Marine aquaculture—also known as mariculture—is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish and shrimp in the ocean or coastal environments using systems like floating cages, sea pens, or coastal ponds. Unlike inland aquaculture, mariculture harnesses the sea’s natural resources to sustainably produce seafood. It offers the potential to reduce reliance on imports, generate employment, and support coastal livelihoods, while also promoting innovation through hatcheries, improved feeds, and integrated multi-trophic systems.

The Caribbean is uniquely positioned for success in this sector, with clean waters, suitable native species, and growing demand for healthy, locally farmed seafood. Yet many CARICOM states still import over half of their fish, highlighting the urgent need to build local capacity. This webinar series will bring together leading experts and practitioners to share the technical and strategic knowledge required to unlock mariculture potential and build resilience across the region.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has released four (4) recordings from the Caribbean Mariculture Webinar Series, held during September to October 2025. This series was organized under the CARICOM Sub-Regional Mariculture Project.

The initiative is designed to strengthen national and regional capacity in marine aquaculture, with a focus on practical knowledge transfer that supports food security, economic growth, and sustainable coastal development.

Full Playlist 

 Unlocking Mariculture potential in the Caribbean

Building and Managing Cage Farms: Engineering and Daily Operations for Finfish Grow-Out

From Hatch to Sea: Broodstock, Larval Rearing, and Fingerling Transport for Marine Finfish

Feeding the future: Marine Finfish Nutrition and Local Feed Opportunities

Information and resources courtesy UN FAO.

The Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) Secretariat’s new Programme Manager – Climate Change & Blue Economy Development Policy, Planning, and Management, Ms. Sanya Compton, delivered opening remarks on behalf of the CRFM at the Blue Justice Conference 2025, on Tuesday, 2 December, in UN City, Copenhagen.

She addressed two key issues at the heart of the conference theme: “United in Action against Fisheries Crimes.” These are transnational organised crime in the fishing industry, including illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing; as well as the need for strong partnerships to strengthen responsible, sustainable management of our fisheries and other ocean assets.

In her remarks, Ms. Compton flagged four (4) perils of IUU fishing:

1. It undermines the foundation of sustainable fisheries management;
2. It erodes confidence in legal frameworks;
3. It destabilizes regional markets; and
4. It threatens the long-term viability of target species.

She urged stakeholders to strengthen their resolve and partnerships, and reaffirm their commitment to safeguarding the marine resources that provide food security, livelihoods, resilience, and rich cultural value.

She underlined the vital importance of strong strategic partnerships for addressing the challenges of IUU fishing and fisheries-related crimes and to responsibly manage our fisheries, our oceans, and all aspects of our Blue Economy.

Mr. Virun Lutchman, Environmental Crime Lead, Caribbean Community Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (CARICOM IMPACS), Blue Justice Caribbean Hub, presented on data and digital technology in addressing fisheries crime.

Three CRFM Member States offered their country insights. Ms. Wynnona Joseph, Senior Fisheries Officer, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Blue and Green Economy, presented for the Commonwealth of Dominica; H.E. Noersalim Mike Mohamed Faizel, Minister of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, presented via digital recording for Suriname; and H.E. Floyd O’Brian Green, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, delivered a live digital presentation for Jamaica.

Jamaica also participated in a discussion on regional cooperation. H.E. Green, and Dr. Gavin Bellamy, Chief Executive Officer of the National Fisheries Authority, Jamaica, shared their experiences with hosting and administrating the Blue Justice Caribbean Hub - the first of its kind under the Blue Justice Initiative.

Prior to traveling to Copenhagen, Ms. Compton had attended a Global Affairs Canada (GAC) Results-Based Management (RBM) Training–a three-day event held in Jamaica–with CRFM's Sherron Barker, Regional Project Coordinator of the Global Affairs Canada/CRFM STAR-Fish Project. The training provided insights into GACs RBM concepts and tools, allowing participants to explore RBM methodology and practice to improve project management, decision-making and reporting. The training also addressed the conceptualization of and process for the development of logic models and theory of change.

Ms. Compton was appointed in September 2025 to take up a newly created post within the CRFM Secretariat–Programme Manager – Climate Change & Blue Economy Development Policy, Planning, and Management–in line with the CRFM’s strategic direction for the period 2022-2030.

Some specific elements covered under her portfolio are:

Policy and Programme Development and Implementation: Lead the planning and development of policies, implementation and monitoring of programs and projects addressing climate change impacts, adaptation and mitigation, and blue economy development focused on the marine living resources.

