in utilizing the Caribbean’s aquatic resources and in developing the aquaculture potential—both on land and in the marine environment.
Haughton noted that although the CRFM has made significant strides in working with Caribbean countries over the past 21 years, there is still much more work to be done. He informed the Caribbean Fisheries Forum that the Government of Canada had recently approved CD$4.2 million in funding for the CRFM, for the Sustainable Technologies for Adaptation and Resilience in Fisheries (STAR-Fish) Project, which aims to advance the clean energy transition in the Caribbean fisheries and aquaculture sectors. He also highlighted the recent commencement of a US$48 million project being part-financed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) titled, Promoting National Blue Economy Priorities Through Marine Spatial Planning in the Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem Plus ("BE-CLME+”), which aims to promote blue economy development through marine spatial planning and marine protected areas, an ecosystem approach to fisheries, and sustainable seafood value chains.
The Executive Director of the CRFM briefed the Forum on ongoing initiatives, such as the Strengthening Sustainable Use and Management of Coastal Fisheries Resources in CARICOM Countries (COASTFISH) Project, being implemented with funding from the Government of Japan, and the Sargassum Products for Climate Resilience Project, being funded by the Government of New Zealand.
He also updated the Forum on the work being done in partnership with the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) and the University of the West Indies (UWI), to commence pilot scale production of a liquid fertilizer from Sargassum, as well as plans to ensure total and safe utilization of the resource by converting the by-products to other sustainable products.
Haughton also updated the Forum on the World Trade Organization (WTO) subsidies negotiations held last week, in Abu Dhabi, and he advised the Forum that the agreement was not finalized because significant differences remained among the countries. He advised the Member States of the critical need to pay keen attention to such international processes and to ensure that the Caribbean’s interests are defended and fully addressed, given the potential implications for the fisheries of Caribbean countries and the region.
The Forum’s deliberations, which are vital for forging the way forward for the sustainable development of the Caribbean’s aquatic resources, precede the upcoming 18th Regular Meeting of the CRFM Ministerial Council, comprised of Ministers responsible for fisheries from its 17 Caribbean Member States.
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The CRFM Secretariat is pleased to share the following final calls for expressions of interest under the "BE-CLME+”: Promoting National Blue Economy Priorities Through Marine Spatial Planning in the Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem Plus Project. Please feel free to share these with anyone who you believe has the desired expertise to effectively execute the consultancies.
Applications are invited from interested and suitably qualified nationals of Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Member States and Associate Members to fill the abovementioned position in the CRFM with assigned duty station in Belize City, Belize. Applicants should be no older than 56 years of age.
The vacancy will remain open until filled. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted to arrange interviews.
To view full details, click here.
The CRFM is pleased to share with you our Twentieth Anniversary e-Magazine.
Preview the magazine below and download your free high resolution copy.
Please feel free to share the link to this page with your contacts.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD
Marine biodiversity conservation and sustainable fisheries management within the framework of the Blue Economy—through stakeholder inclusion and a focus on national priorities—lies at the heart of the BE:CLME+ project, with fishers reaping tangible economic benefits! (Photo: CRFM)
27 September 2023 - Belize City, Belize - A new US 48 million dollar project to strengthen the foundation for blue economic growth and sustainable development of marine living resources by focusing on marine spatial planning, area-based management, and climate-smart sustainable seafood value chain development has commenced. The Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF), are partnering to implement the four-year project in the region.
This initiative titled the “BE-CLME+: Promoting National Blue Economy Priorities Through Marine Spatial Planning in the Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem Plus” project, aims to maintain and preserve cultural heritage through sustainable fisheries management, improved livelihoods, and alternative livelihoods while strengthening the integration of fisheries and ecosystem management to restore, protect and maintain marine biodiversity, productivity, and resilience of marine ecosystems.
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) endorsed the Project in November 2022, including the provision of US$6.2 million for the project. The participating countries are Barbados, Belize, Guyana, Jamaica, Panama, and Saint Lucia, while the partner organizations are CAF, FAO, CRFM, UWI-CERMES, University of Florida, which has committed co-financing of approximately US$41.7 million. The CRFM is the executive agency, while FAO and CAF are the GEF co-implementing agencies. These partners will support the governments of the participating countries in implementing the project interventions, from which benefits will be spread across the region.
The project has three main components: (i) implementing cross-sectoral marine spatial planning and area-based management tools; (ii) inclusive, climate-smart sustainable seafood value chains; and (iii) regional coordination, project management, and knowledge management.
The Inception Workshop and First Regional Steering Committee Meeting of the Project is being convened from 27-29 September 2023 in Panama City, Panama. The meetings are expected to approve several important documents including the first year's workplan and will mark the commencement of field activities under the project.
