Report of the Regional Policy and Planning Workshop on the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (CCRF) in the Caribbean

Book excerpt: The Regional Policy and Planning Workshop on the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (CCRF) in the Caribbean: "Achieving Improved Fisheries Management and Utilization in the Wider Caribbean Region," which took place at the University of the West Indies, Barbados, on 6-9 December 2011, discussed the constraints encountered when applying the Code in the Caribbean region and identified solutions that would enable stakeholders to further mainstream their policies, strategies and management plans with the Code. The workshop paid particular attention to increasing awareness and capacity in the region on the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (EAF), the International Plan of Action for the conservation and management of Sharks (IPOA-Sharks) and the ongoing work on the Voluntary Guidelines on securing sustainable Small-scale fisheries. The workshop was attended by 11 Caribbean countries and 17 organizations and was co-organized by FAO, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and Water Resource Management of Barbados, the Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies (CERMES) and the Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission (WECAFC). The Conclusions and Recommendations of the workshop were adopted by the workshop participants and have been endorsed formally for the Wider Caribbean Region by the Fourteenth session of WECAFC, which was held in Panama City, Panama, 6-9 February 2012.--