This after ten hours of intense first round discussions between high-powered teams from both islands on how to go about the fish stock assessment. The meeting was held at the Mt Irvine Bay Hotel this week.
Tobago was represented by a nine-member team led by Agriculture, Marine Affairs, Marketing and the Environment Secretary Hilton Sandy while the Barbados eight-member team was led by Sir Henry Ford, former Attorney General and Foreign Affairs Minister. Both teams included executive members of their island's respective fisherfolk associations.
Sandy told the Tobago News following the meeting that the fish stock assessment would be undertaken as a priority and that the assessment would be an integral part of any future fishing agreement between Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago.
He said the FAO would be approached to reconvene the Flying Fish Working Group as a matter of urgency to review available data from all participating countries, especially Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago
Sandy added that a technical group from Barbados and Tobago will continue to meet to define the way forward in respect of future cooperation in the development of their respective fishing industries to mutual advantage.
Source: Tobago News