The BE:CLME+ project seeks to balance the sustainable use and conservation of the region’s marine resources with economic and social benefits for the countries and local communities through policy advice, capacity development, and knowledge sharing, food security and nutritional benefits, and increased stakeholder involvement and empowerment including women, youth, and indigenous groups in the wider Blue Economy growth initiative.
Belize City, Sunday, 27 August 2023 (CRFM)—The Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) will host a regional Scientific Conference of 130 authors and speakers from the Caribbean and internationally, who will present on 9 thematic areas of high interest to the fisheries and aquaculture sector. The virtual event, which is free and open to the public, is scheduled to commence on Monday, 28 August at 8:30 a.m. Central Standard Time or 10:30 a.m. Eastern Caribbean Time.
Dr. Carla Barnett, Secretary-General, CARICOM Secretariat, will deliver opening remarks, while Dr. Renata Clarke, Sub-Regional Coordinator for the Caribbean, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, will present the Feature Address. Other Opening Ceremony speakers include Sen. Hon. Avinash Singh, Chair of the Ministerial Council of the CRFM and Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Trinidad and Tobago; Ms. Shandira Ankiah, Acting Director of Fisheries, Fisheries Division, Trinidad and Tobago and Chair of the Caribbean Fisheries Forum; Mr. Milton Haughton, Executive Director, CRFM Secretariat; and Dr. Sandra Grant, Deputy Executive Director, CRFM Secretariat. Mr. Zojindra Arjune, Pastor and Deputy Director, Fisheries Management, Suriname, will offer the invocation.
The goal of this e-conference is to showcase the collective work done over the past two decades, since the establishment of the CRFM by CARICOM Heads of Government in 2002, while providing a space for networking, information exchange, and dialogue on a range of important topics. The thematic areas are fisheries and food security in the region; legal, policy and institutional frameworks for fisheries; data and science for sustainable fisheries development and management; capacity building in fisheries; aquaculture and marine science; fisheries conservation and management; climate change, ocean acidification, disaster risk management and recovery in fisheries and aquaculture; international and regional cooperation and partnerships; and the future of the CRFM in blue economic growth in the region.
The Scientific Conference will run for 4 days, and the final session on Thursday, 31 August, will feature national reports from the 17 CRFM Member States of the CRFM on the Status of their fisheries and aquaculture industries.
The CRFM is an intergovernmental organization of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) whose Member States are Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
For more information on the conference, please access the Conference webpage here.
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Belize City, Friday, 28 April 2023 (CRFM)—The Ministerial Council of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), comprised of Ministers responsible for fisheries from across the Caribbean Community, met on Thursday, 27 April 2023, to chart the way forward for the revitalization and expansion of the region’s fisheries and aquaculture sector—a goal which lies at the heart of the CRFM’s observance of its 20th Anniversary this year. During Thursday’s deliberations, the Ministers approved 32 resolutions, as they reviewed progress and mapped out sustainable solutions to challenges such as fisheries management; illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and fisheries crime; climate change and ocean acidification; imbalances in international trade; and Sargassum influxes which are expected to reach record levels this year. Furthermore, the Ministers provided guidance and policy direction to the CRFM Secretariat and Member States on harnessing the opportunities arising in the emerging Blue Economy, through initiatives such as a new multimillion-dollar regional project to promote blue economic growth.
Hon. Avinash Singh, Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Trinidad and Tobago, chaired the Seventeenth Meeting of the CRFM Ministerial Council. Trinidad and Tobago took over the reins of the Council from Hon. Parmanand Sewdien, Suriname’s Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Husbandry, for a one-year term.
Hon. Singh acknowledged the contributions of the CRFM Secretariat in providing technical support to the Ministers during the proceedings, and for making impactful representations for Member States that benefit the entire region. He added that he looked forward to a very productive term ahead, as the CRFM continues to navigate the waters, in providing a sustainable future for the younger generations to follow.
Ministers map out sustainable solutions to challenges such as fisheries management, climate change, capacity building, imbalances in international trade, and Sargassum influxes
CARICOM countries depend on fishing for food, social welfare, employment, and much more (Photo: CRFM)
At their meeting on Thursday, the Ministers adopted the Protocol to the Caribbean Community Common Fisheries Policy on Aquatic Foods as a Strategic Resource for Food and Nutrition Security—the third protocol adopted under the regional fisheries policy. The protocol’s objective is to recognize, promote, and support the sustainable use of fish, shellfish, marine plants and seafood as a strategic resource for food and nutrition security for the peoples of the Caribbean.
