Cross-border breaks seen for fisherfolk

Headline: Cross-border breaks seen for fisherfolk

PERMANENT SECRETARY in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development Frederick Forde wants to see Barbadian fisherfolk co-operatives prepared to go regional.

He made this comment recently as he officially opened the first in a series of communication workshops for fisheries stakeholders being put on by the Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies (CERMES) of the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill.

Forde said there were opportunities for Barbadian fisherfolk co-operatives to form cross-border companies within the region, especially since the CARICOM Single Market and Economy no longer meant they had to be physically present in the other countries.

He added his ministry was committed to seeing the development of strong fisherfolk organisations in Barbados.

Forde also praised CERMES for taking the initiative to hold the workshop for staff of the Fisheries Division and local fisherfolk – which included executive members of the Barbados National Union of Fisherfolk Organisations, the Oistins Fisherfolk Association, the Weston Fisherfolk Association and the Central Fish Processors Association.

The workshop series entitled Enhancing Marine Resource Governance Through Developing Capacity For Communication In The Eastern Caribbean, was designed to prepare fisherfolk to effectively input into policy decisions that affect their livelihoods; while strengthening ties between them and fisheries authorities.

It comes at a time when Caribbean governments are actively drafting a Common Fisheries Policy And Regime to regulate fisheries across this region.

The workshop was repeated in Grenada on March 27, and in St Lucia this week. It will be repeated in one other eastern Caribbean island later this month.

This workshop series forms part of CERMES' four-year research project on marine resource governance in the Eastern Caribbean (the MarGov Project), which aims to translate findings into beneficial change for marine resource governance, policy and management.
(PR)