Belize City, Friday, 4 October 2024 (CRFM)—The innovative work being done under the New Zealand-funded Sargassum Products for Climate Resilience Project, to develop a plant growth enhancer or bio-stimulant from Sargassum, will be showcased during the upcoming Caribbean Week of Agriculture, to be held in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The work being done under the project by the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism and the New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research (Plant & Food Research) fits well within the event theme, Climate Smart Agriculture for a Sustainable Future. 

Mr. Milton Haughton, Executive Director, Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism Secretariat, said that: “The Sargassum Products for Climate Resilience Project has the potential to make a substantial impact towards the attainment of the CARICOM vision to reduce the region’s food import bill by 25% by 2025 (called ‘Vision 25 by 2025’). This is because a Sargassum-derived fertilizer produced within the Caribbean could ease the financial burden caused by the increasing costs for imported fertilizers. This, in turn, could boost agricultural production for farmers and producers by making their operations more cost-effective. 

Haughton added that, “Using Sargassum in this way mitigates the impacts of the inundations, which include the release of methane—a powerful greenhouse gas which is emitted as the Sargassum decomposes in coastal waters. The Sargassum Products for Climate Resilience Project, therefore, helps the Caribbean to adapt and build resilience to climate change, which is one of the key factors fueling the Sargassum blooms.” 

The CRFM and Plant & Food Research (PFR) are working together to mitigate the environmental and economic impacts of Sargassum influxes in affected Caribbean countries through the creation of inclusive value chains for Sargassum. 

Mrs. Sophie Jones-Williams, Program Manager - International Development, Plant & Food Research, New Zealand, said: "Together with our partners in the Caribbean, we have worked hard to test the efficacy and safety of the bio-stimulant we are developing from Sargassum. Our trials and thorough testing for heavy metal contamination, has ensured confidence that the product we are developing will not only bring benefits through increased yields but also healthy, more resilient production systems." 

Since its inception in 2020, the project has ensured that regional partners are involved in this initiative. The CRFM and PFR have been working in collaboration with researchers at the University of the West Indies (Cave Hill Campus in Barbados and Mona Campus in Jamaica) and the University of Belize; the Governments of Barbados, Belize, and Jamaica; as well as the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC) of the Dominican Republic, and the private sector, to ensure that the project taps into the best expertise available in the region. 

Based on the successful outcome of prior scientific studies and greenhouse trials for a Sargassum-derived liquid bio-stimulant, the partners commenced field trials earlier this year. In August 2024, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Security of Barbados, in partnership with the Ministry of Environment and National Beautification, Green and Blue Economy, hosted a Sargassum Liquid Extract Field Day to showcase the progress being made with growing cucumbers using the Sargassum-derived bio-stimulant in ongoing field trials.

 Representatives of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) and the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) recently visited a farm in Barbados where the bio-stimulant is being tested on plots of vegetables (Photo: CRFM Secretariat). 

The CRFM and PFR are also working to engage institutional and private sector partners to commercialize and upscale production, based on the successful outcome of the testing and trial phases which are due to conclude by year-end. 

During the upcoming Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA), the CRFM and PFR will partner to host the Sargassum Seminar on Supporting Climate-Smart Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Agriculture through Product Innovation. The purpose of this hybrid event—to be held on Wednesday, 9 October 2024, at 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Atlantic Standard Time (AST), at University of West Indies, Open Campus, Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and online—is to showcase the innovative work being done to develop a fertilizer and compost from Sargassum seaweed using the principles of the circular economy and the precautionary approach, to ensure safety across the value chain. 

In addition to Haughton of the CRFM and Jones-Williams of PFR, other event speakers include: David Mogollon - EU Head of Cooperation to Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, the Eastern Caribbean States, the OECS and CARICOM/CARIFORUM; Dr. Maren Headley - Programme Manager, Fisheries Management and Development, CRFM Secretariat; and Chadeene Beckles - Value Chain and Marketing Specialist, Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI).

