This second Strategic Plan, presented as a valuable source of information and reference in order to meet the demands of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) stakeholders, including member governments, development partners, research agencies, fisherfolk of the Caribbean region, defines the challenges facing the fisheries and aquaculture sector in the Caribbean and the CRFM for the period 2013-2021 focusing not only on a pure fisheries approach, but also on a multi-disciplinary nature, such as the ecosystem approach to fisheries, disaster risk management and climate change adaptation. The Strategic Plan is structured as follows: 1) introduction; 2) regional and international context; 3) challenges facing fisheries in the Caribbean, including: trends, risks and opportunities; food production, demand and trade issues; fisheries; aquaculture; natural resources and climate variability change; 4) vision, goals, objectives and principles; 5) strategic goals for the period 2013-2021; 6) functions of Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism as competent authority; 7) strategic and functional objectives; 8) monitoring and evaluation. The Strategic Plan provides for an effective cooperation and collaboration among Participating Parties in the conservation, management and sustainable utilisation of the fisheries resources, related ecosystems and marine and other aquatic resources in the Caribbean region, in order to secure the maximum benefits from those resources for the Caribbean peoples and to establish appropriate measures for building of capacity amongst fishers, the optimisation of the social and economic returns and the promotion of competitive trade. The Strategic Plan points out global challenges and regional trends affecting fisheries and fisheries products, and these include: increases in the cost of food and fuel; frequent devastation caused by natural disasters; need to implement food security and production, fisheries and aquaculture policies at national level; pressure on the availability of natural resources, including land, water, aquatic resources, forests and biodiversity; reducing malnutrition; increasing awareness of the population of the environmental and health dimensions of food production, rice, maize, dried coconuts, wheat flour substitutes, legume grains, sugar, poultry, small ruminants (sheep and goats), spices, condiments, fruits and vegetables; development of small-scale fisheries; integrated approach to address climate change hazards and natural disasters in disaster risk management and climate change adaptation; fight against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IUU). The Strategic Plan defines also nine strategic and functional objectives reflecting the general and strategic goals, as well as the vision and mission of the Plan: 1) information on status and trends in the fisheries and aquaculture sector; 2) research and development, including best practices in fisheries technologies and gears; 3) sustainable management of fisheries resources, including precautionary approach; 4) sustainable use of fisheries resources, including reduction of post-harvest losses and improvement of fish and fisheries products quality and safety; strengthening of the role of women in fisheries sector; 5) sustainable development of aquaculture; 6) adaptation to climate change and disaster risk management in fisheries; 7) capacity building and institutional strengthening; 8) effective collaboration with member states and stakeholders; 9) efficient and effective administration.
2013-01-01