Caribbean Fisheries Forum meets in Jamaica
Heads of national fisheries authorities from 17 Member States of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) began meeting with observers and partner agencies in Jamaica on Thursday 30 March, 2017, for the 15th Meeting of the Caribbean Fisheries Forum (CFF) for talks on the status of and recent trends in fisheries and aquaculture in the Region. The CFF is the primary technical deliberative body of the CRFM.
Ahead of the hurricane season which begins in June, the two-day Forum meeting at the Knutsford Court Hotel, in Kingston, will address measures for adaptation to climate change and disaster risk management in fisheries.Discussions will also focus on plans to strengthen the sector.
“Climate change, sea level rise, ocean acidification and disaster risk management are major challenges facing the fisheries sector and the wider economies of our countries. These issues continue to be high priorities for policy-makers and stakeholders because we need to improve capacity, information base and policy, and institutional arrangements to respond to these threats and protect our future. At this meeting, we will be discussing the USA sponsored initiative to provide risk insurance for fishers, among other initiatives to improve and protect the fisheries sector and ensure food security,” CRFM Executive Director, Milton Haughton, said.
[su_box title=”Caribbean Regional Fisheries Forum” style=”soft” box_color=”#54c0f0″]The Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) was officially inaugurated on 27 March, 2003 in Belize City, Belize, where it is headquartered, following the signing of the “Agreement Establishing the CRFM” on February 4, 2002. It is an inter-governmental organisation whose mission is “to promote and facilitate the responsible utilisation of the Region’s fisheries and other aquatic resources for the economic and social benefits of the current and future population of the Region.”[/su_box]
The Forum will also discuss steps to strengthen cooperation and coordination between fisheries and environment departments, as well as partner organisations, in order to strengthen the conservation of marine species and critical habitats to achieve international biodiversity targets.
Haughton noted that, “working together to improve the health of the marine environment and protection of vulnerable marine species while improving sanitary and phyto-sanitary systems and quality of fish and seafood, will produce tangible social and economic benefits for fishers and fishing communities. It is time for stakeholders in the fisheries and environment sectors to start working in a more cooperative and constructive manner to address common challenges.”
The Forum will be updated on the progress of technical activities being undertaken by the CRFM, its Secretariat, Member States and network partners, after which it will prepare recommendations on the way forward to be tabled when Ministers responsible for fisheries meet on 19 May in Guyana.
Outgoing chairman, Denzil Roberts, Chief Fisheries Officer of Guyana, will demit office after his 12-month tenure. Participants in the upcoming Fisheries Forum will elect a new chair, vice-chair and executive committee members, who will serve for the programme year, 2017-2018. (CRFM Press Release)