This seminar is one of two events to be hosted by the CRFM and its partners during the upcoming Caribbean Week of Agriculture, with a focus on the theme, Promoting Climate-Smart and Resilient Fisheries and Aquaculture for Food Sovereignty & Food Security, and a Sustainable & Profitable Future. The CRFM will also host the Caribbean Small Scale Fisheries & Aquaculture Forum on Tuesday, 8 October 2024, at 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Atlantic Standard Time (AST), at the same venue. This Forum will provide a space for small-scale fishers to engage with CRFM, Member States representatives, other stakeholders, and partners on matters of key importance to the sector, surrounding the central themes of climate change, food security, and sustainable livelihoods.

The CRFM and PFR will also showcase the project at the CWA Tradeshow and Expo, which will be held at the Kingstown Cruiseship Terminal from 7 – 11 October 2024.. 

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Link to register for the event:

https://forms.gle/VAEEYJ6DPw6rwVjF7

Link to access the project brochure:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VkXyskYUmdovkmWaZlKgSALwom409IeW/view

 Link to project webpage:

https://crfm.int/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&layout=item&id=792&Itemid=499

Resilient prosperity in the region’s small-scale fisheries is vital to securing the livelihoods of fishers who depend on this sector.  (Photo courtesy: Communication Unit - Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Rural Transformation, Industry and Labour (MAFFRTIL), Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)

Hurricane Beryl’s impacts on Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Jamaica, and Barbados underscore the need for urgent attention to retooling and protecting this vital sector

Hurricane Beryl—which broke record as the earliest major hurricane on record to form in the Atlantic—woke the region up to a stark reality: In the current environment created by acelerated climate change, strong hurricanes can rapidly form very early in the season, displacing entire communities and devastating the livelihoods of thousands in the blink of a hurricane’s eye. Beryl struck the Caribbean islands of Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,   Jamaica, Barbados, Saint Lucia, and  Trinidad and Tobago, over a span of a few days at the start of July, and the fisheries and aquaculture sector was not spared from its furious winds, torrential rains, and erratic storm surges.

This catastrophe unfolded about a month after people from across the world converged on the Caribbean island of Antigua and Barbuda for the 4th International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS), under the theme: Charting the Course Toward Resilient Prosperity. On the sidelines of this event, the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) convened two seminars on key topics which are most relevant to the present realities confronting the fisheries and aquaculture sector, looking holistically on how we can chart a progressive way forward for the sector and our countries. This dialogue is even more relevant today.

The seminars were convened by the CRFM Secretariat and co-hosted by the CRFM and the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, with support from the CARICOM Secretariat, the National Fisheries Authority of Jamaica, and Green Initiative. They discussed: (1) Revitalizing SIDS Economies & Food and Nutrition Security through the Sustainable Use of our Living Marine Resources; and (2) Accelerating the Decarbonization of Fisheries in the Caribbean - from science-based targets to climate mitigation finance.

CRFM Executive Director, Milton Haughton (at the podium), addressing attendees at the CRFM’s Sustainable Use seminar on the vital importance of ocean and marine resources, worth at least US$24 trillion, according to World Wildlife Fund (WWF) estimates

In addressing the gathering on Sustainable Use, Hon. Samal Duggins, Minister of  Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources, Cooperatives, Entrepreneurship and Creative Economy, Saint Kitts and Nevis, said that, “The development of our mariculture industry offers a viable solution to improve the sustainability of our fisheries. By cultivating marine organisms in their natural habitats, we can boost local fish production, reduce import dependence, and provide fresh, nutritious seafood, as well as sustainable livelihoods for our coastal communities.”

“There is no reason why we cannot be self-sufficient in seafood (and fish) production through aquaculture and through utilizing and diversifying our marine fisheries,” said CRFM Executive Director, Milton Haughton, later in the dialogue.

In addressing the second session on climate change, Haughton said that with the increased frequency of storms and hurricanes, the Caribbean needs to build the sector’s resilience by investing in the restoration of protective marine habitats such as mangroves and coral reefs, enhancing fisheries management and biodiversity conservation. He noted several key initiatives being implemented by the CRFM with support from donors and partners, to strengthen resilience. These include carbon footprint assessments for the sector.

“We must play our part in contributing towards the decarbonization of fisheries and aquaculture in our region and moving from science-based targets to climate mitigation action,” Minister Duggins said in his welcoming attendees to the climate change session.

The Minister furthermore highlighted the critical need for financing, to empower the sector with the resources needed to retool itself and to implement the critical mitigation and adaptation measures needed in this post-COVID era.

