Fish Silage Production And Use In The Caribbean Feasibility Study For Barbados And Saint Kitts And Nevis

It is estimated that per year in Barbados, 585 tonnes of fish waste are generated at the two main public fish markets, and 936 tonnes of waste are generated at private fish processors across the island. Therefore, Barbados produces an aggregate of 1 521 tonnes of fish waste annually. At present, approximately 90 percent of fish waste and by-products are discarded at the landfill. To produce fish silage on a large scale in Barbados the baseline cost (based on a 90 percent yield rate) is estimated to be USD 265 920, excluding the cost of fish waste and acids. Sales revenues based on competitor prices range from USD 528 485 to USD 2 044 900. During the fish silage demonstration workshop held from 23 to 26 July 2019 in Bridgetown, the cost of small-scale production (100 kg) was estimated to be USD 900 and USD 254 when using the chemical and biological methods, respectively. The existing regulatory framework has the potential to facilitate the production and utilization of fish silage. However, clearance and permission may have to be institutionalized in order for fish silage to be produced and utilized in, and or as, animal feed. These conclusive findings subsequently prompted FAO to engage in a partnership with the Caribbean Agriculture Research and Development Institute (CARDI), to develop the silage-based feeds and document their effects on the growth performance of select animals.

Climate change related natural disasters pose serious threats and risks to livelihoods of fishermen and women as well as to food security in the Caribbean. To respond to these threats and risks, the FAO, the Department of State of the United States of America and the World Bank introduced an initiative on climate risk insurance for the Caribbean Fisheries sector as part of a global initiative on Blue Growth. In support of this initiative a survey was conducted to identify fisheries assets that could be insured, value these assets, identify climate smart fisheries investments and practices and carry out an insurance needs and demand survey. This Circular presents survey findings from Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, St Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis and St Vincent and the Grenadines. Some of the key findings are that: 97 percent of the fishing vessels and fishing assets were not insured, while in each of the CARICOM countries there is at least one local insurer offering marine insurance; 83 percent of the fishers would purchase insurance coverage for their vessels if it would be more affordable; only 17 percent of the fishers had a health insurance and 20 percent had an life insurance policy. Moreover, more than one-third of the fishers would be interested to invest in safe harbor, anchorage, haul out and vessel storage facilities, including installation of bumper rails on piers and the use of fenders on boats and piers, if this would reduce insurance premiums. Based on the findings of the insurance demand survey, an organizational arrangement for a Caribbean Fisheries Risk Insurance Facility (CFRIF) was developed, presented at various regional fora and shared with interested stakeholders.

This document contains the report of the subregional training workshop on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and fisheries for the Caribbean Countries, jointly organized by the Development Law Service of the FAO Legal Office and the CITES Secretariat, in collaboration with the FAO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, the FAO Subregional Office for the Caribbean, and the FAO Offices in the concerned countries. The workshop was held virtually from 30 May to 2 June 2022. The workshop aimed at raising awareness and strengthening the understanding of CITES implementation in the fisheries sector; introducing and training participants on the use of the FAO-CITES Legal Study and Guide; and identifying countries’ needs and interests in enhancing national fisheries legislation for a better implementation of CITES in the fisheries sector. A total of 106 participants joined the workshop, from eleven Caribbean Countries (the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago), other invited CITES parties (European Union and the United States of America), the Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission, the UN Conference on Trade and Development, the CITES Secretariat and FAO.The four-day programme included presentations on CITES key principles and requirements and their applicability in the fisheries sector; clarifications on commercially exploited aquatic species listed in CITES Appendix II; opportunities for collaboration between CITES and fisheries authorities; correlations between CITES and fisheries management; an introduction on how to use the FAO-CITES Legal Study and Guide; the relevance of FAO’s PSMA and CDS; and knowledge-sharing on practical experiences of CITES implementation at national and regional levels.This is the second of a series of subregional workshops on CITES and fisheries, organized by the CITES Secretariat and FAO. The first subregional workshop was held with Pacific Island countries. The next subregional workshop is planned for certain Latin American countries in 2023.

"It is widely recognized that the development of aquaculture in the Wider Caribbean region is inhibited, in part, by the lack of technical expertise, infrastructure, capital investment and human resources. Furthermore, seed supply for native species relies, for the most part, on natural collection, subject to natural population abundance with wide yearly variations. This situation has led to the current trend of culturing more readily available exotic species, but with a potentially undesirable impact on the natural environment. The centralizing of resources available in the region into a shared facility has been recommended by several expert meetings over the past 20 years. The establishment of a regional hatchery facility, supporting sustainable aquaculture through the seed production of native molluscan species was discussed at the FAO workshop "Regional shellfish hatchery: A feasibility study" held in New Kingston, Jamaica, in October 2010, by representatives of Caribbean governments and experts in the field. Molluscan species are particularly targeted due to their culture potential in terms of known techniques, simple grow-out technology and low impact on surrounding environment. It is proposed that a regional molluscan hatchery would produce seed for sale and distribution to grow-out operations in the region as well as provide technical support for the research on new species. The current document summarizes the findings of the workshop and outlines four follow-up recommendations on steps required for the successful implementation of a regional facility. The positive response of participating Caribbean governments demonstrates the current political will for sustainable aquaculture growth in the region, supported by several national plans including the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism Strategic Plan"--Page 4 of cover.

The Third Third Annual Project Steering Committee Meeting of the GEG/FAO Climate Change Adaptation in the Eastern Caribbean Fisheries Sector Project (CC4FISH) was held at UN House, Bridgetown, Barbados, 16–17 April 2019. The meeting brought together 24 representatives from the project countries, partner organizations and other key stakeholders involved in the delivery of the project to highlight the progress made to date by each partner. Project countries and partners presented a review of their activities carried out during 2018 and their annual workplans and budgets for 2019. The discussions included the need and road to ensure a timely delivery of the project outcomes. In addition there were discussions on lessons learned and opportunities for further development of the project to ensure increased resilience and reduction of vulnerability to climate change impacts in the Eastern Caribbean fisheries sector. The main topics discussed during the workshop included capacity building, sargassum impacts, aquaculture development, fisheries management plans, vulnerability assessments and communication.

This report contains a record of the proceedings and recommendations of the workshop. It was attended by twenty-one participants from ten Caribbean countries, as well as FAO officers. Possible positive impacts of globalization identified at the workshop include: improved access to overseas markets; increase in intraregional trade; access to technological improvements; increased demand for fish products through further development of tourism; increase in the contribution of the fisheries sector to foreign currency earnings and to gross domestic product. Possible negative impacts were foreseen in terms of: higher prices of exportable fish products in domestic markets; increased pressure on fully or overexploited fish stocks; erosion of decision-making at various levels in the absence of adequate reforms in governance; difficulties on the part of small countries in meeting scales of production needed to compete in a global environment. The main outcome of the workshop is the formulation of a Caribbean Fisheries Agenda on Globalization (CFAG), which is aimed to aid Caribbean countries prepare for the challenges of globalization.