As anticipation builds for Wednesday’s opening One-Day International between West Indies and Sri Lanka at Kingston’s iconic Sabina Park, Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) President Dr. Donovan Bennett has flagged a troubling issue: underwhelming ticket sales for the three-match 50-over series, even as final preparations for the long-awaited fixture wrap up. This series marks a historic milestone for Kingston cricket, bringing ODI action back to the city for the first time since West Indies hosted Ireland in 2022, and welcoming Sri Lanka to Jamaican soil for the first time in more than a decade – the visitors last competed here back in 2013, during a tri-nation tournament with West Indies and India. In an interview with the Jamaica Observer, Bennett shared that logistical preparations for this series have gone far more smoothly than last summer’s hosting of Australia, which required a major venue overhaul. Back then, with financial and logistical support from both the Jamaican and Indian governments, the JCA was forced to rush to install new floodlights, a digital electronic scoreboard, and upgrade the player dressing rooms ahead of the series. This time around, only one minor setback disrupted preparations. “The only little hiccup we had was that the lights were blown out of focus during the passage of the hurricane but we have refocused those — those were done last week. Otherwise, we’re pretty good,” Bennett explained, confirming that the venue is now fully prepared to welcome players and fans. While Bennett says he is encouraged by strong early ticket demand for the three-match T20 International series scheduled to follow the ODIs next week, low sales for the 50-over opener – just one day out from the first ball – remains a major point of concern. He noted that ticketing campaigns launched by Cricket West Indies (CWI) got off the ground later than he would have liked, leading to the slow start in purchases. “I have been pleading and trying to get CWI to get this thing going a little bit quicker, but the sales have gone up a little bit late,” he said. “I would hope that over the next two days there will be a rush, because I am not satisfied with what I am hearing re the 50 over games.” To keep Jamaica positioned as a preferred host for future top-tier international cricket events, Bennett is making a direct appeal to local cricket fans to turn out in force for the series. He stressed that fan attendance is a critical factor that international cricket governing bodies consider when allocating future matches to host venues. “The public needs to understand that the JCA has a part to play in bringing international cricket to Jamaica but the cricketing public also has a part to play because if we don’t get crowds then we don’t get matches — so they need to turn out,” he said. With high-profile Test and ODI series against India and England scheduled to visit the Caribbean next year, Bennett urged fans to act now to secure the island’s spot as a regular host. “And especially next year, when we have both India and England coming to the Caribbean, they need to strengthen our hands by coming out and giving us good support.” Sabina Park has established a strong track record as an international host over the past two years, welcoming sell-out and well-attended series between West Indies and top ranked sides including South Africa, Bangladesh and Australia. Both the West Indies and Sri Lanka squads have already arrived in Kingston and are set to hold their final practice sessions at the venue on Tuesday, ahead of the 9:30 a.m. first ball on Wednesday.
作者： admin
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Social Security Board Marks 45 Years With New Chair
On Monday, June 2, 2026, the Social Security Board (SSB) marked a major milestone in its institutional history, celebrating 45 years of public service while announcing a leadership transition that paves the way for its next chapter of reform.
Dr. Sheree Smiling Craig will step into the role of new board chair, taking over from Chandra Nisbet-Cansino, who departed the position following the conclusion of her tenure leading the social security institution. In an official statement, the SSB lauded Nisbet-Cansino for her consistent, steady guidance through years of shifting policy and economic challenges, while emphasizing that Dr. Smiling Craig brings a robust combination of hands-on experience, deep professional expertise, and a long-standing commitment to public service that aligns with the board’s core mission.
The anniversary celebration drew high-level participation from the national government, with Prime Minister John Briceno making a personal visit to one of the SSB’s regional facilities to honor the occasion. In a public post shared to his social media channels, Briceno extended his recognition to the entire SSB workforce. “Thank you so much for the wonderful work that you do across this country,” he wrote. “I want to continue to encourage you to serve the people and serve them best. And to another 45 years.”
Beyond the ceremonial milestones, the 45th anniversary arrives at a moment of significant operational and structural change for the SSB, as the institution rolls out a series of upgrades designed to improve service delivery and accountability. Starting December 1, 2025, all sickness benefit claims transitioned to a fully digital online process, eliminating the longstanding requirement for beneficiaries to visit a physical SSB office in person to submit requests. The organization has also launched a formal whistleblower reporting system to crack down on fraud, professional misconduct, and false benefit claims that drain public resources.
