Caribbean fisheries officials to meet in St. Kitts-Nevis

The state of the region’s fisheries and aquaculture resources, as well as challenges confronting the sector, will be among the agenda matters discussed at the 17th meeting of the Caribbean Fisheries Forum.

The Belize-based Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) said the two day event, which begins later on Wednesday, will be addressed by the host Minister of Agriculture, Eugene Hamilton as well as by its CRFM executive director, Milton Haughton and the outgoing chair of the Forum, Alwyn Ponteen of Montserrat.

The CRFM said that the meeting will also discuss priority actions to promote blue growth and ensure sustainable use, conservation and management of the region’s fisheries resources and marine ecosystems.

“The CRFM Secretariat will provide an update on a recently concluded, regional study on the impacts of unprecedented Sargassum inundation on the Caribbean. The CRFM has noted that 2018 was a year of record high influx. There are ongoing concerns over the impact on fisheries, and the broader socio-economic and environmental impacts on coastal communities across our region,” the CRFM added.

It said the meeting is also expected to agree on future plans for research and development, sustainable management and use of fisheries resources, sustainable development of aquaculture, and the adaptation to climate change and disaster risk management in fisheries.