Access to funds—whether grants or soft loans—can enable fishers to upgrade their equipment, adopt sustainable practices, and increase their productivity, the Minister said, pointing to some ‘low-hanging fruit,’ such as the adoption of cleaner burning engines and increasing reliance on renewable energy options, such as geothermal and solar power.

Frédéric Perron-Welch, Head of Climate and Nature Policy, Green Initiative, agreed on the need to transition to clean energy solutions, using more efficient engines and renewable energy. In his presentation on the carbon footprint assessment of National Fishermen Cooperative Society Limited in Belize, which was commissioned by the CRFM, he focused on the lobster value chain and found that the greenhouse gas (GHG) indicator for carbon dioxide emissions was relatively low. However, transportation and energy were the main areas of concern where he said interventions could be made to further reduce  greenhouse gas emissions. 

Slide showing emission sources for lobster value chain in carbon footprint assessment of National Fishermen Cooperative Society Limited, Belize, commissioned by the CRFM

“Financing sustainable fisheries management, upgrading infrastructure to withstand climate impacts and deploying advanced innovative technologies, including renewable energy and risk-informed early warning systems are now urgent priorities,” said Cristelle Pratt, Assistant Secretary-General, Environment & Climate Action, Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), in her presentation during the session on climate change.

She added that: “The conundrum we find ourselves in, is that if SIDS have to foot much of the bill to adapt to and mitigate against climate change, they worsen the ocean of debt they are wallowing in now, and which may, in fact, sink SIDS before rising sea levels—another problem they did not cause.”

She expressed concern that financing is inadequate and not easy for SIDS (particularly those in the Africa, Caribbean, and Pacific regions) to access. The OACPS has estimated that SIDS require USD 28.7 billion annually (until 2030) to implement their nationally determined contributions (NDCs) to fight climate change. However, she noted that the NDCs provide an opportunity to secure the  requisite resources to build resilient societies and economies. The 79 ACP States, 39 of which are SIDS, have stewardship over 30% of the world’s oceans, Pratt noted.

The landscape of financing options, she said, covers national public finance, blue bonds, grants, and funds from multilateral development banks. She also pointed to support mechanisms such as the World Bank’s ProBlue and EU Blue Sustainable Ocean Strategy and Blue-Action initiative.

Frédéric Perron-Welch (Green Initiative), Cristelle Pratt (OACPS), Keith Nichols (CCCCC), and Milton Haughton (CRFM) - appearing left to right

Keith E. Nichols, Head, Special Projects, Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC), said that every risk presents an opportunity. As for the risks associated with climate change, Caribbean countries can use the NDC Partnership as a key opportunity to secure the resources needed to build resilient societies and communities. Nichols said that achieving science-based targets means that we have to do what we can, adding that the transition is for our economic benefit.

The partners agreed that genuine and inclusive engagement of stakeholders—especially including the marginalized—underpins the success of future efforts to unite in addressing climate change.

“The fisheries sector maintains food security even after hurricanes or other adverse weather disasters,” said Ambassador H.E. Daven Joseph, Office of the Prime Minister, Antigua and Barbuda. He emphasized the need for development finance to mitigate the effects of climate change and risk insurance for fishers.

Ambassador Joseph asserted that the time has come to look at climate resilience financing through property rights innovative schemes, adding that those now taking over the coastal zone and resources should compensate those who they are replacing and who have been relying on these resources for their livelihoods.

Speaking from the floor, a fisher of Antigua and Barbuda stressed the need for adequate investment and financing so that fishers would be equipped with the requisite resources, including larger, safer and and better boats and equipment, to access the largely untapped deep sea resources.

Dr. Salome Taufa, Resource Economist and Team Leader Fisheries at the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, observed that limited capacity to sustainably develop the sector, as well as challenges related to illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing and overexploitation, are common issues confronting SIDS.

She shared two important initiatives used by the Pacific region: (i) the Hubs and Spokes Project to upscale the sector by using resource-rich, lesser developed locations as suppliers, and more developed locations as hubs for production, trade, and export; and (ii) the establishment of a regional fisheries development fund, which could help to defray the revenue losses expected to occur due to adverse climate change impacts.