The most consequential proposed change, which could reshape contribution obligations for millions of workers and employers across the country, remains in the consultation phase. The SSB recently wrapped up a series of public engagement sessions held nationwide to gather feedback on a plan to overhaul the existing contribution structure, moving from a tier-based system to a percentage-based model.
Currently, worker and employer contributions are calculated based on fixed income brackets, with contributors assigned a fixed payment level based on which bracket their salary falls into. If the proposal is approved, all contributors will pay a uniform set percentage of their total monthly income, regardless of how much they earn, creating a more proportional contribution framework.
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DNA vraagt opheldering over sloop Danny’s Villapark; districtscommissaris grijpt in
A simmering housing rights dispute centered on the Mungra Project, better known locally as Danny’s Villapark, has been brought before Suriname’s National Assembly (DNA) after hundreds of residents submitted a formal petition demanding an end to ongoing evictions and home demolitions. In a swift intervention that has paused immediate action against affected families, Marlon Budike, District Commissioner for Northeast Paramaribo, has ordered an immediate halt to all demolition work in the area, which had previously been carried out under police supervision.
Prior to the National Assembly’s public plenary session on June 2, residents delivered their petition, calling for a full independent inquiry into the land ownership rights of the plots where they have built their homes. According to the petitioners, dozens of households purchased their parcels in good faith decades ago, and have spent years investing time, labor and savings into constructing their family residences.
The dispute was opened for debate during the public parliamentary session, where multiple members of the assembly pressed the national government for clarity on how the crisis unfolded. Lawmakers highlighted the urgent need to clarify residents’ legal standing and investigate the circumstances under which demolitions were authorized and carried out.
In their petition, residents outlined that their claims to the land have been challenged by a private foundation, which asserts full ownership of all property within the Danny’s Villapark project area. Critically, residents say they have never been given an opportunity to be heard in the legal dispute over the land, and have not received any formal notification of court proceedings related to their homes and parcels.
Residents further allege that heavy machinery has already been used to demolish multiple occupied homes, and that families have been ordered to evacuate their properties immediately. The petition also notes the presence of armed individuals in the residential area, an escalation that has created widespread fear and a pervasive sense of insecurity among the local population.
Budike’s administrative order has brought a temporary stop to further demolition activity, offering a brief reprieve for affected families. As the National Assembly takes up the issue, residents are calling on lawmakers and the national government to move quickly to resolve the uncertainty surrounding the land’s legal status and formalize protections for the impacted households. Petition organizers estimate that between 50 and 70 families are directly affected by the dispute. Beyond an independent probe into land ownership, residents are calling for the eviction moratorium to remain in place until full clarity is reached on who holds legal title to the land.
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Road closure: Scott Street, St George’s
Grenada’s traffic enforcement division, operating under the Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF), has issued an official public advisory alerting all drivers and local residents to an upcoming long-term nightly closure of Scott Street. The shutdown is being implemented to make way for critical asphalt paving projects overseen by the National Water and Sewerage Authority (NAWASA), infrastructure work aimed at improving local road conditions.
The traffic restriction is scheduled to launch on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, running nightly between the hours of 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. The closure will remain active indefinitely, with no set end date announced as of the advisory’s release. Authorities have confirmed the measure will stay in place until project leaders confirm the paving work is fully completed.
To accommodate the Scott Street closure and prevent widespread traffic disruption across the downtown area, the RGPF Traffic Department has rolled out a series of adjusted traffic regulations and detour routes for motorists traveling through the affected neighborhood.
For drivers heading along Halifax Street who need to reach HA Blaize Street, the official detour requires a left turn onto Church Street, followed by a right turn onto Lucas Street to connect to the destination. This re-routing is designed to distribute traffic flow evenly across adjacent side streets and avoid bottlenecks around the construction zone.
Along with the detour, Church Street will shift to one-way traffic operations for the duration of the paving project. The single direction of travel runs from the street’s intersection with Halifax Street toward Cemetery Hill, a change that aligns with the detour layout to prevent two-way traffic conflicts.
Three additional access restrictions have been put in place to support the adjusted traffic plan. No vehicles will be permitted to enter Church Street from its intersection with Market Hill, Young Street from its intersection with the Carenage public road, or Monckton Street from its intersection with Matthew Street. These no-entry rules are intended to keep the modified traffic network flowing smoothly.
