The Valley, February 28, 2018 – The Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI) and the Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources – Anguilla will be engaging stakeholders from the public sector, civil society, including fisherfolk and their organisations, and the private sector in participatory three-dimensional (3-D) modelling in order to assess the vulnerability of Anguilla’s fisheries sector to climate change and natural disasters.
Over the next seven days, from March 1-7, these stakeholders will build a scaled, 3-D model of Anguilla to capture local and scientific knowledge on resource use, livelihoods and areas critical to the fisheries sector, such as landing sites and fishing grounds, and undertake a climate change vulnerability assessment. As part of this exercise, potential adaptation actions will be identified and an action plan for climate change adaptation in the fisheries sector produced. A GIS map and database to support spatial planning and decision-making on land use and sustainable fisheries development will also be developed. The exercise will be held at the Anguilla Community College.
The workshop is being conducted under the Darwin Plus: Overseas Territories Environment and Climate Fund project, Climate change adaptation in the fisheries of Anguilla and Montserrat. The overall goal of the project is to mainstream climate change adaptation into fisheries governance and management in Anguilla and Montserrat using an ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF). The three-year project is being implemented by CANARI, the Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources – Anguilla, the Fisheries and Ocean Resources Unit – Montserrat, and the Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies (CERMES) of the University of the West Indies from 2017-2020.
In highlighting the value of the workshop, Anguilla’s Acting Director of Fisheries, Rhon Connor, noted 2016“Anguilla’s fisheries sector makes an important contribution to food security, livelihoods and the economy, valued at US$9.7 million, with approximately 141 fishers operating 96 fishing vessels. The workshop will serve as a key step in enabling adaptation to threats from climate change, including more intense storms, sea level rise and ocean acidification, and improving livelihoods at the community level through enhanced stewardship of fisheries.”
About the project: Anguilla and Montserrat are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and variability, such as increased sea surface temperature, intensity of storms and sea level rise, which are expected to trigger a complex series of biophysical and socio-economic impacts on fisheries. Climate change adaptation (CCA) is therefore crucial. The three-year Darwin Plus funded project, Climate Change Adaptation in the Fisheries of Anguilla and Montserrat, is aimed at mainstreaming CCA into fisheries governance using an ecosystem approach to fisheries (April 2017 – March 2020) with total funding of £260,925. The project will result in improved resilience and sustainability of fisheries, associated livelihoods and conservation of the marine environment in Anguilla and Montserrat. The project is being jointly implemented by CANARI, the Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources – Anguilla, the Fisheries and Ocean Resources Unit in the Ministry of Agriculture, Trade, Housing, Land and Environment (MATHLE) – Montserrat and CERMES. See here for more information: http://www.canari.org/climate-change-adaptation-in-the-fisheries-of-anguilla-and-montserrat
About CANARI: The Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI) is a regional technical non-profit organisation which has been working in the islands of the Caribbean for more than 25 years. Our mission is to promote equitable participation and effective collaboration in managing natural resources critical to development. Our programmes focus on capacity building, policy planning and development, research, sharing and dissemination of lessons learned, and fostering regional partnerships. See here for more information on CANARI: http://www.canari.org/.
– Press Release
(Published without editing by The Anguillian newspaper.)
