St Vincent and the Grenadines: Consultation held on Fisheries Sector recovery post-Beryl

The Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Transformation, Forestry, and Fisheries of St Vincent and the Grenadines held a critical consultation at the Fisheries Conference Room in Kingstown on Monday, August 19th, 2024.

This key stakeholder session comprised of the fisherfolk, fisherfolk organizations, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), in the face of recovery efforts taking place in the sector following Hurricane Beryl.

Opening remarks were done by the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Rural Transformation, Industry, and Labour, Saboto Caesar. His remarks emphasized on the collective drive towards the rebuilding of the fisheries sector.

The program was followed by Jennifer Cruikshank-Howard, Chief Fisheries Officer, who gave a detailed presentation on the status of the fisheries post-Beryl. An insight was provided into the extent of damage sustained due to the disaster and the path to move toward recovery gradually.

The consultation primarily focused on documentation regarding damages reported by the stakeholders and identification of opportunities for collaboration in the recovery process. This meeting sets an atmosphere of collaboration, whereby participants shared the numerous challenges they face in their respective areas within the fisheries industry.

Critical issues identified in this research were loss of fishing vessels, damage to infrastructure, and destruction of marine resources. Besides affecting the fisherfolk livelihoods, the monstrous natural disaster has also disrupted the overall food security and economic stability for communities dependent on fisheries.

Recommendations based on stakeholder inputs are enhancing disaster preparedness, securing monetary resources for the affected fisherfolk, and augmenting infrastructure to make the sector more resilient to future natural disasters.

The consultation was the first meaningful step in the fisheries sector towards the path of recovery and sustainable development. This has been realized as the consultation was conducted and the major points of the discussions underlined the need for the process of recovery to include all voices so that the road ahead reflects the real needs and concerns of the directly affected.

Till the point, the goal remains the same: stakeholders must continue to work together to rebuild a resilient fisheries sector that can withstand all odds in the long run and contribute to ensuring the long-term welfare of the communities that depend on it.