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| Caribbean Network of Fisherfolk Organisations | |
|---|---|
| Name | Caribbean Network of Fisherfolk Organisations |
| Founded | 2005 |
| Headquarters | Barbados |
| Region served | Caribbean Sea |
| Membership | National and local fisherfolk organisations |
| Leader title | Chairperson |
Caribbean Network of Fisherfolk Organisations
The Caribbean Network of Fisherfolk Organisations is a regional federation of artisanal and small-scale fisherfolk groups operating across the Caribbean Basin. It coordinates collective action among members from island states such as Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica, and Saint Lucia while engaging with multilateral bodies including the Food and Agriculture Organization and the Caribbean Community. The network interfaces with international frameworks like the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and regional instruments such as the Caribbean Community Common Fisheries Policy, advocating for rights, livelihoods, and sustainable practices.
The network emerged during a period of intensified regional mobilization following events like Hurricane Ivan and Hurricane Katrina, which highlighted vulnerabilities experienced by artisanal fishers in Belize, Grenada, and Haiti. Foundational meetings involved delegates from organisations including the Bahamas Fisherfolk Association, the Guyana Fisherfolk Cooperative, and the Antigua and Barbuda Fishing Cooperative, who met with representatives from the Caribbean Development Bank and the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism. Early convenings built on precedents set by groups such as the World Forum of Fisher Peoples and linked with campaigns around the Small Island Developing States agenda. Over subsequent years the network expanded its footprint to encompass fisherfolk from the Leeward Islands, the Windward Islands, and mainland territories like Suriname and French Guiana.
The network’s mission aligns with international instruments including provisions of the Sustainable Development Goals and commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity. Its stated objectives include securing artisanal fishers’ tenure rights in zones governed by the United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement, promoting co-management arrangements modelled on successes in Barbados and Costa Rica, and enhancing resilience to climate shocks exemplified by the Paris Agreement commitments. Additional aims emphasize capacity building using training methodologies from the International Labour Organization and improving access to markets via standards promoted by the World Trade Organization and the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute.
Membership comprises national fisherfolk organisations, community cooperatives, and women’s associations from jurisdictions such as Montserrat, Cayman Islands, Puerto Rico, and Curaçao. The network operates through a rotating secretariat hosted by member organisations, overseen by a steering committee with regional representation mirroring subregions like the Eastern Caribbean and the Greater Antilles. Governance documents reference principles found in instruments like the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and regional charters such as the Caricom Treaty of Chaguaramas. Financial oversight has involved partnerships with funders including the European Union, the Inter-American Development Bank, and foundations tied to the Ford Foundation.
Programmatic work spans community-based resource management piloted in bays and estuaries such as Port Honduras, mangrove restoration projects influenced by studies from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, and post-harvest value chain initiatives modelled on interventions in Barbados and Cuba. The network runs training exchanges with institutions like the University of the West Indies and technical cooperation with the Institute of Marine Affairs (Trinidad and Tobago), focusing on gear selectivity, bycatch reduction devices trialled in collaboration with NOAA, and safety-at-sea programs referencing best practices from the International Maritime Organization. Market access work has included certification pilots aligned with standards from the Marine Stewardship Council and regional branding initiatives in partnership with the Caribbean Export Development Agency.
Advocacy engagements target regional policy fora such as meetings of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and negotiations within the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission-related technical exchanges. The network has contributed position papers to consultations for the United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement review and submitted inputs to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change processes addressing small island concerns. Campaigns have sought recognition of customary marine tenure drawn from cases in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and legal strategies referencing precedents in Antigua and Barbuda land and maritime rights disputes. The organisation leverages media outreach across outlets including regional newspapers in Trinidad, broadcast partners in Barbados, and joint statements with coalitions such as the International Collective in Support of Fishworkers.
Collaborative relationships extend to academic partners such as the University of Guyana and the CERMES research unit at the University of the West Indies Cave Hill campus, donor agencies including the Global Environment Facility, and policy bodies like the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute. Technical alliances involve the Food and Agriculture Organization’s regional office and the Commonwealth Secretariat for governance training. The network has worked with non-governmental partners such as Panos Caribbean and the Caribbean Conservation Association and participated in regional emergency response consortia including efforts coordinated by the United Nations Development Programme and Oxfam during cyclone recovery.
Persistent challenges include enforcement pressures from industrial fleets flagged to states like China and Panama operating in shared waters, climate-driven coral decline documented in studies around Belize Barrier Reef and habitat loss in Barbados mangroves, and resource access conflicts seen in ports from Kingstown to Georgetown. Future directions emphasize scaling co-management lessons from pilot sites, expanding women-centred programming inspired by successes in Saint Lucia and Dominica, integrating blue economy planning promoted by the Commonwealth Secretariat, and strengthening legal recognition aligned with instruments such as the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The network aims to deepen ties with multilateral climate finance mechanisms and regional development banks to secure long-term resilience for artisanal fisherfolk across the Caribbean.
Category:Fisheries organizations Category:Caribbean organizations