Parking restrictions have also been enacted for the project’s duration: all on-street parking on Scott Street will be prohibited for the entire length of the paving works, to create clear space for construction vehicles and equipment.
In closing the advisory, the Royal Grenada Police Force extended a formal apology for any travel delays or inconvenience the road closure and adjusted regulations may cause for local residents, commuters, and businesses. Officials also noted they are expecting full cooperation and compliance from all road users throughout the project to help ensure work is completed as quickly and safely as possible.
The advisory was officially released by the Office of the Commissioner of Police, the governing body of the RGPF.
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Guyanese-owned SISPRO teams up with Nigeria’s Bono Energy for offshore exploration
As of Tuesday, June 2, 2026, a landmark new energy partnership is poised to expand offshore oil exploration in Guyana, after locally-owned energy firm SISPRO announced a joint venture agreement with Nigerian exploration and production operator Bono Energy. The collaboration targets one shallow-water and one deep-water offshore concession, with total projected investment across both blocks reaching as high as $600 million U.S. dollars.
Senior leaders from Bono Energy, including Director Deji Fawole and Head of Legal and Compliance Leke Solanke, are currently in Georgetown to finalize exploration agreements with Guyana’s Ministry of Natural Resources, with formal signing expected in the coming days. Speaking to reporters on the ground, Fawole outlined the framework for the joint project, confirming the venture has secured full initial funding to launch operations across both concession blocks.
“We are aligned with SISPRO to advance development of both the shallow-water and deep-water blocks off Guyana’s coast, and we have committed up to $600 million in capital to kickstart this work,” Fawole stated. He added that Bono Energy is dedicated to upholding Guyana’s local content requirements, and will work closely with national authorities to grow the country’s emerging oil and gas sector. Fawole also confirmed that the required signing bonus for the concessions, totaling just under $14 million, will be transferred to the government within the 30-day timeline mandated by regulation.
Fawole noted that the venture will leverage new seismic data collected by the Guyana government to guide early exploration activities, and expressed strong confidence in the resource potential of both blocks. “Preliminary geological assessments already point to significant untapped potential across our shallow and deep-water concessions,” he said, adding that early estimates place recoverable oil reserves at approximately 300 million barrels in the shallow-water block alone. SISPRO Company Secretary Abbigail Loncke-Watson clarified that initial phase investment will fall between $150 million and $200 million, with additional funding allocated for subsequent exploration and appraisal work.
While the partnership moves toward final approval, Guyana’s Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat issued a public timeline for the agreement, warning that the government may revoke the concessions and reoffer them in a future competitive bidding round if SISPRO fails to resolve outstanding internal issues before the signing deadline. “If we do not have signed agreements in place by the required date, those blocks will almost certainly be added to the next bid round,” Bharrat told reporters. He declined to share specific details of the internal disputes, but noted that the government has already extended significant flexibility to SISPRO due to its status as a majority Guyanese-owned company. “We have been very lenient, primarily because this is a local firm,” Bharrat said.
For its part, SISPRO has moved to address the outstanding issues, which Chairman Dr. Ayodele Dalgety-Dean confirmed centered on confusion around the company’s beneficial ownership structure. Speaking to reporters, Dr. Dalgety-Dean expressed full confidence that the agreement would be finalized imminently, “within a matter of weeks.” She clarified that all ownership questions have now been resolved, with three officially registered beneficial owners: Dr. Dalgety-Dean, Ms. Loncke-Watson, and Dr. Melissa Varswyck. The chairman also pushed back against earlier rumors, confirming that local hotelier Dee George was never a beneficial owner of SISPRO, and has already stepped down from her position as a company director.
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Jamora Alves secure NCAA Finals spot
Grenadian track and field standout Jamora Alves has delivered a career-defining performance at the NCAA Division I East First Round, hosted in Lexington, Kentucky, shattering her own Grenadian national senior record in the women’s discus throw to punch her ticket to the national championships. The Carriacou native, who competes collegiately for St. John’s University, logged a stellar winning throw of 57.56 meters on Saturday, May 30, 2026, beating her previous national record mark of 55.89 meters and claiming third place overall in the qualifying event.
