The “Strategies, technologies, and social solutions to manage bycatch in tropical Large Marine Ecosystem Fisheries (REBYC-III CLME+),” and the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (EAF) in the shrimp and groundfish fisheries of the North Brazil Shelf Large Marine Ecosystem (EAF4SG) projects, two Global Environment Facility (GEF)-funded initiatives, successfully highlighted their significant achievements in advancing sustainable fisheries management and reducing bycatch across the Caribbean region during the recent Caribbean Week of Agriculture (CWA) held from 29 September to 3 October, 2025 in St. Kitts and Nevis.
Implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and executed by the University of the West Indies (UWI) Faculty of Food and Agriculture, the projects represent a major regional effort to improve fishing practices and ensure long-term sustainability for coastal communities.
The CWA sessions, which included a diverse range of regional stakeholders from the Caribbean including national governments, featured presentations on tangible progress from four participating countries in the REBYC-III and EAF4SG projects namely Barbados, Guyana, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.
Key highlights presented at the CWA included:
- Significant bycatch reduction in Trinidad and Tobago: Gear trials using LED illumination on gill nets successfully reduced turtle bycatch by 39% while maintaining target catch rates. This innovative approach also reduced gear damage, offering a benefit to fishers.
- Advancing data and compliance: All participating countries are strengthening their data collection and management systems, including the implementation of the Calipseo database. This locally-controlled data solution is critical for helping countries meet stringent international export requirements from markets like the United States (US) and the European Union (EU).
- Ecosystem management and technology:
- Suriname demonstrated success with gear trials on pair trawling, testing a flexible turtle excluder/sorting grid to reduce bycatch of endangered, threatened, and protected (ETP) species.
- Guyana is pioneering the use of dolphin dissuasive devices (DDD) pingers in drift seine fisheries to reduce marine mammal bycatch and is advancing National Plans of Action for both sharks and Abandoned, Lost, or otherwise Discarded Fishing Gear (ALDFG).
- Barbados is testing the efficacy of different sizes of circle hooks versus traditional “J” hooks in longline fisheries and implementing electronic monitoring using AI technology (Shell Catch) for better data collection.
- Socioeconomic integration: The projects are actively assessing the socioeconomic aspects of fisheries, recognising that economic factors, such as understanding market prices and value chains, play a crucial role in the successful adoption of sustainable practices. Barbados, for example, is pursuing a market enterprise initiative to improve livelihoods by providing vacuum sealers and training to fish vendors.
Following the CWA, the project teams committed to several key action items to finalise current phases, including completing ongoing gear trials, finalising national action plans for sharks and ALDFG, and fully launching the Calipseo data systems in participating countries.
The projects are also actively pursuing collaboration with related regional initiatives, such as the Caribbean Marine Megafauna and Anthropogenic Activities (CAMAC) project, to ensure synergised efforts for the best possible regional outcomes. The team also agreed to explore opportunities to scale up technical support to non-target countries, such as Grenada, to assist with international export compliance.
