E-Consultation: Seize the opportunity and contribute to the mainstreaming of regional fisheries policies into small-scale fisheries governance arrangements in the Caribbean!

Context

As the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) enters the final stages of preparatory work for the coming into force of aCommon Fisheries Policy(CCCFP), the Regional Network of Fisherfolk Organisations (CNFO), together with the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) and supported by the Technical Centre for Agriculture and Rural Coordination (CTA) has developed this moderated e-consultation to capture additional views and share information among fisherfolks and stakeholders in order to inform advocacy work.

In order to be in a better position to make informed contributions on issues and policy positions relevant to the implementation of regional fisheries policies, you are invited to examine and comment on the following key documents:

·        The Draft Agreement Establishing the Caribbean Community Common Fisheries Policy [Download PDFhere] and

·        The Castries Declaration on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing[Download PDFhere]

However, you are being consulted onyour viewson how best to enhance the contribution of small-scale fisheries to food and nutrition security in the region, and improving livelihood opportunities for fisherfolk and fishing communities that are dependent on the fisheries resources.

How to participate

To access the e-Consultation Forum, visit the website here. You should note that this forum is for discussion purposes only, is strictly informal, and intended to be thought-provoking, with the sole intention of generating wide-ranging debate.

The forum is not an official document of the CRFM Secretariat, CNFO or CTA, and you are entirely free to contribute to this process unofficially and in your personal capacity, if you so desire.

The e-Consultation Forum is a mixture ofquestionnaire, website comments, and e-mail. You are welcome to contribute by registering at the e-Consultation Forum.

We would like to address the following areas during this e-consultation: 

Topic 1:
Taking into account the policy documents enclosed and the issues they raise, how can the various stakeholders (i.e. CARICOM member states, local communities, fisherfolk organisations, private sector, etc.) best contribute to the policy’s implementation? 

Topic 2:
How would the policy impact on the following key policy areas:
- Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries
- Food and Nutrition Security
- Disaster Risk Management
- Adaptation to Climate Change

We warmly encourage you to forward this message to your networks and invite them to contribute also.

The e-consultation will run for ten days from 4 November 2013 to 14 November 2013. Once you are registered, you may post your comments online in the e-Consultation Forumhere. You can also participate bydirect email to the Forum.

Please note that responses are not automatically shared but go to the moderator for compilation. The Forum is governed by ourhouse rules.

We look forward to receiving your contributions. Thank you for your participation!

Julius Gittens
e-Consultation Moderator

Across the Caribbean, the fisheries sector employs over 182,000 persons, directly or indirectly. Whereas commercial fisheries play a key role in helping to secure foreign exchange earnings in the region, small-scale fisheries is far more dominant in supplying badly needed jobs, as well as ensuring food security and good nutrition across states.