Anguilla, 7 March 2022 (CNFO) – The Anguilla Fisher Folk Association (AFA) in collaboration with The Caribbean Network of Fisherfolk Organisations (CNFO) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), is implementing a one-year project, “Promoting fisher-led implementation of SSF Guidelines in the Caribbean Region”. A 2-day Workshop was held on the 8th and 10th March 2022 at the Department of Youth and Culture (DYC) Conference Room, The Valley, Anguilla.
The CNFO has participated in the development of the both the Caribbean Community Common Fisheries Policy (CCCFP), and the Global policy, the Voluntary Guidelines on Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the context of food security and poverty eradication (SSF). The network was instrumental in having the SSF guidelines adopted as the first protocol of the Caribbean Community Common Fisheries Policy (CCCFP). Although the SSF guidelines are imbedded within the fisheries policy of the Caribbean Community, there is limited focus on active implementation while SSF fishers are increasingly being challenged by NGO agendas, climate change, ecosystem degradation, marine protected areas (MPAs) and marine spatial planning (MSP), and so called “Blue Economy” initiatives.
The objectives of this meeting were:
• Build awareness and understanding of regional and global fisheries policy, namely the Caribbean Community Common Fisheries Policy (CCCFP), and the Voluntary Guidelines on Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the context of food security and poverty eradication (SSF).
• Develop draft advocacy plans for fishers, to address major concerns
• Develop draft plans for fisher-led implementation of the SSF guidelines
• Build awareness of the CNFO’s Regional Code of Conduct
The Anguilla Fisher Folk Association joins the regional network in spearheading the active implementation of these policy documents, as one of the means to improve fishers’ lives in the region. The SSF guidelines place the people (SSF fishers) at the centre of development in a clearly synergistic manner to the Sustainable Development Goals.
– Press Release
