Page 14 - Agric Info Mag 2018 - 01

BELIZE CITY, BELIZE, Wednesday, 24 January 2018 (CRFM)—Seven
Caribbean countries participated in a recently launched series of subprojects,
which the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) is leading un-
der a sustainable management initiative for the flying fish fishery. In high-
lighting the importance of the initiative, CRFM Executive Director, Milton
Haughton, said: ―We in the region are utilizing a common space and com-
mon living marine resource; therefore, we need to cooperatively manage
these common interests.

One of these common interests is the flying fish Programme (UNDP) Global Environment Facility
fishery, and the governance framework developed (GEF) titled, Catalyzing Implementation of the
for the flying fish fishery could be scaled up and Strategic Action Programme for the Sustainable
applied to other fisheries in the region.‖ The Management of Shared Living Marine Resources
CRFM, the agency which provides fisheries- in the Caribbean and North Brazil Shelf Large Ma-
related advice and recommendations at the CARI- rine Ecosystems (the CLME+ Project). The project
COM level, initiated 6 sub-projects during 2017 to aims to strengthen governance of the living marine
implement the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries resources by addressing habitat degradation, pollu-
(EAF) for the management of the four-wing

flying fish in the Eastern Caribbean. This species
of economic and cultural significance to our re- tion, unsustainable fishing, inter-sectoral coordina-

gion is harvested by over 1,700 boats across the tion, and management regimes for various fishery
Eastern Caribbean countries and in Martinique. types, such as reef, continental shelf and pelagic
The sub-projects are being implemented in the fo- fisheries. The CRFM contracted Blue Earth Con-
cal countries of Barbados, Grenada, St. Vincent sultants, a division of the Eastern Research Group,
and the Grenadines, St. Lucia, Dominica, and to lead three of the six flying fish sub-projects in
Trinidad and Tobago, plus the French Overseas collaboration with a team of local and international
Territories of Martinique and Guadeloupe. The partners.
sub-projects, intended to support the long-term
sustainability of the flying fish, are part of the pro-
ject funded by the United Nations Development