FISHERFOLK across the Caribbean are set to benefit from a timely Euro 117,956 ($13.6 million) project which will help them develop a more sustainable and professional industry. The project will also target the quality of life of the fisherfolk and the nutrition obtained from seafood.

The project will enable fisherfolk to continuously engage policymakers as they increase their participation in the formulation of key regional fisheries policies. Additionally, regional and national networking will be bolstered as the fisherfolk gain strength in advancing their interests.

Entitled Implementing the Caribbean Community Common Fisheries Policy: Positioning and Engaging Fisher Folk Organisations, the project will foster one-week consultation on the implementation and mainstreaming of regional fisheries policies into small-scale fisheries governance arrangements in the Caribbean.

It aims to build insight into fisheries ecosystems and the likely impacts of the fishing techniques used on various ecosystems while expanding knowledge on common fisheries management tools which take into account climate change and disaster risk reduction.

The project will be undertaken through the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) which was recently awarded a 12-month contract by the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA).

The CRFM-CTA project will engage executives as well as members of national fisherfolk organisations in 15 ACP member countries who are part of the CRFM/CARIFORUM group, as well as representatives from partnering organisations and is expected to positively contribute to sound, key regional fisheries policies that take into account small-scale fisher folk positions and their proposals.