Leaders of fisheries management agencies from 17 Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member jurisdictions have gathered this week for the 24th Regular Meeting of the Caribbean Fisheries Forum, a key regional body that delivers expert technical guidance to the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM). The two-day gathering kicked off on Thursday, April 23, with opening deliberations centered on the CRFM’s upcoming Seventh Biennial Work Plan, covering the 2026–2027 period. This strategic document lays out a comprehensive framework to drive inclusive, sustainable growth of fisheries and aquaculture sectors across the entire Caribbean region. On the meeting’s second and final day, agenda items are focused on assessing evolving regional and global industry shifts, as well as analyzing current status and emerging trends in Caribbean fisheries and aquaculture.
In opening remarks, Dr. Marc Williams, Executive Director of the CRFM, underlined that cross-border collaboration is non-negotiable for Caribbean fisheries management, given that most commercial fish stocks span multiple national jurisdictions. Williams explained that the forum fills a critical regional need by creating a centralized platform for member states to share standardized fisheries data, coordinate collective responses to shared threats, and align policy frameworks that balance marine resource protection with the economic stability of fishing-dependent communities. Key challenges being addressed through this cooperative framework include illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, the accelerating impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems, widespread habitat degradation, and chronic overexploitation of vulnerable fish populations. He added that the forum also works to strengthen cross-stakeholder partnerships between national governments, local fisherfolk associations, academic research institutions, and environmental non-governmental organizations, with goals of harmonizing national management plans, boosting regulatory enforcement capacity, and securing international donor funding for collaborative regional projects.
On the first day of the meeting, members held leadership elections to select new officers for the forum. Mr. Ian Horsford, Chief Fisheries Officer of Antigua and Barbuda, secured election to the position of Forum Chair. He succeeds outgoing Chair Mr. Remone Johnson of the Turks and Caicos Islands, who completed his term ahead of the 2024 gathering. In his first remarks following the election, Horsford reaffirmed the CRFM’s central role in advancing multilateral cooperation to build a more sustainable Caribbean fisheries sector and grow the region’s blue economy.
Across the two-day meeting, participating delegates are focusing discussion on a range of priority topics tied to long-term sustainable management of fisheries and aquaculture. Key themes under deliberation include climate change adaptation strategies for fishing communities, the adoption of innovative new technologies to improve management and production, and the integration of renewable energy solutions into regional seafood supply chains. Delegates are also exchanging approaches to strengthening the fight against IUU fishing and transnational fisheries-related crime, as well as advancing gender mainstreaming initiatives to ensure more inclusive participation of women in the fisheries sector.
A core part of the forum’s mandate at this meeting is delivering technical guidance for two new regulatory protocols being rolled out under the CARICOM Common Fisheries Policy: one focused on establishing standardized regional marine spatial planning, and a second covering full traceability for aquatic food products moving across regional borders. Delegates are also reviewing alignment of regional policies with major global agreements, including the World Trade Organization Fisheries Subsidies Agreement, the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement signed under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and the new International Legally Binding Instrument on plastic pollution.
This week’s Caribbean Fisheries Forum meeting serves as a technical preparatory gathering ahead of the 20th Regular Meeting of the CRFM Ministerial Council, an upcoming high-level summit that will bring together cabinet-level fisheries ministers from all CRFM member states to set strategic political direction for the regional body.