Blue Economic Development: Design and implement blue economy programs that enhance sustainable fisheries, aquaculture, marine tourism, and ocean-based livelihoods; identify investment opportunities and partnerships for the blue economy within the Caribbean region; promote gender-inclusive and socially equitable approaches to blue economic development.

Capacity-Building and Stakeholder Engagement: Support institutional and analytical capacity building on policy analysis, formulation, and implementation for sustainable management of fisheries, climate change adaptation, blue economic and aquaculture development.

Ms. Compton–who holds over 15 years of experience in the sector and a Master of Science Degree in Marine Science from Savannah State University in Georgia, USA–has been working with the CRFM Secretariat since May 2023. She started out providing consultancy services to support the portfolio for Fisheries Management and Development. After completing that consultancy, she was hired as Research Graduate, Research and Resource Assessment and retained that role until her recent Programme Manager appointment.

Event photos courtesy Peter A. Murray, CRFM Advisor, Fisheries Management and Development.

Fisheries and aquaculture, including mariculture, supports food security, sustainable livelihoods, trade, employment, and even cross-sectoral growth across the Caribbean economy—both the blue and the green economies which span sectors across terrestrial and coastal marine expanses.

Small-scale fisheries and aquaculture in Member States of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) employ almost 540,000 people, including women and youth, accounting for 6% of the labour force of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), according to data compiled and analysed by Mrs. June Masters, Statistics and Information Analyst at the CRFM Secretariat.

Across the seventeen CRFM Member States, almost 130,000 fishers—approximately 10% of them females—harvested an estimated 150,000 tonnes of seafood valued at US$527 million during 2023, from the marine capture fisheries.

Since 2003, the domestic marine capture fisheries of CRFM Member States had contributed 40% to total sector production, whereas the high seas fisheries (still active only in Belize) added 58%, and aquaculture (including seamoss mariculture) - 2% to the total fish production.

Marine capture fisheries production stood at 335,196 tonnes (in live weight) in 2023, although over the prior 21 years (2003-2024), the annual average was 389,473 tonnes.

From 2023 to 2024, CRFM Member States imported approximately 87,200 tonnes of fish and fish products valued at US$ 348.4 million annually, while the countries exported 47,000 tonnes valued at US$ 231 million.

For the period spanning 2004 to 2022, the annual average value of seafood traded between CARICOM countries was estimated at US$50 million. The fish exports with the highest average values were fish fillets and frozen fish. Exports across the region included live fish, fish dried, salted or in brine, and smoked fish.

Noting an overall decline in marine capture fisheries production and an opportunity to improve growth and employment in the fisheries and aquaculture sector across CARICOM, Ministers responsible for fisheries, aquaculture and the blue economy in CRFM Member States took a bold and decisive move to set new goals. The Ministers deliberated and formulated their decisions during the 16^th Special Meeting of the Ministerial Council of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM)—an institution of CARICOM—convened on September 30, 2025, in Saint Kitts and Nevis, during Caribbean Week of Agriculture 2025.

Leveraging data to improve production and earnings

At its 14^th Special Meeting convened during the 18^th Caribbean Week of Agriculture, held in 2024 in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the Council had stressed the need for the CRFM to take the lead in transforming the statistics and information into actionable knowledge through focused assessments and analyses of the data. It charged the CRFM Secretariat to develop prescriptive measures geared at optimising Caribbean blue economic growth and sustainable aquaculture (including mariculture), as well as to improve the production metrics and earnings for those working in the sector across CRFM Member States. At its recently held meeting, the Council set a timeline of early 2026 for the CRFM Secretariat to report back on actions taken to deliver upon this mandate.

Strengthening CARICOM’s Labour Force

Via Resolution No. SMC 16 (02) of 2025, passed in September 2025, the Council furthermore requested the development of an action plan for increasing employment in the fisheries and aquaculture sector over the next 5 years, from the current reported level of 6% of the CARICOM labour force.

It recommended that attention be given to value-added products and processing as a means of boosting employment opportunities in the fisheries and aquaculture (including mariculture) sector.