She also spoke of the need to change mindsets to expand economic opportunities and improve wealth distribution, and the need to strike a balance between development and  environmental protection.

Dr. Gavin Bellamy, Chief Executive Officer, National Fisheries Authority, Jamaica, said: “How fisheries authorities in the region can address food and nutrition security is with a holistic approach in looking at all facets of the industry from both regulations, and laws and compliance, as well as research and development, to support fishers and to help develop the industry in a sustainable manner.”

Kareem Sabir, Senior Project Officer - Sustainable Development, CARICOM Secretariat, noted the efforts being made under CARICOM’s Vision 25 by 2025 initiative–aimed at reducing the region’s food import bill by 25% by 2025, including imports of fish and other marine products. He informed of plans to develop a CARICOM policy document on ocean management. Additionally, he pointed to the need for a common framework for understanding what is in our oceans, as well as to understand the associated uses and conflicts in a meaningful way, to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past.

“The issue of property rights for fishers is something that must come back to the table and be given serious consideration by governments, because that is the only way you can have sustainable livelihoods and proper planning and development in the industry,” Ambassador Joseph reiterated.

G. Andre Kong, Jamaican fisheries expert, who previously headed Jamaica’s Fisheries Division (now the National Fisheries Authority) said that property rights can be ascribed to users of aquatic resources. He agreed that the right of tenure and right of access to resources are key to ensuring sustainable development of the sector.

Milton Haughton, CRFM Executive Director, highlighted the need to pursue actions aimed at spreading the risks associated with disasters and climate change, with a focus on livelihood diversification, risk insurance, planning and preparedness, and the empowerment of local communities to enhance resilience. He underscored the importance of ensuring that each local community has the resources, knowledge and systems required to harden coastal infrastructure, as well as to establish safe areas of refuge during the passage of severe weather systems.

In surveying the situation in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl, the CRFM Secretariat noted the devastation caused to the island community of Carriacou, Grenada, which took a major hit from the hurricane.  (Photo courtesy June Masters, CRFM Secretariat)

Apart from retooling the sector and enabling fishers to transition to more climate-smart and resilient fishing vessels and gear technology, including underwater fish aggregating devices (or FADs), the Fisheries and Aquaculture sector needs better infrastructure, including safer harbors, jetties, piers, and other infrastructure—a need that must be borne in mind as the Caribbean jurisdictions affected by Hurricane Beryl rebuild their affected sectors and communities in the months and years ahead.

Belize City, Friday, 26 April 2024 (CRFM)—Ministers of responsible for Fisheries, Aquaculture, and the Blue Economy from Member States of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) deliberated today, Friday, 26 April, at the 18th Regular Meeting of the Ministerial Council of the CRFM on the priority actions needed to advance sustainable development of the fisheries and aquaculture sectors, while addressing critical matters such as evidence-based decision-making; climate resilience, including insurance for fishers; illegal unreported, and unregulated fishing; Sargassum seaweed; bolstering regional and global trade; capacity building and knowledge management; and growing the Caribbean blue economy.

Senator the Honourable Avinash Singh, Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Trinidad and Tobago, Outgoing Chair of the CRFM Ministerial Council, handed over the chairmanship to Honourable Josephine Olivia Connolly, Minister of Tourism, Environment, Fisheries and Marine Affairs, Culture and Heritage, Agriculture and Religious Affairs, The Turks and Caicos Islands.

During today’s proceedings, the Ministers approved 32 resolutions providing policy direction and guidance on a wide range of matters such as the updated CARICOM Common Fisheries Policy; training of personnel; improving sanitary and phytosanitary systems for seafood safety and trade; the development of safe products made from Sargassum for use in the agriculture sector; empowering small-scale fishers; collaboration with regional and international development partners; and the assessment and management of various fish species, including pelagic species, shrimp and groundfish, dolphinfish, and flyingfish. The resolutions also addressed the CRFM’s request to the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) for the RV Dr. Fridtjof Nansen to conduct a comprehensive, independent marine resource survey in CARICOM; combating illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and fisheries crimes; the World Trade Organization Fisheries Subsidies Agreement; engagement between the CRFM Member States and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA of the USA), regarding recovery of queen conch stocks; and the development of international legally binding instruments on plastic pollution.

