Fisheries Management in Member States of the
Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM):
Recent Trends, &
Current Challenges
PRESENTATION LAYOUT
A. Industry Outline
B. The Contribution of Regional Fisheries
Initiatives of CARICOM to the Fisheries
Management Process Within the Caribbean
C. The Current Management Framework &
Challenges
A. Industry Outline
Fisheries of CRFM States – Industry Outline
• Fish is second highest source of protein
• Shrimp, lobster and conch fisheries are most valuable
for income generation
• Significant revenue earner in some countries, e.g. Belize,
& The Bahamas
• Rural coastal fisheries most valuable for enhancing local
food security and hence social stability
• Key sector for providing employment opportunities for
rural poor, socio-economically disadvantaged
Fisheries of CRFM States – Industry Outline
• Subsistence, artisanal, small-scale & semi-industrial
components exist, contributing to varying extents to
local availability, accessibility & utilization
of fish products as food, and for generation of foreign
exchange
• Fisheries are also important for supporting the
tourism industry
- sport fishing (families of visitors),
- snorkelling over reefs,
- diving,
- hotel restaurants)
B. The Contribution of Regional Fisheries
Initiatives of CARICOM to the Fisheries
Management Process Within the Caribbean –
CFRAMP (1991-2001)
 ICRAFD (1999-2004)
 CRFM (since 2002)
CARICOM – Caribbean Community and
Common Market
Member States Belize, Guyana, Suriname, Jamaica, Trinidad
Tobago, Barbados, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent
& the Grenadines, The Bahamas St. Kitts & Nevis,
Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, Montserrat, Haiti
Associate Member States - Anguilla, Bermuda,
British Virgin islands, Cayman Islands, Turks and
Caicos islands
OBJECTIVES –
(i) Economic cooperation
(ii) Coordination of foreign policy
(iii) Provision of common services in health, education,
culture, communications, industrial relations
CARICOM
CFRAMP/ICRAFD
CRFM – Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism
PRIORITY AREAS
1. Assessment & management of shared resources
2. Assessment & management of national resources
3. Regional & national capacity building &
institutional strengthening
4. Regional and national project development &
management
5. Regional representation in international fora
6. Regional & national socio-economics planning.
C. The Current Management
Framework & Challenges
TYPICAL FISHERIES MANAGEMENT TEAM IN CRFM STATE
DIRECT USERS OF THE RESOURCE & OTHER STAKEHOLDERS (e.g.
FISHERS, FISHERFOLK GROUPS, VENDORS, PROCESSORS)
Fisheries
Director
DATA COLLECTORS,
DATA MANAGERS
Policy/ Decision Makers
(Minister/government)
Fisheries
Director
FISHERIES SCIENTISTS
FISHERIES MANAGEMENT AT REGIONAL LEVEL
DIRECT USERS OF THE RESOURCE & OTHER STAKEHOLDERS (E.G.
FISHERS, FISHERFOLK GROUPS, PROCESSORS)
Fisheries
Directors
DATA COLLECTORS,
DATA MANAGERS
Policy/ Decision Makers
(CRFM Ministerial Council)
ANNUAL SCIENTIFIC MEETING
(FISHERIES SCIENTISTS)
Caribbean Fisheries Forum
(Fisheries Directors)
Fisheries
Directors
Regional
fisherfolk
organisation
MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES
1. BIOLOGICAL
- ensure sustainable use
- promote stock recovery
- exploit at maximum sustainable yield
- protect juveniles
- protect berried females (lobster)
- rationalize fishing effort (recreational fishery)
2. ECOLOGICAL
- protection of the ecosystem /habitat recovery
- minimize land-based pollution
- encourage artificial areas as alternative to rebuilding stock
(lobster)
3. ECONOMIC
- increase revenues from recreational fishery
- reduce imports
- maximize employment opportunities
- increase foreign exchange
4. SOCIAL
support territorial user rights approach
- maximize benefits to all stakeholders
- minimize conflict between artisanal and non-artisanal
components
Data Collected to Monitor Management
Objectives
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
Catch
Nominal effort (number of fishing trips/ trip hours)
Biological
Other – social, economic, technological, % live coral cover, faecal
coliform levels
CURRENT FISHERIES MANAGEMENT QUESTIONS/ CONCERNS
REEF
1) DEVELOPING USEFUL REFERENCE POINTS
2) THE EFFECT OF ANTHROPOGENIC EFFECTS ON STOCKS
3) WHAT MEASURES COULD BE PUT IN PLACE TO REDUCE
OVER-EXPLOITTAION OF REEF FISHERIES?
4) HOW ARE DECLINES IN REEF QUALITY RELATED TO
ABUNDANCE OF KEY SPECIES?
DEEP SLOPE
1) WHEN SHOULD WE PHASE OUT THE USE OF TRAPS?
2) HOW DO WE STOP ILLEGAL FISHING?