Boosting intraregional trade in CARICOM

Another noteworthy decision passed by the Council is its directive for the CRFM Secretariat to present a special report to the Council for adoption in 2026, on strategies for improving fisheries trade—with a focus on intraregional trade—using the lessons learned from experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The CRFM Ministerial Council showed keen interest in reports from the CRFM Secretariat signaling that intra-regional trade yielded notable improvements during the pandemic and post-pandemic period. Intra-regional trade—that is, trade in fisheries and aquaculture products between CARICOM countries—accounts for approximately 15% of CARICOM’s regional trade, according to data available to the CRFM.

For the period spanning 2004 to 2022, the annual average value of seafood traded between CARICOM countries was estimated at US$50 million. The fish exports with the highest average values were fish fillets and frozen fish. Exports across the region included live fish, fish dried, salted or in brine, and smoked fish.

Tuesday, 1 December 2025 (CRFM)—Mr. Peter A. Murray, Advisor, Fisheries Management and Development, represented the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) Secretariat at the Second Annual Food Security Forum, hosted by Blue Ventures in Belize City on Friday, 28 November.

Mrs. Breanna Mossiah-Conorquie, Blue Ventures Country Director, delivered the Opening Remarks. She stated that this forum is essentially being hosted by fishers. 

"Their input can be the foundation of efficient food systems. Local knowledge can guide action at the national level," she added.

She explained that Blue Ventures' strategy is based  on a bottom-up approach, with human rights principles being central.

Murray said that at the Forum, Belizean fishers in the opening panel emphasised the importance of their involvement in the decision making process. He added that they are also concerned about legal restrictions that prevent training of younger persons (under 18 years) by not allowing hands-on, at sea, involvement. Views were also expressed that fishers are limited in resources to find new fishing grounds, given that (1) the traditional ones seem to be showing signs of depletion and (2) they do not want to encroach on protected areas. 

Forum attendees also discussed the importance of investigating how "deep sea" fishing can benefit fishers' livelihoods, especially with increases in protected areas, as well as the need to sensitise markets with regard to "new" target or caught species. It was also noted that receiving feedback from the Belize Fisheries Department on stock status is imperative.

 Panel members from left to right: Mr. Carlos Arevalo of Chunox Fishermen Association; Mr. Mark Thompson of Wabafu Fishermen Association; Ms. Isela Martinez of Blue Water Fishermen Association; Mr. Marley Nunez of Yugadan Fisherfolk Association; and Mr. Victor Jacobs of Southern Grassroots Fishers Association. Moderator (standing) Jennifer Chapman, independent consultant and conservationist

 FAO representatives–Mr. Jeffy V. Gomez, FAO Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Management Project Specialist (left), and Mr. Armando Aban, FAO National Consultant for Belize–presenting on their support to fisheries and coastal zone management in Belize

The FAO representatives outlined the FAO's work in Belize on agriculture, blue economic development and school feeding programmes. Among the work done by the FAO is a gender analysis of the fisheries sector and based on this, a gender strategy and action plan with an M&E strategy were also formulated. Other achievements include a vulnerability and livelihood assessment for 4 communities and the development of a National Adaptation Strategy for Fisheries and Coastal Zone.

An FAO study has shown that 5.9% of Belize's population suffers from severe food insecurity and 45% from moderate food insecurity. The FAO supports school feeding programmes, and 78 schools (serving 15,000 children) were benefiting. It was noted that no fish is included in the feeding programme, so there is an opportunity for fishers to contribute.

 Mr. Nestor Perez of National Fishermen Cooperative Society Limited spoke on "the business of seafood security" and expressed the hope that improvements will come soon!

Mr. Murray’s presentation focused on CARICOM Regional Food Security Policies, with an emphasis on the Protocol on Aquatic Foods as a Strategic Resource for Food and Nutrition Security under the Caribbean Community Common Fisheries Policy (CCCFP), which the CRFM Ministerial Council approved in 2023 as a part of the Policy.

He underlined the importance of fish and seafood in the diet of the Caribbean people. He said that fish and seafood represent healthier options in terms of protein content and other health benefits and can contribute positively to a reduction in lifestyle diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes.

Mr. Murray added that CARICOM’s “large ocean states” are dependent on fishing for food, social welfare, employment, among other things. Notwithstanding efforts to boost seafood production and access, he said, the region is still a major importer of the commonly consumed fish and seafood. Murray said that for shifts in consumption to occur, attention needs to be given to production, utilization, legal framework, and education to facilitate and support sustainability and proper management of the resources; support by governments for the strengthening of the fisheries sector; and public education with respect to the choice of fish and seafood that would provide optimum benefits and minimum disadvantage.