The Council also deliberated upon the latest developments with respect to the decision by US authorities to list the Queen Conch as a threatened species under its Endangered Species Act, which has implications for trade. The Council, therefore, provided direction to CRFM Member States for ensuring a coordinated and collaborative approach across the region to the ongoing engagement on the rules and measures that the US authorities would impose to address the conservation, management, and recovery of the species.

The Ministers also provided guidance on several CRFM projects, including the New Zealand-funded Sargassum Products for Climate Resilience Project, being implemented by the CRFM in partnership with the New Zealand Institute of Plant and Food Research, to support valorization and use of Sargassum seaweed; 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 (BE-CLME+ Project), as well as other new initiatives for strengthening climate resilience in the Fisheries sector of CRFM Member States and strategically positioning small-scale fisheries and aquaculture within the Caribbean blue economy landscape.

Another important item on the Ministerial Council’s agenda was improving data collection on Fisheries through strengthening data collection and management systems in CRFM Member States and promoting aquaculture development.

The Executive Director of the CRFM, Milton Haughton, said, “The ocean space and marine resources constitute the most valuable natural resources available to our countries, and we need to continue to accelerate actions to both protect and realize the full potential of these valuable resources, recognizing that pollution, habitat destruction, climate change, and irresponsible fishing pose significant threats to the health and productivity of our oceans and benefits they provide to our economies.” He also expressed satisfaction with the ongoing positive developments in the region in building capacity, strengthening collaboration and partnerships, mobilizing resources, and implementing policy reforms to achieve sustainable development and conservation of the marine resources.

In his opening remarks to the Council, Minister Singh reflected upon the CRFM’s achievements during the past year: “Significant strides have been made. We hosted critical meetings, including the 17th Regular and the 13th Special Meetings of the Ministerial Council, during which we adopted 39 resolutions [and 2 special resolutions intersessionally] aimed at enhancing the management and sustainability of our marine resources. This past year also saw the implementation of 31 capacity-building events, the participation of over 2,300 stakeholders, and the completion of several strategic assessments and surveys that are critical for informed decision-making.”

He added that, “The fisheries and aquaculture sector remains a cornerstone of economic stability and food security in our region, employing hundreds of thousands and contributing significantly to our national GDPs. Our recent data show a promising increase in both production and employment within the sector, reinforcing the importance of our continued focus and investment.”

The latest information compiled by the CRFM Secretariat on the status and trends across Member States indicates that the ex-vessel value of marine capture fisheries production was 527 million US dollars during 2022, as well as 47 million US dollars in value from both inland aquaculture and mariculture, accounting for a total production value of 574 million US dollars.

Fisheries and aquaculture employ roughly 6% of the labor force in CRFM Member States and contribute up to 3% to national GDPs, with an estimated 550,000 workers benefiting through their active participation, including 138,000 employed in direct production and the others engaged in the supply of goods and services. Notably, the estimated growth in employment for the fisheries and aquaculture sector during 2022 was about 3%.

The Council also approved the CRFM’s Whistleblower Policy 2024, and the new biennial work plan and budget for the 2024-2025, intended to promote further growth and sustainable development of the fisheries and aquaculture sector across the Caribbean.

Belize City, Monday, 25 April 2022 (CRFM)—Fisheries Ministers from countries that comprise the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) met on Friday, 22 April 2022, at their 16^th Regular Meeting, to advance the institution’s strategic actions to build resilience and boost sustainable fisheries and aquaculture production, through targeted initiatives aimed at maximizing sustainable blue economic growth and improving access to international markets, while tackling the scourge of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and transnational organized crime in the industry.

