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| Robert Persaud |
The Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud who has responsibilities for the fisheries sector was quoted:
"Government is putting the measures in place that will allow for a vibrant and successful fisheries sector and I want more people to get involved and show us their commitment towards making this happen."
And this calls for the empowerment of the resource user groups through building their capacity to undertake their roles as partners with government in participatory management processes.
It is anticipated, GINA said, that the work of the NFO will result in improved earnings and higher standards of living for fisher-folk and will contribute to the sustainable use of fish resources in the entire Caribbean region.
The organisation was initiated by the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mec-hanism (CRFM) where NFOs were also launched in several countries, including St. Kitts and Nevis, the Dominican Republic, St. Lucia and Grenada.
According to GINA, only recently the Fisheries Advisory Board was launched as part of an effort to revamp the fisheries sector.
The framework of fisheries policies including the legal and institutional structure or fisheries management and development is another step by the administration to propel fisheries growth.
The Fisheries Management Plan (FMP) focuses on all aspects of the sector, including the promotion of aquaculture to diversify production, increase export earnings and reduce pressure on marine resources. GINA noted that many of the commercially-imported resources in the region such as shrimp, red snapper and lobster are either fully fished or over-exploited.