By Twila Wheelan
KINGSTON, Jamaica, (JIS) – Sixteen key stakeholders in the regional fisheries sector recently met in Kingston for critical talks aimed at promoting sustainable use and enhancing the resilience of marine ecosystems and costal resources in the Caribbean.
The participants, from six countries, including Jamaica, were participating in the third meeting of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) and Regional Steering Committee (RSC) of the Promoting National Blue Economy Priorities Through Marine Spatial Planning in The Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem Plus (BE-CLME+) Project.
The initiative seeks to promote blue economy development through sustainable fisheries, marine resource management and economic opportunities in the project countries.
In addition to Jamaica, the others are Barbados, Belize, Guyana, Panama, and Saint Lucia.
Regional Coordinator, BE-CLME+ Project, Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), Dr Dayne Buddo, told JIS News that the committees play a crucial role in the success of BE-CLME+.
“The Technical Advisory Committee and the Regional Steering Committee determine and oversee the project’s outcomes and outputs. This is to ensure that the priorities under the project serve the six participating countries and, by extension, the rest of the region,” he said.
Discussions during the technical meeting focused on enhancing marine spatial planning, marine protected area (MPA) management and sustainable fisheries value chains to strengthen the region’s blue economy.
Jamaica’s role as host underscored the country’s commitment to marine conservation and regional cooperation in fisheries governance.
Dr Buddo said the meeting presented an opportunity to strengthen regional collaboration in the fisheries sector.
“The ecosystem approach to fisheries, using tools such as marine spatial planning on a regional and national scale, has been highlighted as a priority by the countries. The recognition that fisheries play an important role in the gross domestic product (GDP) of a country and must be safeguarded for food security, as well as a regional approach to fisheries management, is key, especially with the transboundary movement of fish stocks among countries,” he pointed out.
The Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) are co-implementing the project, which is being executed by the CRFM, an intergovernmental CARICOM agency.
Hosted by the government of Jamaica, through the ministry of agriculture, fisheries and mining and the National Fisheries Authority (NFA), participants engaged in a technical visit to the Oracabessa Bay Fish Sanctuary, which is a model for sustainable marine resource management.
The engagements provided a platform for knowledge exchange, strengthened partnerships, and reinforced commitments to regional marine sustainability.