The CARICOM Regional Food and Nutrition Security Policy, approved in 2010, addresses:

• FOOD AVAILABILITY: Promote the sustainable production of safe, affordable, nutritious, good quality Caribbean food commodities/products;
• FOOD ACCESS: Ensure access of Caribbean households and individuals to sufficient,  nutritious affordable food at all times;
• FOOD UTILIZATION/NUTRITIONAL ADEQUACY: Promote the commercialization and consumption of safe, affordable, nutritious, quality Caribbean food commodities/products; and
• FOOD STABILITY: Improve the food and nutrition security resilience of the region to natural and socio-economic shocks and climate change.

Meanwhile, the CRFM's Protocol on Aquatic Foods as a Strategic Resource for Food and Nutrition Security under the Caribbean Community Common Fisheries Policy aims to support the sustainable use of fish and seafood as a strategic resource for food and nutrition security for the peoples of the Caribbean. 

Mr. Murray also noted that the CARICOM enabling frameworks established by the Caribbean Community Common Fisheries Policy and its Protocol on Securing Small-Scale Fisheries and the CARICOM Regional Food and Nutrition Security Policy provide a coherent and comprehensive framework for identifying, financing, implementing, and monitoring an integrated set of concrete actions.

These policy instruments, he explained, guide the region’s collective efforts to achieve the objectives of food availability; food access; proper food utilisation for good health, nutrition and well-being; and stable and sustained food supply; as well as providing opportunities to reassess and refocus Member States’ policies, programmes and investments at the national and regional levels.

As COP30 begins in Brazil, bringing together global leaders to address the escalating climate crisis, this short article will focus on a critical and imminent climate tipping point: the potential breakdown of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) and its impacts on Caribbean fisheries and countries. For CARICOM States, which already face existential threats from increasingly powerful hurricanes, sea-level rise, altered rainfall patterns, and destabilization of coastal ecosystems and marine living resources, the demise of the AMOC could have dire and immediate consequences, demanding urgent attention from the international community and national and regional policy-makers. The breakdown of the AMOC, often referred to as a slowdown of the ocean's "conveyor belt," would dramatically destabilize and alter global and regional weather, rainfall, the marine environment, fish stocks, and undermine the national economies, food security, and livelihoods across the region.

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Belize City, Belize, 9 October 2025 (CRFM)— The Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) sealed its first bilateral accord with the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) on Tuesday, September 30, 2025. The signing was executed during the Sixteenth Special Meeting of the CRFM Ministerial Council, held in Saint Kitts and Nevis during Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA)—an annual event convened by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat.

The signatories of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) are Dr. Marc Williams, Executive Director of the CRFM Secretariat, and H.E. Dr. Didacus Jules, Director General of the OECS. Dr. Williams hails the MoU as a pivotal instrument for solidifying and strengthening the established relationship between the CRFM and the OECS—8 of whose members are also members of the CRFM. These countries are Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

H.E. Dr. Didacus Jules, Director General of the OECS (left), with Dr. Marc Williams, Executive Director of the CRFM Secretariat, at the signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding during CWA 2025

(Photo: Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources, Saint Kitts and Nevis)

Dr. Williams said: “For many years, the CRFM and the OECS have collaborated on initiatives to support their respective Member States… The informal relationship has worked well for both the CRFM and the OECS, but there is a need to establish official relations. As a result, the signing of the MoU will initiate a collaboration that will guide and formalize cooperation between the CRFM and the OECS for the execution of related and relevant activities in specific areas of fisheries-related matters.”

Dr. Jules said that the MoU, which spans 2025 to 2028, “represents bringing the collaboration between the OECS and the CRFM to a whole new level. It covers governance and management of fisheries, providing support for further integration in the Blue Economy sector... building resilience, harmonization of safety at sea programs, insurance products for fishers, making available information and guidance to support fisheries research, and joint research initiatives, economic development for fisherfolk and communities... focusing on empowerment of youth and women in the fisheries value chain, agriculture and fisheries linkages, trade markets and business development.”

On September 9, 2025, the CRFM also signed an MoU with the University of the West Indies. On that occasion, Dr. Williams signed for the CRFM, while Professor Carl Justin Robinson, Campus Principal of the University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus, based in Antigua and Barbuda, signed on behalf of UWI.

The CRFM (inaugurated in 2003) and the OECS (established in 1981) strengthen their collaboration with signing of a new MoU.

