Caribbean Fisheries Co-management Project

Caribbean Fisheries Co-management Project
Name	Caribbean Fisheries Co-management Project
Region	Caribbean Sea
Partners	Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations Development Programme, Caribbean Community
Start	2004
End	2010

Caribbean Fisheries Co-management Project The Caribbean Fisheries Co-management Project was a regional initiative to promote participatory fisheries management across the Caribbean Sea and adjacent littoral states. It sought to align community-based management practices with national and regional instruments such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Convention on Biological Diversity, and regional frameworks including the Caribbean Community policy instruments. The project linked local stakeholders, national agencies, and intergovernmental organizations to improve fisheries sustainability in the face of pressures from overfishing, coastal tourism, and climate change.

Background and Objectives

The initiative emerged amid concerns raised by reports from the Food and Agriculture Organization and assessments by the World Bank about declining reef and small-scale fisheries stocks in the Caribbean Sea basin. Objectives included strengthening co-management arrangements among fishers, coastal communities, and state authorities; enhancing compliance with fisheries regulations promulgated by bodies like the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States and national ministries; and promoting ecosystem-based approaches compatible with conventions such as the Cartagena Convention. The project prioritized capacity building in sites with existing conservation efforts linked to marine protected areas administered by agencies like the Department of Environment (Cayman Islands) and NGOs such as the World Wide Fund for Nature.

Governance and Participating Organizations

Governance was multi-layered, engaging intergovernmental organizations, regional entities, national authorities, and civil society. Lead partners included the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the United Nations Development Programme, working alongside the Caribbean Community and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States. National fisheries departments from states such as Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, and the Bahamas participated, as did regional NGOs and community groups including branches of the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute and local chapters of the Nature Conservancy. Scientific input came from institutions like the University of the West Indies and marine research centers such as the CERMES unit at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus. Donor coordination involved actors such as the Global Environment Facility and bilateral agencies including USAID.

Project Activities and Methods

Activities combined participatory mapping, stakeholder workshops, and pilot co-management agreements. Field methods included participatory rural appraisal techniques used by teams from the University of the West Indies, stock assessment protocols recommended by the Food and Agriculture Organization, and socioeconomic surveys modeled on World Bank guidelines. The project facilitated the establishment of local management committees similar to models seen in Belize’s community fisheries management and adapted approaches from Fiji and Philippines small-scale fisheries co-management literature. Training modules addressed monitoring methods employed by research institutes such as the Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies and data reporting consistent with FAO fisheries statistics. Pilot sites implemented gear restrictions, seasonal closures, and community surveillance inspired by successful measures in places like Saba and the British Virgin Islands.

Outcomes and Impacts

Outcomes reported included formalized co-management committees in multiple localities, improved reporting of catch data to national agencies, and enhanced local enforcement capacity modeled on community enforcement programs in Saint Lucia and Antigua and Barbuda. Scientific monitoring documented changes in reef fish abundance in some pilot sites, informing adaptive management consistent with the Convention on Biological Diversity Aichi targets. Capacity gains were noted among stakeholders trained through workshops led by experts from the University of the West Indies and regional NGOs such as the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute. The project contributed to policy dialogues within regional bodies like the Caribbean Community and fed into national fisheries policy revisions in territories including Dominica and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Funding and Timeline

The project operated predominantly in the 2000s, with core activities between 2004 and 2010, funded by multilateral donors and administered through agencies such as the United Nations Development Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organization. Financial support included grants and technical assistance from the Global Environment Facility and contributions coordinated with bilateral donors like Canada and United States Agency for International Development. Budget lines covered capacity building, field assessments led by institutions such as the University of the West Indies, stakeholder consultations facilitated by NGOs, and small-scale infrastructure for community monitoring.

Challenges and Lessons Learned

Challenges included variable national legal frameworks across states such as Jamaica and Barbados, limited sustained financing, and difficulties integrating traditional fishing practices with regulatory regimes influenced by regional instruments like the Cartagena Convention. Lessons highlighted the importance of long-term funding from entities such as the Global Environment Facility, the value of engaging academic partners like the University of the West Indies for monitoring and evaluation, and the need for regional coordination via bodies such as the Caribbean Community and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States to harmonize co-management frameworks. The initiative underscored that durable outcomes require linking community institutions with statutory authorities exemplified by successful cases in Belize and Saba.

Category:Fisheries