Deputy Director of Fisheries Ms Kafi Gumbs and Special Advisor in the Ministry of Home Affairs Mr Sam Webster attended the meeting, followed by a two day working group meeting on fisheries crime from the 27th-28th February 2013.
According to the local delegates during their meeting they spoke about some of the problems facing Anguilla’s fishing industry, its need for development and diversification, and potential problems with suspected illegal fishing within Anguilla’s exclusive economic zone-EEZ.
Both Ms Gumbs and Mr Webster also got the opportunity to meet with the Norwegian delegates and were able to speak and give ideas on fishing strategies, fisheries developments and stock assessment needs.
Ms Gumbs said they were particularly pleased with three major outcomes for Anguilla. Among them, they were able to lobby for support from the British Navy to assist in patrols and capacity building for border protection.
They were able to begin communications with Norway on best practices pertaining to feasibility studies for the development of Anguilla’s fishing industry and the establishment of a fish processing plant for the island.
Ms Gumbs said the meeting was unique in that Anguilla was the only Caribbean island represented. However, she expressed concern that a project of such magnitude needs world wide support and recognition.
She said if the region is to fight piracy, illegal fisheries crimes and the trafficking of drugs, there must be a collective effort rather than each island working by itself.
Anguilla’s participation was funded by the British Government and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee.
The International Crime Police Organization-(INTERPOL) is the largest international police organization in the world. It consists of 190 member states that collaborate to fight crime.
The high level meeting had delegates from sixty three different countries and over two hundred participants.
-Press Release
