(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The importance of the regional fisheries resources to the people of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) demands that steps be taken towards establishing a common fisheries regime to ensure the sustainable use of the available resources. This was underscored by Ambassador Lolita Applewhaite, CARICOM Deputy Secretary-General today.
In her remarks at the start of a two-day session of the Second Special Meeting of the Caribbean Fisheries Forum on the Common Fisheries Policy and Regime at the Secretariat headquarters in Guyana, Ambassador Applewhaite, made the connection between a common fisheries regime, the livelihoods of fishing communities, export earnings and food security for the Region.
The Deputy Secretary-General pointed out that evidence suggests that many fisheries are already being exploited close to the maximum of their potential. As a result, CARICOM Heads of Government have placed the issue of the Sustainable use of fisheries resources high on the regional agenda, while fishery stakeholders and fishing authorities have posited a common approach to the management of the fisheries of the Region,”
To this end the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), which was formally inaugurated in March 2003, was established to lead the regional charge to ensue the sustainable use of the Region’s fisheries resources. The Deputy-secretary-General said that in the last four years the CRFM had made progress on many of the technical and socio-economic issues and cited agreement on some of the issues among the stakeholders.
In execution of the mandate to develop a Common Fisheries Policy and Regime a Working Group with representatives from a number of regional institutions was established. The Deputy Secretary-General noted that the work has been challenging, especially “with respect to arriving at consensus and agreement on the varied and sensitive issues”, including one which relates to a common fisheries zone and access to the zone.
“The common fishing zone and the conditions of access to the fisheries resources therein have been among the sensitive issues for some Member States who are concerned about the sustainability of the resources and potential negative social and economic impacts on their local fishermen,” said Ambassador Applewhaite.
Many working groups have been established to tackle specific issues and in so doing have “sought to understand and interpret various international conventions and laws, including our own Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas and national legislation with respect to issues such as management of the fisheries resources; borders and zones; fishing rights; and control and monitoring mechanisms, in order to formulate an acceptable solution to some of the problems encountered in recommending a construct for a common fisheries policy and regime for the Community. “
The Forum will fashion recommendations for consideration by the Community’s Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) scheduled to meet in Jamaica, 8-11 October 2007.
