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Improving the quality of life of Fisherfolk by developing a sustainable and profitable industry.
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Through the window of my mask I see a wall of coral, its surface a living kaleidoscope of lilac flecks, splashes of gold, reddish streaks and yellows, all tinged by the familiar transparent blue of the sea.
CNFO's Mr. Melvin Bird Samuel on record to assert that small scale fishers will suffer badly with the Chinese Developmentment of an Economic Development Zone in Antigua and Barbuda.
Meet John Thomas, Belize's Fisher of the Year 2020. This award is well deserved given John’s dedicated leadership and promotion of sustainable fishing practices. John has been fishing for over 40 years and is a member of three fishing committees. He says he has been fishing since the age of 16 years and was inspired by his father, who was also a fisher. John is a role model in his community and continues to encourage fishers to advocate for co-management arrangements to promote sustainable fishing. #FridayFisher #Belize #SSFGender
Throwback to the meeting of the appointed Fisheries Advisory Board held on Monday, 28th May 2018. The Fisheries Advisory Committee is co-chaired by the Acting Director of Marine Resources, Mr. Edison Deleveaux, and Mr. Keith Carroll, a member of the fishing community. The committee discussed a number of issues affecting the sector. They also reviewed the draft Fisheries Act, with the aim of fine-tuning the legislation before submission for the Minister’s attention and onward submission for Parliamentary debate before coming into force.
Photo caption: Members of the Fisheries Advisory Fisheries Board Front LtoR: Lt. Comdr. Carlon Bethell, Royal Bahamas Defence Force; Mrs. Shelly Cant-Woodside, Bahamas National Trust; Mr. Timothy Thompson, Assistant Fisheries Superintendent, Crooked Island; Mrs. Casuarina McKinney-Lambert, Bahamas Reef Environment Educational Foundation; Mr. Chuck Pinder, Fisherman, Spanish Wells, Eleuthera; Mr. Jay Dean, Retired Fisherman and Seafood Processor, New Providence; Mr. Edison Deleveaux(Partly Hidden), Acting Director of Fisheries; Mr. Patrick Collie Assistant Fisheries Superintendent, Mayaguana; Ms. Theresa Johnson, Assistant to the Acting Director of Fisheries; Mrs. Shenique Albury-Smith, The Nature Conservancy; Superintendent of Police Patrick Rolle, Royal Bahamas Police Force. Read more here: bit.ly/BahamasFAC #Bahamas #FAC #NICs #EAFStrikeABalance
Meet Vanessa Hamilton. Fish vendor, Boat Owner, Former cosmetologist and President of Fisherfolk at Rocky Point, Claredon Jamaica. Vanessa also has a small business at Pedro Cays which is 63 miles from Rocky Point. Vanessa believes that men and women are equal in the community as well as in the fishing industry. In her community, most women are boat owners and the men have to work with the women to make a living. Vanessa is well known for advocating for upgrades to the working environment at Rocky Point for fish vendors. She desires to upgrade the existing structures and would love to have uniforms, rules and regulations, a cleaner facility and more security to raise the profile of their workplace. #WednesdayWoman #Jamaica #ssfgender
14th October 2020 Uptown Garden Girls Training Centre in Saint Lucia was given a tour of fishing ports by Ms. Danny James.
The young ladies met with other women involved in the fishing sector where they were shown how fish was fillet, salted, cleaned and sliced.
“Refuse to allow the legacy of this generation be that we allowed the tragic decline of our oceans to happen right before our eyes, and worse, that we aided and abetted its demise.”-Richard Branson
Are you familiar with the Small-Scale Fisheries (SSF) Guidelines? What about the concepts of gender equality and gender equity and how they affect the roles and responsibilities of small-scale fisheries throughout the value chain? Please see this short video from the FAO that provides some helpful background. Remember gender equality and equity is not only a women’s issue, it is a human issue. It affects us all. Add your comments and questions here. We want to hear from you.
SSF Guidelines: Gender Equity and Equality
www.youtube.com
www.fao.org/2/ssf-guidelines Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF...Meet Julius Ambris. Part-time Fisher, Refrigeration/Air conditioning Technician and Aspiring Boat owner. Julius did his internship for his Associate degree in refrigeration and airconditioning at the fish market in Kingstown, St Vincent and the Grenadines. While at the market he worked on the maintenance of the ice machine, chiller and the cold room. He also obtained a fish handling certificate which taught him best practices for ensuring the highest quality of fish.
Julius also has an interest in lobster and turtle research and the initiatives that support the recovery of their populations. He is a fine example of how young men can be involved in ecosystem stewardship and promote the application of EAF. #fridayfisher #stvincentandthegrenadines #ssfgender
It's the eve of World Food Day! Today our Throwback Thursday feature is a black and white photo of flyingfish carefully packaged in a can. This product is no longer available but it illustrates an example of a great innovation attempted in the past.
This year's theme, 'Smart Solutions for Healthy Diets' seeks to increase collective impact to ensure the accessibility and affordability of healthy diets for all, produced and processed in a sustainable way. A transformation of our food systems and innovative solutions, moving beyond just technical solutions, is urgently needed . #ThrowbackThursday #flyingfish #WorldFoodDay
Meet Sylvia White, Fish Processor and Vendor, Vice President of the Barbados National Union of Fisherfolk Organisations (BARNUFO), member of the Central Fish Processors Association (CFPA) and an exceptional Dominoes player.
Sylvia comes from a fishing family, her dad is a retired fisher and her sister is also a fish processor and vendor. She has been involved in the industry for 28 years. Sylvia is well known for advocating for improving the quality of fish products for local consumption and export.
She is hopeful that one day Barbadian fisherfolk would be able to ship fish to any part of the world. Sylvia will be the facilitator at the upcoming leadership institute session on 4 November 2020. Stay tuned for more information on how to register for the session. #WednesdayWoman #barbados #ssfgender
“Why is it that scuba divers and surfers are some of the strongest advocates of ocean conservation? Because they’ve spent time in and around the ocean, and they’ve personally seen the beauty, the fragility, and even the degradation of our planet’s blue heart.”
Sylvia Earle
Meet Leslie Alexander. Fisher, Boat Owner, Fish vendor, Police officer attached to the St. Lucia Coast Guard and President of the Goodwill Fishermen Cooperative.
Leslie was raised in a fishing family and got involved in the fishing business at the tender age of 15. Leslie joined the cooperative movement in 2012 where he volunteered his services on the Board of Directors of the Goodwill fishermen cooperative society. He has served in various positions over the years, from Treasurer to Vice President. He also served on the supervisory committee. He loves working as a team and often seeks to motivate fellow directors by promoting the cooperative spirit. Leslie brings an interesting dynamic to the team in his role as a police officer attached to the Coast Guard. He is passionate about uploading the law and adhering to the fisheries regulations.
He is also interested in eradicating IUU fishing. Fisherfolk leaders like Leslie who uphold the letter of the law are needed to ensure the sustainability of marine resources. #fridayfisher #saintlucia #ssfgender