Alves’ latest record-breaking achievement cements her status as the most decorated student-athlete in St. John’s University track and field history. Over the course of her collegiate career, the 2026 graduating senior has amassed nine individual conference and event titles, the highest number of individual titles ever claimed by any athlete in the university’s program history. Her dominant 2026 season came on the heels of a groundbreaking 2025, when she erased a 43-year-old school shot put record that had stood for decades. Earlier in 2026, she added another historic milestone to her resume, shattering a 28-year-old school discus record at the Big East Championships. At that same conference event, Alves secured gold medals in both the women’s shot put and discus throw, earning her the honor of Women’s Most Outstanding Field Performer and clinching her second career outdoor shot put conference title. Most recently, her 2026 indoor season performance earned her Indoor Track and Field MVP honors at the St. John’s Athletic Department’s 79th Annual Awards Celebration, in recognition of her consistent excellence.
With her result at the East First Round, Alves has officially secured a spot at the 2026 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field National Championships, which will run from June 10 to 13 at Eugene, Oregon’s iconic Hayward Field. This appearance marks the third time the Grenadian star has qualified for the prestigious national finals, a rare feat that underscores her sustained elite performance. She previously competed at the 2023 finals, where she placed 22nd overall with a 50.08-meter throw, and returned to the event in 2025 to place 19th with a personal best 52.70-meter throw at the competition.
On the global rankings front, Alves’ new personal best has cemented her rising status in international track and field. She currently holds the number one ranking in the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) sub-region, 10th in the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) region, 14th across the Commonwealth, 31st in the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) region, and 81st in the global women’s discus rankings. These strong rankings position her as a near-certain selection for the Grenadian national team for upcoming regional and international competitions. She last represented Grenada on the international stage at the 2025 Pan American Junior Championships.
In a heartfelt social media post reflecting on her journey as she prepares to graduate from St. John’s, Alves opened up about the sacrifices that brought her from her small Caribbean home to the upper echelons of U.S. collegiate athletics. “They’ll see the medals, the records, and the NCAA appearances, but they’ll never fully see the sacrifices it took to get here,” Alves wrote. “Being a student-athlete taught me strength beyond the throwing circle. From Grenada to the NCAA stage, I carried not only my dreams, but the dreams of everyone who believed in me.”
As a member of the St. John’s Class of 2026 heading to the Oregon national finals, Alves not only carries the top athletic honors for the “Spice Isle” of Grenada in the discus event, but also stands as a leading ambassador for Grenadian sport on the global collegiate and international stage.
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The Globemaster makes a visit to Trinidad
Weeks after a United States military aircraft completed a mission in Tobago to airlift a AN-TPS-80 Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar out of ANR Robinson International Airport, a new US Air Force heavy-lift cargo plane touched down on Trinidad’s soil Thursday afternoon. The aircraft in question, a Boeing C-17A Globemaster III with the flight callsign RCH147, landed at Piarco International Airport at 2:45 p.m. local time, according to real-time flight tracking data collected by popular aviation monitoring platform Flightradar24.
After a roughly 75-minute stopover on the ground, the military transport departed Piarco at approximately 4 p.m., setting a course for neighboring Barbados. While Flightradar24’s public flight route data shows the plane’s last recorded position before entering Trinidad’s airspace placed its origin near Honduran airspace, aviation analysts have not verified this informal origin, and US military officials have not released an official statement confirming where the flight began its journey. Public flight logs do show the plane departed Charleston International Airport, a key joint civil-military airfield that serves as a hub for US Air Force mobility operations, on Wednesday morning.
As of Thursday evening, neither the government of Trinidad and Tobago nor US defense authorities have released any public information confirming the reason for the military plane’s brief unscheduled stop in Trinidad. This stopover comes amid a series of US military mobility flights through the Caribbean in recent months, raising quiet questions among regional aviation observers about the scope and frequency of US military activity through Caribbean airfields, though no official clarification has been offered to date.
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Jamara Patterson first Grenadian woman over 400m
Grenada’s rising track and field star Jamara Patterson has etched her name into the country’s athletic history books, delivering a series of record-breaking performances on the U.S. collegiate circuit that have cemented her status as one of the region’s most exciting young quarter-milers. A former athlete at St Joseph’s Convent St George’s who now competes for Louisiana Tech University, Patterson is the first Grenadian woman since iconic sprinter Hazel-Ann Regis to break the 51-second barrier in the women’s 400-meter dash.
Patterson’s historic post-season run kicked off at the 2026 Conference USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, held on Saturday, May 16. She claimed the 400m title at the event with a then-personal best time of 51.43 seconds, a mark that shattered the 19-year-old meet record of 51.74 seconds set by Houston’s Ebonie Floyd back in 2007.
