Close of the CRFM's 20th
Anniversary Celebrations

Message from  CRFM Executive Director

As we conclude this year's Twentieth Anniversary Celebrations, marking two decades since the establishment of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), it is my pleasure to convey our sincerest gratitude to all our Member States, regional and international partners, and supporters across the region and the world for making this a very memorable milestone for all us!

We are delighted to report that the CRFM Secretariat has successfully concluded its Twentieth Anniversary Technical Events Series, which brought us together for almost 30 hours of public engagement on critical issues affecting the fisheries and aquaculture sector, reaching over 600 unique participants from over 60 jurisdictions.

This networking and engagement during our Anniversary Celebrations reenergized and strengthened our relationships and partnerships. For us, this was also a time of consultation and of focusing keen attention on the voice of our stakeholders on the ground, on issues that matter most to them. We listened to your suggestions on how we can continue our collaborative work of protecting our living marine resources for the benefit of present and future generations.

We discussed the state of affairs, and the way forward, in addressing areas essential to our work in fisheries conservation, management, and development. These include:

1. The Importance of Fish and Aquatic Foods to Food Security and Nutrition
2. The Sustainable Use of Living Marine Resources
3. Climate Change, Ocean Acidification, and Disaster Risk Management
4. Fisheries Conservation and Management
5. Abandoned, Lost, and Otherwise Discarded Fishing Gear (ALDFG)
6. Sargassum Value Chain Development
7. Unlocking the Caribbean Blue Economy
8. The Logistics Dilemma hindering Intraregional Trade
9. Strengthening Sanitary and PhytoSanitary Systems and Food Safety in the Fisheries Sector
10. Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing and Transnational Organized Crime in the Fishing Industry
11. Legal, Policy, and Institutional Frameworks for Fisheries
12. Data and Science for Sustainable Fisheries Development & Management
13. Training and Capacity Building
14. Aquaculture and Mariculture
15. International and Regional Cooperation and Partnerships

We achieved our three-fold purpose for convening the Anniversary Celebrations:

• to enhance the visibility of the CRFM through promoting its technical and scientific work in the region over the past 20 years;
• to highlight the role of fisheries and aquaculture in achieving sustainable employment and livelihoods, trade, food security, and nutrition; and 
• to highlight the potential of the marine living resources to contribute to blue economic growth and development.

Yours sincerely,

Milton Haughton

Executive Director

CRFM Secretariat

Looking Back: 20 Years of Treasured Memories