Although fish production in our region is expanding, the Caribbean is still a major importer of fish and seafood. However, CRFM’s Executive Director, Mr. Milton Haughton, noted that there are projects and initiatives being implemented that should improve availability and access to safe and affordable fish and seafood to the people of the region. He announced that a US$48 million project—the CAF/FAO/CRFM/GEF/Caribbean Blue Economy Project entitled, Promoting National Blue Economy Priorities Through Marine Spatial Planning in the Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem Plus or the BE-CLME+ Project—should commence around July 2023. The Fisheries Ministers welcomed the final approval of the Project Document by the Global Environment Fund (GEF) in November 2022, paving the way for the disbursement of funds and commencement of the project. The funding includes a US$25 million line of credit co-financed by the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF) for fisheries enterprises in the private sector to upgrade their capacities and develop fisheries value chains.
Mr. Milton Haughton, Executive Director,
Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (Photo: CRFM)
The Ministers also welcomed the updates on the efforts by the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism and the New Zealand Plant and Food Research (PFR), under the project entitled, Sargassum Products for Climate Resilience in the Caribbean. With support from New Zealand, technical experts in agronomy, technology, engineering and business development, the CRFM and PFR are pursuing the production of liquid fertilizers, compost, and other potential products, while ensuring that any health risks associated with doing so are eliminated through the processing of the Sargassum. Haughton noted that there is a great need for affordable fertilizers for agriculture, much of which is imported. The University of the West Indies and Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) are key partners in this initiative. The intention is to develop processes, technologies, products, and business models that can be made available to potential entrepreneurs from the region, thereby creating jobs and economic activities while mitigating the negative environmental, health and socio-economic impacts of the Sargassum seaweed.
The Ministers issued a strong resolution establishing a roadmap to strengthen measures to prevent “ghost fishing” or abandoned, lost and otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG), which is one of the most harmful forms of marine debris. Since 2018, the CRFM and the Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI) have collaborated on prevention, mitigation, remediation, predictive modeling and capacity sharing work in the Caribbean. The CRFM Secretariat will now execute a Memorandum of Understanding with the GGGI for enhanced cooperation and coordination in addressing ghost fishing in the region.
Sargassum sampling for testing off the coast of Belize in 2021, during phase 1 of the project (Photo: CRFM)
The Ministers commended the CRFM Secretariat and international development partners for the significant work done and outputs achieved during the past programme year. This body of work included various policies developed and adopted, projects advanced, technical publications completed, training and capacity building support provided, and advances in combating illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and fisheries crime, improving sanitary and phytosanitary systems, strengthening data and information systems, as well as significant contributions to international processes.
This included the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, which was adopted on 17 June 2022, after 21 years of talks. The Ministers urged Member States to take the necessary actions to accept and implement the agreement as soon as possible. However, they are asking Member States to consult all key stakeholders to ensure that all relevant issues are taken into account and that the full implications of the agreement are understood prior to accepting and enshrining it into national law or policies. They furthermore urged Member States to continue working with the CARICOM and CRFM Secretariats in the process of acceptance and implementation of the agreement, and also the future negotiations to address the remaining issues and gaps that could not have been addressed when the current agreement was concluded in 2022.
The Ministers also took note of the recent conclusion of international negotiations that resulted in the formulation of the UN Agreement on Biodiversity in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction in March 2023, and they urged Member States to take advantage of the opportunities to obtain tangible, sustainable benefits from the biodiversity in the marine areas beyond national jurisdiction.
The Fisheries Ministers welcomed the development of the Regional Strategic Framework for Cooperation between the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and CARICOM Member States (2020-2026). The Ministers are asking the CRFM Secretariat to work with the IAEA, which has the largest marine lab in the world, located in Monaco, and other regional partners to facilitate and coordinate cooperation activities in fisheries management, aquaculture development, marine biodiversity conservation, ocean acidification, combatting illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing and seafood fraud, and other relevant areas where the expertise of IAEA can add value.
The policymakers also endorsed the Convention on Biological Diversity Global Biodiversity Framework , which was adopted by the 15th Conference of Parties to the Convention in December 2022. The Convention on Biological Biodiversity is a global treaty adopted at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in 1992. The framework sets out the global biodiversity agenda for the next decade, with the overarching goal of living in harmony with nature by 2050—a vision which the CARICOM Fisheries Ministers also endorsed.
The Council reviewed the status of a request made to FAO and reaffirmed the priority accorded to that request, for securing the services of the modern Norwegian marine survey vessel, the Dr. Fridtjof Nansen, to conduct a comprehensive survey of the marine resources in the offshore waters of CARICOM States, to support blue economic development and sustainable use of the living marine resources.
The Council is due to meet again in special session in October 2023.
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