Carrying the momentum of that championship win, Patterson headed to the 2026 NCAA Division I East First Round in Lexington, Kentucky, where she delivered an even more impressive performance. In the preliminary heats on Thursday, May 28, she clocked a massive new personal best of 50.98 seconds, and backed up that world-class result in the quarterfinals to secure her spot among the top elite collegiate 400m runners in the United States.
This historic result also moves Patterson to second place on Grenada’s all-time women’s 400m rankings, sitting only behind Regis’ long-standing national record of 50.64 seconds. On the regional and global stage, Patterson’s breakthrough has turned heads across the track and field community: this season, she ranks second in the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) region, trailing only Vincentian Olympian Shafiqua Maloney, while climbing to 11th in the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) rankings and 15th across the Commonwealth.
With two major international championship events on the 2026 summer calendar, local sporting officials in Grenada are closely tracking Patterson’s rapid development ahead of her scheduled appearances. The XXV CAC Games are set to run from July 24 to August 8 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, while the 2026 Commonwealth Games will kick off later this year in Glasgow, Scotland.
Johnell Mitchell, First Vice President of the Grenada Athletic Association (GAA), highlighted the significance of Patterson’s achievement for the small Caribbean nation. “Jamara’s performance speaks volumes since it’s been some time that we’ve had a female quarter miler threatening the national record,” Mitchell explained. “Additionally, this is a reminder that as a federation we need to continue on the present trajectory of providing opportunities for our budding athletes to showcase their talents.”
Both the GAA and the Grenada Olympic Committee (GOC) are continuing to monitor Patterson’s progress as she solidifies her reputation as a top contender for the tri-island nation ahead of the busy summer international competition window.
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“It’s Upsetting to See The Beach Like This When We Can Help”
On the sun-drenched coastlines of San Pedro, Belize’s top tourist hub, a growing problem of rotting sargassum accumulation has spurred a local tour guide to launch a grassroots movement to restore the island’s iconic beaches.
Oscar Iboy, a dedicated member of the local advocacy group San Pedro Citizens for Change, launched the regular community cleanup initiative after participating in a small cleanup event near the town’s high school. Frustrated by consistently low volunteer turnout at scattered one-off events, Iboy made the decision to formalize a recurring program to tackle the sargassum crisis that is choking stretches of the island’s shoreline.
For Iboy, protecting the beaches is not just an environmental issue—it is an economic priority for every member of the San Pedro community. “San Pedro is the number one tourist destination in the country, and every local industry from restaurants to hotels to tour operations benefits from that reputation,” he explained. “We all gain from tourism, so we all have a stake in keeping the island’s image pristine.”
So far, the initiative has seen slow but steady growth in community participation. The first organized cleanup drew just 13 volunteers, while the most recent event attracted around 20 local residents committed to the cause. That upward momentum has encouraged Iboy to continue expanding the program, which currently holds cleanup events every other Sunday.
Beyond damaging the island’s appeal to visitors, Iboy warns that prolonged sargassum buildup poses a tangible threat to local marine life. Though he is not a marine scientist, he has firsthand evidence of the harm: as sargassum decomposes on the shore, it releases harmful acids that have already killed scores of small fish and sardines that wash up onto the beach. “You can see dead fish floating all along the shoreline,” he said. “It doesn’t take a scientist to see how dangerous this buildup is.”
The crisis comes at a particularly difficult time for San Pedro’s tourism sector, which has struggled in recent years and left many tour guides like Iboy out of consistent work. To address both the sargassum problem and the economic hardship facing local workers, Iboy has proposed that the San Pedro Town Council create paid cleanup positions for unemployed residents. The model would kill two birds with one stone: it would give struggling locals a chance to earn extra income while tackling the ongoing sargassum problem and protecting the island’s tourism brand.
The initiative has sparked some local debate: some San Pedro residents argue that addressing coastal sargassum is a government responsibility, not a job for volunteer community groups. But Iboy remains firm that collective community action is the only way to deliver real, lasting change. “We all reap the benefits of living and working on this beautiful island,” he said. “It’s upsetting to see our beach ruined like this when we have the power to step in and help.”
As the cleanup effort continues, Iboy and San Pedro Citizens for Change are urging both local residents and business owners to join the movement, lend a hand at upcoming events, and help protect the natural resource that forms the foundation of San Pedro’s livelihood.