LOBSTER
1) HOW EFFECTIVE ARE MINIMUM SIZE LIMITS IN
ENHANCING STOCK?
2) HOW EFFECTIVE IS CLOSED SEASON IN ENHANCING
STOCK?
3) THE EFFECT OF ANTHROPOGENIC EFFECTS ON STOCKS
4) HOW EFFICIENT ARE MARINE RESERVES IN ENHANCING
SPAWNING STOCK BIOMASS?
5) WHAT IS THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC VALUE OF THE FISHERY?
6) WHAT ARE THE CHANGES IN RELATIVE ABUNDANCE
OVER TIME?
CURRENT FISHERIES MANAGEMENT QUESTIONS/ CONCERNS
QUEEN CONCH
1) HOW EFFECTIVE ARE MINIMUM SIZE LIMITS IN
ENHANCING STOCK?
2) IS THE CLOSED SEASON EFFECTIVE?
3) THE EFFECT OF ANTHROPOGENIC EFFECTS ON STOCKS
4) HOW EFFICIENT ARE MARINE RESERVES IN ENHANCING
SPAWNING STOCK BIOMASS?
5) IS NEARSHORE POLLUTION AFFECTING RESOURCE
ABUNDANCE AND HEALTH?
LARGE PELAGIC FINFISH
1) DEVELOPING USEFUL REFERENCE POINTS
2) EFFECT OF ILLEGAL FOREIGN FISHING ON MIGRATORY
AND LOCAL STOCKS
3) IS THERE ANY ROOM FOR FURTHER EXPANSION OF THIS
FISHERY
4) CHANGES IN RELATIVE ABUNDANCE OVER TIME?
SMALL PELAGIC FINFISH
1) DEVELOPING USEFUL REFERENCE POINTS
2) IS THERE A CORRELATION BETWEEN WATER QUALITY
AND ABUNDANCE OF SPECIES?
3) TO WHAT DEGREE MESH SIZE LIMITS PROTECT
JUVENILES?
CURRENT FISHERIES MANAGEMENT QUESTIONS/ CONCERNS
SHRIMP
1) HOW TO RESTRICT CONFLICT BETWEEN FISHERY
SECTORS (TRAWLERS AND ARTISANAL FLEET)
2) WHEN/WHERE BEST TO APPLY A CLOSED SEASON
AND/OR CLOSED AREA REGULATION?
3) WHAT IS THE BIOMASS OF THIS FISHERY/SIZE OF THE
STOCK?
4) HOW AND WHEN TO PROTECT THE NURSERY HABITAT
FOR SHRIMP STOCKS?
5) HOW MANY SHRIMP TRAWLERS CAN FISH THE STOCK?
6) FOR HOW LONG CAN THE STOCK BE FISHED IN ANY
GIVEN YEAR?
GROUNDFISH
1) IS A MESH SIZE REGULATION NECESSARY AND IF SO,
WHAT WOULD IT BE?
2) WHAT IS THE BIOMASS OF THIS FISHERY?
SEA TURTLES
1) TO WHAT EXTENT CAN CO-MANAGEMENT HELP IN
INCREASING LEVELS OF CONSERVATION IN NEVIS?
2) WHAT LEVELS OF EXPLOITATION WOULD BE
SUSTAINABLE AT THE POPULATION LEVEL
3) WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THE STOCK?
CURRENT FISHERIES MANAGEMENT QUESTIONS/ CONCERNS
MAMMALS
1) DEVELOPING USEFUL REFERENCE POINTS
2) INFORMATION ON CURRENT STATE OF SMALL MAMMAL
STOCKS
3) INFORMATION ON CURRENT STATE OF LARGE MAMMAL
STOCKS
GENERAL
1) WHAT IS THE APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF FISHING EFFORT
TO AVOID OVER-EXPLOITATION OF THE RESOURCES AND
ATTAIN ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY IN THE OPERATION OF THE
FLEETS?
2) WHAT IMPACT DOES POLLUTION HAVE ON THE STATUS
OF THE STOCKS?
3) WHAT IS THE ROLE OF FISHERIES IN THE SOCIOECONOMIC WELL-BEING OF COMMUNITIES?
Challenges Faced in Achieving
Management Objectives
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Still ‘open access’ fisheries
Incomplete data for monitoring management objectives
Uncertain/ over-simplified fishery assessment analyses
Need for risk assessment & development of ecologically adapted
management/ more flexible management systems
Need to implement precautionary approach
Need to implement ecosystem-based approach to management
Inadequate linkages to integrated coastal zone management initiatives
GEC issues generally not accounted for in development of policy and
management objectives
- ADAPTIVE MANGEMENT, in response to short-term changes
- ADAPTED MANAGEMENT, in response to envisaged longerterm changes
GEC issues generally not addressed by current fishery analytical
models – needed to support decision-making