24th Eastern Caribbean Ministerial Meeting on Fisheries and the Sustainable Use of Living Aquatic Resources

During a presentation on “the Status of Fisheries in the Caribbean Region”, Minister Baltimore called for a collective shift in the way of doing business by fisherfolk within the Region. He emphasized that a more business focused approach should be adopted by fisherfolk to increase revenue and uplift the productivity of the entire sector across the OECS. Minister Baltimore also stated that the Region should explore fish farming and fish ranching to complement traditional methods of fishing, which would create employment and provide additional revenue streams for those within the industry.

Furthermore, the Minister supported the call for the establishment of an OECS Business Forum on Fisheries, which was suggested by Ambassador Daven Joseph. The proposed Business Forum would seek to encourage greater Public-Private Partnerships to allow for further investment, greater research through data collection, and renewed interest in the fisheries sector.

The meeting held in collaboration with the Government of Japan and the six Member States of the OECS, focused on the opportunities and challenges faced in the fisheries sector. The delegation of Antigua and Barbuda also comprised of His Excellency Mr. Daven Joseph, IWC Commissioner; Ms. Ann-Louise Hill, Director of the Blue Economy (Ag); and Mr. Kurt M. Williams, Senior Foreign Service Officer.