Anguilla 
Antigua and Barbuda 
Grenada 
Bahamas 
Barbados 
Belize 
Dominica 
Guyana 
Haiti 
Jamaica 
Montserrat 
St. Kitts and Nevis 
St. Lucia 
St. Vincent and the Grenadines 
Suriname 
Trinidad and Tobago 
Turks and Caicos 
Sustainable Fisheries Management and Development Suite of Laws for the Barbados Fisheries Sector
Shelly-Ann Cox, Najla King, Christopher Parker, Gregory Franklin, Colvin Taylor, Therese Moore, Khyle Pooler, Adriel Jackman and Seymour Nurse
Fisheries Division, Bridgetown, Barbados
Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
ABSTRACT
The Sustainable Fisheries Management and Development suite of laws are part of a legislative reform project for Barbados’ fishing industry which commenced in 2019 under the auspices of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Blue Economy. This comprehensive and cutting-edge legislative framework aims to realize to the highest level the potential of Barbados’ fisheries sector and chart the way forward to sustainable development. The suite of laws is two-prong. The draft Sustainable Fisheries Management and Development Act and its regulations provides the legislative framework for the pre-harvest and harvest aspects of the fisheries sector, whereas the draft Sustainable Fisheries Management and Development (Seafood Markets and Businesses) Act, and its regulations, provides the legislative framework for the post-harvest sector. The new Fisheries Management Regulations (2023) will also be subsumed under the new Act. The suite covers a wide spectrum of areas to support fisheries governance and an adaptive co-management approach. It also presents innovative legal regimes including corporate social responsibility in fisheries, fisheries-specific payment for ecosystem services schemes, seafood traceability and fraud prevention in fisheries, and the creation of the Barbados Institute for fisheries and fisheries-related studies.
The suite of laws was approved by Cabinet on 18 May 2023 after several consultations with stakeholders at different points along the fisheries value chain. Since then, the drafting instructions have been sent to the Chief Parliamentary Counsel to be formalised. Further consultation with stakeholders is anticipated after the bill is drafted, followed by the formal presentation and debate in Parliament. Once enacted, the suite of laws will repeal and replace the existing 1993 Fisheries Act, Cap. 391.
HOW TO CITE: Cox, S-A., N. King, C. Parker, G. Franklin, C. Taylor, T. Moore, K. Pooler, A. Jackman and S. Nurse, 2026. Sustainable Fisheries Management and Development Suite of Laws for the Barbados Fisheries Sector. Contribution 2.3, p56-63 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=901
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