Ministers highlight importance of blue economic growth in reversing declines in fish production and exports resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and in accelerating regional economic development

Before handing over the mantle of leadership to Suriname, the outgoing chair of the CRFM Ministerial Council, Hon. Saboto Ceasar, Minister of Agriculture, Rural Transformation, Forestry and Fisheries of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, emphasized that whereas much had been achieved during the previous year, significant work remained to be done. He informed the meeting that at the 37th session of the FAO Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean (LARC37) held in Ecuador in March 2022, the CRFM Member States reiterated the request to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), for the deployment of the Norwegian Research Vessel (RV) Dr. Fridtjof Nansen, to conduct an independent marine resource survey  of the marine living resources in the waters under the jurisdiction of CARICOM States. During this 16th Meeting of the Ministerial Council, the Ministers reiterated the crucial importance of moving ahead with the research, as it would provide an invaluable evidence base to drive  informed blue economic development across the region, and expedite the region’s economic rebound and recovery from the adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the fisheries and aquaculture sector, which is already beginning to show positive signs of revitalization with more fishers and vessels returning to sea. The Meeting also discussed other ongoing initiatives to strengthen capacity for evidence-based decision making, including the Iceland-funded CARICE Project and FAO/WECAFC-Fisheries Resources Monitoring System (FIRMS) partnership.

Hon. Parmanand Sewdien, Suriname’s Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Husbandry, elected as the new chair of the CRFM Ministerial, presided over the deliberations. The Ministers received updates on several initiatives being implemented by the CRFM Secretariat and Member States in collaboration with regional and international development partners, in the context of the Third CRFM Strategic Plan, spanning 2022 to 2030. These include the US$48 million CAF-FAO-CRFM-GEF supported project on Promoting National Blue Economy Priorities through Marine Spatial Planning in the Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem Plus project (BE-CLME+), which the CRFM hopes will commence later in 2022. The Ministers affirmed that this initiative could contribute greatly to the realization of the target set by the CARICOM Heads of Government at their meeting held during March 2022, to reduce the region’s overall food import bill of around US$5-6 billion by 25% by 2025.

Additionally, the Ministers discussed initiatives which the CRFM and its Member States are undertaking to address the Sargassum inundations that have been affecting the region, including efforts to explore opportunities, through a partnership with New Zealand, to safely harvest Sargassum for the development of products that would enhance the region’s economic and climate resilience. This is being pursued under a three-year project, spanning 2021 to 2023, funded by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) and implemented jointly by the New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited (PFR) and the CRFM.

The Ministers also dealt with the vital need for strengthening the region’s access to international markets, through enhancing fish and seafood quality and safety, with enhanced sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures. The CRFM Secretariat and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), through the 11^th European Development Fund SPS Project, continue to work with Member States and the private sector to build their trading capacity, thereby also contributing to the wider goal of slashing the region’s import bill over the next three years. They also considered the progress of the ongoing negotiations at the World Trade Organisation to prohibit the provision of certain fisheries subsidies that contribute to illegal, unreported and unregulated (or IUU) fishing and overfishing.

The Ministerial Council gave the greenlight for the CRFM Secretariat to work with development partners to facilitate knowledge and technology transfer for integrated multitrophic aquaculture—which enables cost-effective and environmentally friendly expansion of aquaculture, including mariculture. The Ministers also welcomed positive news on the progress of activities under the Japan-funded COASTFISH project, which builds upon a previous Japan-funded co-management project in the region, which has strengthened the conservation, management and sustainable use of coastal marine resources through greater involvement of fishers and coastal communities.

The United Nations has declared 2022 as the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture (IYAFA), to celebrate and improve awareness of the significant role of  small-scale fishers. In welcoming the IYAFA celebrations, the Ministers reaffirmed the importance of the small-scale fisheries and aquaculture for employment, livelihoods, food security and nutrition, and health and wellbeing of the people of the region and acknowledged the CRFM’s preparation of a series of activities, including a high-level policy dialogue with fishers to mainstream small-scale fisheries and aquaculture in the ongoing blue economy dialogue.

Trinidad and Tobago, represented by Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries – Senator the Honourable Avinash Singh, was elected as vice chair at the meeting and is, therefore, next in line to assume the chair of the CRFM Ministerial Council in 2023, when the CRFM will commemorate the 20^th anniversary since its launch with a series of activities that the Ministers approved during this 16^th Meeting of the Council.

The CRFM Executive Director, Milton Haughton, said that this was a very productive meeting. He noted that the Ministers recognized the urgency of addressing the challenges facing the sector and made several decisions that will contribute to a more sustainable, resilient, and productive fisheries and aquaculture sector and ultimately to improved national and regional economic growth, food security and nutrition, livelihoods and well-being of the people of the region.

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