Caribbean territories are examining sustainable management of the region’s dolphins and flying fish, which are both under threat due to over-fishing.
The Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) convened the Sixth Annual Scientific Meeting of Fisheries from June 7 to June 16, in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, to examine the state of dolphins and flying fish as both species are under threat due to over-fishing for consumption and sport fishing, where the dolphin is regarded as a prized catch. Fisheries experts from within the Region and scientists from Venezuela, Brazil, the French West Indies, Canada, and the United States discussed complementary management and conservation strategies for the fisheries resources and the industries which depend on them, CARICOM said in a statement.
The meeting also incorporated economic information into the fishery evaluations to provide more socially acceptable and practical management options. “It has been recognised that increased fishing pressure on either dolphin or flying fish will affect the survival of the other, therefore measures to ensure their sustainability were critical. In this regard, the CRFM has led the charge of providing important outputs needed to drive new fisheries governance patterns,” CARICOM said.
Dolphins and flying fish are important resources in the fisheries sector and contribute to the employment of more than 3,500 fisher folk, to foreign export earnings, the tourism industry and to regional food security. They are also currently a priority under the recently initiated Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem project, which is aimed at exploring options to improve fisheries governance in ways that make the region sensitive to the multiple uses and benefits of its marine space.
The CRFM’s annual scientific meetings allow fisheries experts to review, assess and to advise on the state of the Region’s fisheries.
The meetings are also useful in guiding conservation and management decisions within the sector, CARICOM said, adding that so far more than 30 fisheries have been examined at the scientific meetings. The results and scientific recommendations of the meeting are expected to be presented for review and acceptance during the next annual meeting of CRFM’s fisheries managers.
