New laws to create fisheries institute, transform industry

The government has vowed to revolutionise the fishing industry with comprehensive new legislation that will govern fish waste processing, establish a dedicated fisheries institute, and prioritise the engagement of youth and women in the industry, Chief Fisheries Officer Shelly-Ann Cox has announced.

The upcoming bills, the Fish Management Bill and the Seafood Bill, spanning over 400 pages, aim to boost sustainable practices and create new value chains in the island’s blue economy.

Cox made the announcement during the Food and Agriculture Organisation’s graduation ceremony on Capacity Building for Improved Management and Optimised Utilisation of Fish Waste at Pelican House.

She said that the work the Ministry of Agriculture has done over the years in conjunction with the FAO on producing fish silage on a large scale to be used particularly in agriculture continues to pay off with several people being trained yearly in the process. As such, the ministry plans to bring forward new legislation to further support the expansion of the new addition to fisheries.

“Our parent Act does outline the needs to establish fish waste reception facilities, and the legislation also supports post-harvest development, especially relating to [an] investment scheme for processors,” Cox said. “So the environment is good right now for initiatives such as this, and the new legislation which will be debated in the senate very soon, will support these initiatives.

“We wanted legislation that was not heavy on penalties and fines and rules, but legislation that will chart a path forward for development. I am proud to say that we have been blessed to be able to have quite modern legislation that will see the fishing industry of Barbados reach its highest potential.”

Minister of Environment and National Beautification, Green and Blue Economy, Adrian Forde. (SB)

A significant component of the new legislation involves the establishment of the Barbados Institute for Fisheries, where according to Cox, the institute will offer courses in seafood quality assurance, vessel operations, and other relevant fields, with a particular focus on engaging youth and women.

“The legislation speaks towards the Barbados Institute for Fisheries and fishery-related studies, where we will be looking to offer courses not only in seafood quality assurance, but vessel operations and other courses that will attract youth and women,” she said. “A special emphasis on women and trying to engage them with the harvest part of the sector. We know that the post-harvest sector is dominated by women but I see a lot of aspiring female fishers that we want to encourage. I think these are demonstrations for young people to see so that they can be inspired to pursue new careers.”

The legislation will also prioritise improving and diversifying fisheries value chains to make them more resilient to logistical disruptions, while minimising economic and post-harvest losses.

Cox explained: “If you want to look specifically at the policy statement, it says the government will facilitate the emergence of new value chains that can boost the development of the local fishing industry and improve trade balance in fish products. This statement clearly outlines the fact that we need to have sustained initiatives to improve the emergence of new value chains. This project focused on transforming fish waste into products.”

She expressed hope that the recent training sessions would inspire small businesses to pursue fish waste processing initiatives.

“We hope that what was outlined in the training will inspire some small businesses. We know the Central Processors Fishing Association would have embarked on an initiative to produce fish silage, and we hope that this training now will continue to sustain their efforts,” she said.

Adrian Forde, minister for the blue economy, highlighted
the significance of the new legislation, which spans over 400 pages.

“When we table the Fish Management Bill legislation and the Seafood Bill, which is the after process bill, and it now becomes an Act it signifies to us, here it is the legislation, to align itself with what we are speaking about in terms of our circular economy,” he said. 

shamarblunt@barbadostoday.bb