by Kristen Ku

BELIZE CITY, Wed. Aug. 30, 2023

On Monday, August 28, the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) commenced a multi-day virtual scientific conference, setting the stage for discussions on various fisheries-related topics across the region.

The CRFM is a respected intergovernmental body, under the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), that represents a diverse set of member states that span from Anguilla to the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Those in attendance at the conference include Sen. Hon. Avinash Singh, Chair of the Ministerial Council of the CRFM and a key figure in Trinidad and Tobago’s Ministry of Agriculture, Land, and Fisheries; Ms. Shandira Ankiah, the Acting Director of Fisheries from Trinidad and Tobago, who also chairs the Caribbean Fisheries Forum; Mr. Milton Haughton, Executive Director of the CRFM Secretariat; Dr. Sandra Grant, the Deputy Executive Director of the CRFM Secretariat; and Mr. Zojindra Arjune, who is the Deputy Director of Fisheries Management.

The topics to be discussed at the conference include the role of fisheries in regional food security; establishing legal, policy, and institutional blueprints for fisheries; harnessing data and science for sustainable fisheries development and management; capacity building within the realms of fisheries, aquaculture, and marine science; effective conservation and management of fisheries resources; addressing challenges like climate change, ocean acidification, and disaster risk management within the fisheries and aquaculture sectors; strengthening international and regional collaborations and partnerships; and the future trajectory of the CRFM, particularly in regard to blue economic growth in the region.

The four-day conference concludes on Thursday, August 31.