Belize City, Belize, 23 March 2026 (CRFM)—Fishers from the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) recently concluded a very successful exchange in Grenada. From March 16-19, a delegation of six fishers, supported by two fisheries officers, gained firsthand knowledge on the construction and deployment of fish aggregating devices (FADs). FADs can be very effective in attracting fish in the open sea, thereby boosting production, exports, and economic impacts. The Turks and Caicos Islands hopes to also reap these long-term benefits from the recent fisher exchange. 

Representatives of Grenada, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and the CRFM Secretariat based in Belize partnered to provide invaluable hands-on learning on FAD fishing technology for sustainable livelihoods 

(Photo: Minister of Blue Economy and Marine Affairs, Grenada)

 Grenada’s FAD technology has been modernized under the World Bank-funded project titled, Unleashing the Blue Economy of the Caribbean (UBEC), which commenced implementation in 2022. However, Grenada was also one of six Member States of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) which benefited from the mainstreaming of FAD fishing technology under the Japan-funded Caribbean Fisheries Co-management (CARIFICO) project, implemented between 2012-2017 in partnership with the CRFM. Since then, the CRFM has been facilitating knowledge transfer to other Member States, building upon this foundational work. It previously facilitated a similar exchange through which Grenada also shared its FAD expertise with Jamaica. This exchange, executed through the fisheries authorities in Grenada and TCI, was also facilitated by the CRFM.

Grenada’s Minister of Blue Economy and Marine Affairs, Hon. Lennox Andrews, said: “I see this as one very good example where, as a people, we can come together and work together to share our knowledge, share experiences, and create the competence and the human resources that we all need to develop our region.”

CRFM Deputy Executive Director, Dr. Sandra Grant, noted that this fisher exchange will provide TCI fishers with an initial understanding of FAD technology and an opportunity to reflect on how it can be applied in the Turks and Caicos Islands to provide year-round income generation for fishers.

The goal of the fisher exchange was to strengthen regional fisheries cooperation and support sustainable livelihoods. The visit of the TCI delegation to Grenada provided valuable hands-on exposure to Grenada’s well-established FAD fishery, allowing participants to observe operations, fishing techniques, and the harvesting of key pelagic species, including yellowfin tunas weighing over 100 pounds. Participants also took part in the construction of FADs, gaining practical, technical experience that will be directly applicable to TCI’s planned FAD pilot programme. 

Turks and Caicos Islands fishers learn to build FADs in Grenada

(Photo: Minister of Blue Economy and Marine Affairs, Grenada)

By the end of the fisher exchange, it was clear that the Grenada experience—which enabled TCI fishers to witness the scale and efficiency of Grenada’s FAD operations—had a monumental impact upon the fishers who participated. In a closing session held last Thursday, Mr. David Clare said, “It’s the greatest fishing [technology] I’ve ever seen in my life, and it works perfectly!”

Another fisher, Mr. Kevin Harvey, noted how effective the FADs were in capturing fish in the middle of the ocean compared with trolling from shore to where the FADs had been deployed.

For his part, Mr. Dwaine Cox shared Mr. Clare’s enthusiasm for this invaluable learning opportunity. He said that they have been talking for a while about the need for the TCI to diversify its fishing industry, and the time has now come to do so.

 FADs deliver prized catch (105 lbs)

(Photo: Minister of Blue Economy and Marine Affairs, Grenada)

The Director of the TCI’s Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources Management, Mr. Alwyn R. Ponteen, stated: “The Department deeply values the traditional knowledge and dedication of the TCI fishers. They demonstrate a readiness to embrace new techniques with a progressive mindset. This programme represents a strategic and sustainable investment in the youths, men, and women who form the backbone of our fisheries sector. It also advances our collective commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): 2, 8 and 14 - 'Zero Hunger', 'Decent Work and Economic Growth' and 'Life Below Water', respectively.”

Mr. Nigel Gibbs, Chief Fisheries Officer (Ag.), Fisheries Division, Grenada, said: “We do look forward to continued collaboration and believe that this is the beginning of a lasting Caribbean relationship that will grow stronger in the future."

The collaborators expressed their gratitude to Jamaica for its hospitality towards the TCI delegation during their stopover on their way to Grenada.

 The TCI delegation with Dr. Grant of the CRFM

(Photo: Minister of Blue Economy and Marine Affairs, Grenada)

The Turks and Caicos Islands Government (TCIG) remains resolute in its commitment to develop a sustainable FAD fishery as part of its Sustainable Livelihoods Strategy. TCIG plans to launch its FAD pilot programme in the coming months. This will include robust stakeholder consultations, FAD construction and deployment, development of a fisheries management plan grounded in best practices, and advancement of the necessary legislative reforms to support a sustainable FAD fishery.

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St. George’s, Grenada, 13 May 2015 (CRFM): Fisheries Ministers from Member States of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) are expected to sign off on the Declaration on Spiny Lobster by way of a resolution, when they convene the 9th Meeting of the Ministerial Council of the CRFM on Friday, 15 May 2015 at Flamboyant Hotel in St. George's, Grenada.

The non-binding declaration establishes a roadmap for closer cooperation among the 17 CARICOM/CRFM States to ensure long-term conservation and sustainable use of the lobster resources.

The Ministerial Council meeting is scheduled to open at 9:00 a.m. The feature address will be delivered by Honourable Roland Bhola, Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Grenada, who will assume the chairmanship of the Council on the occasion of the meeting from Honourable Johnson Drigo, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Dominica.

Milton Haughton, Executive Director of the CRFM Secretariat in Belize, said: “This is another important policy-level meeting of the CRFM Member States as they seek to strengthen cooperative arrangements, to realize the full development potential of the fisheries and aquaculture sector in the region.

“Our vision and long-term goal is to transform the region’s fisheries and aquaculture into sustainable systems, in order to optimize the sector’s contribution to food and nutritional security, improved livelihoods and wealth generation, through the application of science and technology, good governance, and inclusive, sustainable development strategies.”

When they meet this Friday, the Caribbean Fisheries Ministers will be reviewing the progress being made in the implementation of existing policy instruments and programs. In charting the way forward, they will also make decisions on the next steps in the transformation process.

High on their agenda will be the endorsement of the process now underway to develop the Plan of Action to facilitate the implementation of the Caribbean Community Common Fisheries Policy (CCCFP).

The Fisheries Ministers will also discuss an initiative recently announced by the Government of the United States during the Caribbean Energy Summit on climate risk insurance for the Caribbean fisheries sector. This is in line with efforts to achieve Climate Smart Food Security (CSFS) using a Risk Insurance Facility (RIF).

The Ministerial Council will finally receive a full report on the outcome and recommendations of the 13th Meeting of the Caribbean Fisheries Forum, held in St. George’s, Grenada at the end of March this year.

The Ministerial Council of the CRFM is the arm of the CRFM which has primary responsibility for determining the policies of the organisation, resource allocation, cooperative agreements, and related decision-making.