Applications are invited from interested and suitably qualified Belizean nationals to fill the position of PROJECT CORDINATOR – Sargassum Products for Climate Resilience Project in the Caribbean, in the office of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) Secretariat, Belize City, Belize. The contract period will run from 19 April 2021 to 19 August 2021.

Full details of the position may be obtained by accessing the following website - www.crfm.int or contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Applications in English Language with full curriculum details, including nationality, work experience, educational qualifications, summary of professional skills and/or expertise, coordinates (including e-mail addresses) of two referees (who must be familiar with the applicant’s work), and other relevant information, should be addressed to the Executive Director, Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) Secretariat, Belize City, Belize, and sent by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The deadline for the submission of applications is 9 April 2021.

On 4 December 2020, CRFM’s Continental Shelf Fisheries Working Group (CSWG), supported by over 20 national, regional and international fisheries experts, commended both Guyana and Suriname for their organized approaches to sustainable management of the countries’ Atlantic seabob (shrimp) trawl fisheries. These seabob trawl fisheries are certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), which recognizes good standards in fisheries management practices. The MSC label gives Guyana’s and Suriname’s seabob products the competitive edge on the international market!

The regional peer expert group reviewed the progress made on management plans, with special attention being given to how the countries were addressing MSC conditions and recommendations, and piloting agreed new harvest control rules adopted in 2019. The countries were also commended for their active engagement with private sector partners for management cooperation, and with the regional and international NGO and donor communities for research support.

A strong commendation came from the National Coordinator for the REBYC-II LAC[1] project in Suriname, Dr. Tomas Willems. Willems remarked that “It is great to see Suriname and Guyana working together on the management of their seabob fisheries, exchanging information and lessons learned, and jointly tackling research and stock assessment. Assuming that stocks of many more species are potentially shared among the countries of the Guianas - North-Brazil shelf, the seabob fishery provides an important example of how cross-border collaboration can look like in practice.”

During the review of 4 December, both Suriname and Guyana, were able to demonstrate well organized plans and approaches for guiding their seabob trawl fishery management activities. The two countries did highlight some delays and disruptions to their activities caused by the COVID-19 pandemic situation. The industry pointed out that the pandemic had affected its operations as well. The Working Group meeting heard that Suriname had to extend the pilot trial period for the harvest control rule to allow for more comprehensive evaluation of performance of the rule through the natural fluctuations of catches through time, that is, through both low and high seabob production months. Notwithstanding, the pilot trials had allowed Suriname to adjust and refine its systems and procedures for data and information management to cope with the monthly monitoring of catch rates and estimations of the harvest control rule index. The outputs were then used to determine if and by how much the industry would have to adjust its fishing effort levels over time. Guyana had not yet begun pilot trials of its harvest control rule, but indicated that such trials would begin in 2021.

During the review, some key issues of concern were raised in respect of the harvest control rule application and of the catch rate data. If the harvest control rule required industry adjustment actions, the time lag for action was 2 months, but the industry indicated that this time lag may in fact be too long. The Working Group recalled that the best available data and science were applied to the 2019 assessments, and also recalled that its 2019 meeting had identified certain additional data and information, which if made available, could help to improve the quality of the catch rate estimation and, in turn, the quality of seabob assessment results and associated harvest control rules.

In conclusion, the Working Group commended the countries for their planning, monitoring, and reporting efforts, and for the completed harvest control rule trials. The Working Group also agreed to convene a meeting early in 2021, which would devote attention to data and information improvements for the next full seabob stock assessment.

The Continental Shelf Working Group Meeting was chaired by CRFM’s Deputy Executive Director, Susan Singh-Renton. Singh-Renton noted that “In 2019, the CRFM responded to a request by both Guyana and Suriname for regional coordination and peer review of scientific assessments of the seabob shrimp stocks fished by their trawl fisheries. The scientific assessments were successfully facilitated by CRFM’s Continental Shelf Fisheries Working Group, which then also agreed to keep under review the implementation of agreed inter-sessional activities, and this work is ongoing. The inter-sessional activities have been planned to ensure that all the MSC conditions and recommendations are fully met”.

Photo Caption: Seabob trawler operating off the coast of Suriname (Photo Credit: Tomas Willems, National Coordinator for the REBYC-II LAC project in Suriname)

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[1] REBYC-II LAC project is the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation supported Project entitled, “Sustainable Management of Bycatch in Latin America and Caribbean Trawl Fisheries”

Applications are invited from interested and suitably qualified nationals of the CARICOM/CRFM Member States to fill the position of Deputy Executive Director,  Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) Secretariat with assigned duty station in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Full details of the position may be obtained by clicking “Job Vacancy” or by clicking the attachments below.

Applications in English Language with full curriculum details including nationality, work experience, educational qualifications, summary of professional skills and/or expertise, language proficiency, list of professional publications, contact information (including e-mail addresses) of three referees (at least two of whom must be familiar with the applicant’s work), and other relevant information, should be addressed to:

        Executive Director, CRFM Secretariat, Belize City, P.O. Box 642, Belize and sent by   email to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The deadline for the submission of applications is 15 January 2021. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted in February 2021 to arrange interviews. The position will remain open until filled.

 The CRFM Secretariat is soliciting Calls for Expressions of Interest under the CLME+ Flyingfish Sub-Project for the following assignments:

(i)  Technical support for printing and dissemination of Eastern Caribbean Flyingfish Fishery Management Plan 2020 - 2025 and ancillary public relations items (Deadline for submission of EIO: 23rd November 2020 at 3:00p.m. (GMT-6))

(ii) Technical Support to effect the application of impact assessment tools for the outputs of the  CLME+ flyingfish sub-project in the following Flyingfish countries (Deadline for submission of EIO: 16th November 2020 at 3:00p.m. (GMT-6))

 - Barbados

- Dominica
- Grenada
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Trinidad and Tobago

The completed Proposals must be submitted within the deadline stipulated. Proposals are to be submitted electronically to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  and copied to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  as  indicated in the Calls for Expressions of Interest.

The email subject line should indicate the EOI Reference.

Calls for Expressions of Interest can be accessed here for detail information.  The CRFM Flyingfish Impact Assessment Tool is to be used in carrying out the Impact Assessment for assignment (ii)

A rapid assessment conducted by the CRFM Secretariat during May 2020, suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic poses a significant threat to livelihoods in the fisheries sector and to food security. It appears that as a result of the safety measures put in place to stem the spread of the virus, the supply chain has been impacted in various ways including: disruptions in air/sea freight, transportation logistics, and processing; reduced access to fish and seafood, and inadequate storage facilities. The reduced demand has directly affected fisherfolk livelihoods, and the majority of fisherfolk have been unable to meet living expenses due to reduced incomes.

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