Analysis of Trends in Production, Fleet, Trade and Economic Contribution of the Fisheries and Aquaculture in CRFM Member States

Pranaya Kumar Parida¹, June Masters¹ and Sandra Grant²

Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines¹
Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism, Belize²

ABSTRACT

The mission of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism is “to promote and facilitate the responsible utilization of the region's fisheries and other aquatic resources for the economic and social benefits of the current and future population of the region.” The sector’s aim is to provide employment and food security for the people of the region. Analysis and validation of the trends based on data in the CRFM Statistics and Information Reports for 2002 to 2022 was conducted. A technical and stakeholder assessment was carried out to investigate the trends observed. The data revealed that the marine capture production, since 2018, has steadily declined, while only eight CRFM Member States were actively involved in aquaculture production. Regarding trade in fish, imports have steadily increased both in value and weight; and exports have not kept up with imports. Many aspects of the fisheries have changed, by issues such as overfishing, climate change, ghost fishing, irresponsible fish farming, habitat destruction, land-based pollution and IUU fishing. However, the fisheries and aquaculture sectors in the region continue to provide food and nutrition security for small-scale fishers and the people of the Caribbean region.

HOW TO CITE: Parida, P.K.,  J. Masters and S. Grant, 2026. Analysis of Trends in Production, Fleet, Trade and Economic Contribution of the Fisheries and Aquaculture in CRFM Member States. Contribution 3.2, p107-119 IN CRFM, 2026. Volume I: Technical Papers. Presented at the CRFM 20th Anniversary Scientific Conference, 28-31 August 2023. CRFM Special Publication No. 37, CRFM Secretariat https://www.crfm.int/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=907

 POWERPOINT

VIDEO PRESENTATION 

FULL SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATION

Download CRFM Special Publication No. 37:

Proceedings of the CRFM 20^th Anniversary Scientific Conference

Volume I: Technical Papers

Volume II: National Reports 

 KEY LINKS

Scientific Conference Home Page

Scientific Conference Proceedings Page

Explore all 20^th Anniversary Scientific Papers

 NOTE

If you have challenges accessing or downloading documents in this series, please email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , copied to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , or call us at +501-223-4443. Some browsers do not properly load Google Drive documents, so if you have challenges accessing the PowerPoint slides or the full special publication, try switching to another browser such as Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge.

BELIZE CITY, BELIZE, Friday, 8 December 2017 (CRFM)—The Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) and its partners at the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) recently held a wrap-up meeting in St. Lucia at which the outcomes of the novel Caribbean Fisheries Co-Management Project (CARIFICO) were unveiled. The most important benefits underscored are better catches and improved incomes for fishers who began using Fish Aggregating Devices or FADs. These were designed, constructed, deployed and managed in a cooperative manner by the fishers themselves in collaboration with government officials and with support from the Japanese experts.

Fishers from the pilot countries attended the meeting in St. Lucia and shared how the project has positively impacted them. Fisheries officials from the CARICOM countries, except for Bahamas and Belize, also attended. International partners from JICA, fisheries experts deployed in the region and officials from JICA headquarters in Japan, as well as representatives from the Embassy of Japan in Trinidad and Tobago, the Caribbean Network of Fisherfolk Organisation, the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), and the University of Florida were also present.

CRFM Executive Director Milton Haughton said that he is impressed with the progress made in introducing co-management approaches in specific fisheries, as well as the level of investment of fishers in the process. Fishers have formed new fisherfolk organizations which are actively participating in the development and management of the target fisheries as a result of the CARIFICO project. Through the project, Governments in the 6 pilot countries are sharing more authority and responsibility for fisheries development and management with stakeholders by improving relations and communications, and promoting increased participation by them in decision-making in fisheries.

“They have seen significant social and economic benefits from working together and operating around the FADs. The fishers have been involved in the construction and deployment of the fishing gear, as well as developing rules to regulate activities around the FADs and collecting and fisheries data. This is a tangible example of what fishers can achieve by collaborating with each other and with the government,” Haughton said.

The Project Manager of the pilot project in Grenada, Mr. Toby Francis Calliste, said that they have learned a lot from the CARIFICO project. He noted that the fishing communities of Grenada have realized tremendous benefits through the co-management arrangement. The CARIFICO project has transformed the fishing industry in Grenville and by extension in Grenada, said Calliste, who presented on the impacts of the project in Grenada.

Dominican representatives said that fishers in that country embrace the important benefits of the FAD program. They add that the Roseau Complex fishers now exercise greater compliance with FAD management practices. They hope that with the sustained deployment of public FADs, user conflict will be reduced.

The CARIFICO-CRFM Joint Statement on Fisheries Co-Management, which is to be tabled at the April 2018 meeting of Fisheries Ministers from CRFM Member States, envisions the way forward. It addresses four areas: Support for Implementation of Co-management; Training in Support of Co-management; Co-management to Address Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management; and Public Education and Awareness.

The statement is intended to solidify the support of CRFM Member States for the implementation of the recommendations of the CARIFICO Project and the advancement of co-management, as well as improved fisheries governance in the Caribbean. This should include legal and institutional reforms, training and capacity development, public education and awareness building, and empowerment of fishers’ organizations and fishing communities.