(Photo: Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources, Saint Kitts and Nevis)

Dr. Williams commented that the 5-year MoU between the CRFM and UWI, which will be executed through the UWI Five Island Campus in Antigua and Barbuda, will foster the establishment of a mutually beneficial relationship for educational and academic collaboration in the areas of mutual interest. These include the blue economy development, marine spatial planning, climate change adaptation, ecosystems resilience, and resource mobilization.

He noted that the Centre of Excellence for Oceanography and the Blue Economy (COBE)—a collaboration between the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, the University of the West Indies, the Commonwealth Secretariat, and the Association of Commonwealth Universities—will support the CRFM in its efforts to advance blue economy development in the Caribbean, in collaboration with regional and global partners.

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Belize City, Belize, 7 October 2025 (CRFM)—Four Caribbean countries—Anguilla, The Bahamas, Dominica, and Montserrat—have signed on to the Agreement Establishing the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), formalizing their membership in the 22-year-old institution, inaugurated in Belize City, Belize, in March 2003. The momentous signing was done en bloc at the Sixteenth Special Meeting of the CRFM Ministerial Council, held during the recently concluded Caribbean Week of Agriculture, hosted by Saint Kitts and Nevis under the auspices of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat.

Dr. Marc Williams, Executive Director of the CRFM Secretariat, welcomed the decisive move by the 4 Caribbean countries, which have been actively involved in the CRFM, which is an intergovernmental CARICOM institution.

The heads of delegations who signed the CRFM Agreement on Tuesday, 30 September 2025, on behalf of their respective governments are:

• Honourable Kyle Hodge, Minister of Economic Development, Industry, Commerce, Lands, Planning, Water, and Natural Resources, Anguilla;
• Mr. Montez Williams, Undersecretary in the Ministry of Agriculture & Marine Resources, The Bahamas;
• Honourable Roland Royer, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Blue and Green Economy, Dominica; and
• Honourable John Patrick Osborne, Minister of Agriculture, Lands, Housing, Environment, Youth Affairs, and Sports, Montserrat. 

From left to right: Mr. Montez Williams (The Bahamas), Hon. Roland Royer (Dominica), Hon. John P. Osborne (Montserrat), and Hon. Kyle Hodge (Anguilla) sign the CRFM Agreement en bloc

Dr. Williams said: “Currently, there are 17 Member States of the CRFM that have been actively involved in the effective management of the organization. The CRFM prides itself on meeting the needs of its members with the available resources. When attracting resources to support the implementation of our work program and alleviate the financial burden on Member States, the CRFM is frequently asked about its governance framework.” 

CRFM Executive Director, Dr. Marc Williams (center), welcomes the decisive move by Anguilla, The Bahamas, Dominica, and Montserrat to formalize their membership in the CRFM

He noted that the CRFM has adopted several key policies to improve its governance framework, including:

• The Caribbean Community Common Fisheries Policy (CCCFP), which enables participating States to collectively undertake the scientific research and studies necessary to determine the status of fish stocks, determine available fishing opportunities, and develop rational harvest strategies and fisheries management plans to ensure optimum sustainable use of the resources and protect the ecosystems;
• The Personal Data Protection Policy, which ensures that the roles and responsibilities of employees of the CRFM Secretariat (with respect to protecting personal data) are clearly defined, understood, and followed by all employees, and which provides procedural guidance on how the CRFM Secretariat and its governance bodies will implement the Policy;
• The Anti-Bribery and Anti-Corruption Policy, which is a source of information and guidance for those working for the CRFM Secretariat and helps them recognize and deal with bribery and corruption, as well as understand their responsibilities;
• The Whistleblower Policy, which aims to provide a comprehensive framework that will not only protect whistleblowers from retaliation but also encourage a culture in the CRFM that values ethical behavior and the disclosure of information vital to the organization's short and long-term success and well-being.

The CRFM Executive Director added that the CRFM is making a conscious effort to ensure that its initiatives are gender-sensitive and considerate of the needs of youth and Indigenous peoples.

The CRFM’s 17 Member States are Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

The CRFM’s objectives include the efficient management and sustainable development of marine and other aquatic resources within the jurisdictions of Member States. The CRFM also promotes and establishes cooperative arrangements among interested States for the efficient management of shared, straddling or highly migratory marine and other aquatic resources. Furthermore, it provides technical advisory and consultative services to fisheries authorities of its Member States in the development, management and conservation of their marine and other aquatic resources. 

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