The state of the Eastern Caribbean flyingfish and the updated sub-regional flyingfish Fisheries Management Plan (FMP) for this valuable and shared resource were discussed at the Special Meeting of the Joint Working Group on Flyingfish in the Eastern Caribbean, convened in Barbados on 1-2 October, 2018. This Working Group, which is constituted by the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) and the Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission (WECAFC) of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), plays an important role in monitoring, evaluating and advising on the implementation of the sub-regional flyingfish FMP, which is supported by an ecosystem approach to management of flyingfish sub-project under the UNDP/GEF Caribbean and North Brazil Shelf Large Marine Ecosystems (CLME+) Project. The Working Group will also contribute to the regional state of the marine environment and associated economies report as well as to monitoring and evaluation of the CLME+ Strategic Action Programme.
Attending the meeting were Chief Fisheries Officers, as well as representatives of fisherfolk organizations, the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission, and development partners such as FAO-WECAFC, the University of the West Indies (UWI), the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI), and the French Marine Research Agency – IFREMER.
“This meeting of the Joint CRFM/WECAFC Working Group on Flyingfish is timely and important given the challenges we face in the region from climate related changes affecting the marine environment and flyingfish stocks, and ultimately the livelihoods and food security of thousands of persons engaged along the entire flyingfish value chain,” said Milton Haughton, Executive Director of the CRFM.
The entire Press Release can be found in the attached document and on the CRFM Secretariat’s website at www.crfm.int.
