Following the mandate by the 14th Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government held on 14-15 February 2003 in Trinidad and Tobago to prepare a Common Fisheries Policy and tireless negotiations and draft review of the content by CARICOM and CRFM Secretariats and member states, Senator the Honourable Vasant Bharath, Minister of Food Production, Land and Marine Affairs led a delegation representing the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago at the Second Special Meeting of the Ministerial Council of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) on July 28, 2010 in Castries, St Lucia.

This meeting was held to discuss selected issues as directed by the Second Regular Ministerial Council Meeting (held earlier this year on March 18, 2010 in Suriname). The meeting was hosted by the Honourable Ezechiel Joseph, St Lucia’s Minister of Agriculture, Lands, Forestry and Fisheries; and attended by Agriculture Ministers and representatives of other CARICOM member countries including Barbados, Antigua, Anguilla, Dominica, Monsterrat, Grenada, St Kitts and Suriname.

The highlight of the Ministerial Council Meeting was an agreement on THE CASTRIES (ST LUCIA) DECLARATION ON ILLEGAL, UNREPORTED AND UNREGULATED (IUU) FISHING which has been drafted and approved to demonstrate the region’s determination and commitment to protect the economic interests of CARICOM Member States and to prevent, deter and eliminate IUU fishing by enhancing the effectiveness of monitoring, control and surveillance at the national and regional levels by creating and sustaining the necessary harmonized and contemporary legislative and regulatory regimes. Further, by building capacity in national fisheries administrations and also by fostering an attitude of compliance among fishers which is intended to facilitate and support the management of fisheries nationally and regionally.

It would also serve as a useful tool in the mobilization of resources to develop and implement the national and regional plans of actions to combat IUU fishing.

Another highlight of last week’s meeting was the adoption of a Way Forward on the Final Draft of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). The Meeting mandated the CRFM Secretariat to work in collaboration with the CARICOM Secretariat to review the existing draft and work towards having it finalized for the Third Ministerial Council Meeting in October 2010.

Trinidad and Tobago’s input followed a series of Stakeholder Consultations held on both islands earlier this year.

August 03, 2010