Dominica among Caribbean States advancing new Fisheries Governance measures

​Delegation heads from CRFM Member States at the end of the 17th Special Meeting of the Ministerial Council in Jamaica (Photo – CRFM Secretariat) 
 
Dominica is among the Caribbean countries participating in regional efforts to strengthen fisheries and aquaculture governance, following the 17th Special Meeting of the Ministerial Council of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) in Trelawny, Jamaica.
 
The meeting, held on September 28 during the 20th Caribbean Week of Agriculture, brought together ministers responsible for fisheries, aquaculture and the blue economy. Under the chairmanship of Antigua and Barbuda, the council approved 12 resolutions addressing key areas including fisheries data, marine spatial planning, seafood traceability and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.
 
The discussions are particularly relevant to Dominica, which is a member of the CRFM and has been working with regional partners on sustainable management of its marine resources. Dominica formally signed the CRFM Agreement in 2025, alongside Anguilla, The Bahamas and Montserrat.
 
The council also approved three new protocols under the Caribbean Community Common Fisheries Policy, covering marine spatial planning, aquatic foods traceability, and measures to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. CRFM said the protocols are intended to strengthen regional coordination, improve transparency across seafood value chains and support sustainable management of marine resources.