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Canada-funded STAR-Fish ramps up clean energy interventions for Caribbean fisheries
The Caribbean’s fisheries and aquaculture sectors, long foundational pillars of regional food security, livelihoods, and economic growth, face mounting dual pressures: skyrocketing global energy costs and accelerating climate change impacts that threaten the sustainability of small and large fishing operations across the region. In response, the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) is accelerating the rollout of clean energy interventions through its $4.324 million CAD flagship initiative, the STAR-Fish Project, short for Sustainable Technologies for Adaptation and Resilience in Fisheries.
Eight Caribbean nations are participating in the project: Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Suriname. The core mission of the initiative is to boost both the resilience and market competitiveness of regional fisheries and aquaculture by shifting to low-carbon development models and deploying accessible clean energy infrastructure. Planned interventions span multiple stages of the fisheries value chain, from on-shore processing to distribution: key activities include identifying and rolling out appropriate renewable energy technologies, building energy-efficient cold storage facilities to strengthen cold chain logistics and reduce post-harvest waste, and providing targeted support for participating fisheries to earn international low-carbon sustainability certification.
At the project’s second Regional Project Steering Committee Meeting, held May 14, 2026, Sherron Barker, the STAR-Fish Project’s Regional Coordinator, formally presented the approved 2026–2027 Work Plan and Budget, which will guide the initiative’s third implementation phase. Near-term priorities outlined in the new work plan include developing bankable, locally adapted business models to attract private and public investment in clean energy technologies, supporting the conversion of existing fossil fuel-powered fish processing facilities to low-carbon energy systems, and expanding market access for fisheries that earn low-carbon certification.
Ena Ćimić, STAR-Fish Project Lead at the High Commission of Canada to Jamaica, which funds the initiative through Global Affairs Canada (GAC), opened the meeting by acknowledging the outsized role the sector plays across the Caribbean. “The Caribbean’s fisheries and aquaculture sectors are important drivers of economic activity, livelihoods, and food security across the region,” Ćimić noted, adding, “the sectors also remain highly vulnerable to climate change, rising energy costs, and evolving market demands.”
Ćimić emphasized that the project’s design addresses these vulnerabilities holistically: “The activities implemented through this project position STAR-Fish to further strengthen institutional capacity, advance gender-responsive approaches, and support the adoption of sustainable energy technologies within the fisheries and aquaculture sector, while also improving access to finance, enhancing competitiveness, and building resilience to climate and disaster risks across participating countries.”Reflecting on the project’s progress over the previous implementation year, CRFM Secretariat Executive Director Dr. Marc Williams noted that the second year marked a critical turning point for the initiative, moving from foundational planning and research to coordinated, on-the-ground implementation across all participating nations. Key technical milestones achieved in the prior year included advancing work on renewable energy business model development, standardized carbon footprint measurement for fisheries operations, and establishing frameworks for low-carbon certification. One of the most significant achievements of the reporting period, Dr. Williams highlighted, was the completion of groundbreaking work on gender equality and social inclusion in the clean energy transition for Caribbean fisheries. This work has deepened regional understanding of how gender and social disparities shape access to the benefits of clean energy upgrades, supported the development of national and regional Gender Action Plans (GAPs) for Belize, Grenada, Jamaica, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and expanded gender-responsive capacity building and inclusive stakeholder engagement across all participating countries.
GAC has welcomed the project’s intentional gender-inclusive approach, Ćimić confirmed, noting that this focus is critical to ensuring that the gains of the clean energy transition are shared equitably across all segments of fishing communities. “This aligns with Canada’s priorities of advancing gender equality, climate action, and sustainable, inclusive growth, while also supporting expanded trade opportunities in the region,” she said, reaffirming GAC’s long-term commitment to supporting the CRFM-led initiative.
As the project enters its third implementation year, Dr. Williams noted that the initiative now has all the foundational structures in place to deliver tangible results: “We enter Project Year 3 with activities underway, strengthened governance arrangements, and a clearer pathway toward the practical application of renewable energy solutions across fisheries value chains in the Caribbean.”
Ćimić closed the meeting by reaffirming the shared commitment of all partners to the project’s mission: “We look forward to continuing to work with all of you to support effective implementation and to contribute to a more resilient, sustainable, and inclusive Caribbean fisheries sector.”