Chief Fisheries Officer Cox remembered for service to fishing communities

A wave of grief has swept through the fishing industry following the sudden death of Chief Fisheries Officer Dr Shelly-Ann Cox, as fisherfolk and vendors recall her hands-on approach, strong community ties and push to modernise the industry.

Dr Cox, 38, the youngest person and first woman to lead fisheries oversight in Barbados, collapsed while presenting an award at a fishing event at Weston, St James, on Saturday. Efforts were made to revive her at the scene before she was reportedly rushed to hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.

Remembered as a passionate advocate, educator and tireless champion for fisherfolk whose impact far exceeded her relatively short tenure, she was hailed as a transformative figure who strengthened ties between the Fisheries Division and fishing communities while promoting education, disaster preparedness and youth involvement.

President of the Black Fin Fleet Co-operative Society, Moonesh Dharampaul, described her as a “people’s person” whose academic achievements never overshadowed her ability to connect with those she served.

“There’s so much to choose from for her lasting legacy,” Dharampaul said. “She really was a people’s person, and that was needed in the job that she had. She was willing to listen to the persons in the industry.”

One of her greatest achievements was improving collaboration between fisheries officials and fishing communities, he said.

“To me, her legacy would be that she made a difference in terms of how the Fisheries Division interacts with the people in the fishing community. Before her, it was almost non-existent in terms of collaboration.”

Dharampaul also pointed to her role in organising hurricane preparedness exercises for boat owners and advocating for the establishment of a laboratory to facilitate ongoing testing of fish quality in Barbados.

Dr Cox was deeply committed to youth development and education, he added, pointing to programmes designed to introduce young people to the industry.

“She incorporated a lot of youth programmes. She even had a programme called Young Anglers that she was working on with the Big Game Fishing Association. She was getting younger kids involved in the industry. She really was a champion for education. She was a real teacher at the end of the day.”

Dr Cox was also hailed for a commitment to public awareness and communication: “She wanted to have more public engagement to let the Barbadian public know exactly what happens in the fishing industry. She wanted people to understand that the fishing industry is here, it is a generational wealth industry, and it connects with a lot of villages and people.”

Her ability to engage people across the industry was evident in the success of this year’s hurricane preparedness exercise, he added.

“Last year, we only had about five boats take part. This year, she had 40 boats. That was a significant increase.”

At the Bridgetown Fisheries Complex on Tuesday, a sombre mood hung over the market as vendors reflected on Dr Cox’s contributions and the void left by her passing.

Fish vendor Sharon Bellamy-Thompson praised her unwavering commitment.

“She would go all out for the boat owners, the fishermen and the vendors,” Bellamy-Thompson said. “We are mourning, we’re crying, we’re stressed out right now.”

She added: “She’s everything the industry needed. I never saw anyone like that before. She answered every call, attended every function and did everything possible for the industry.”

Another vendor said Dr Cox’s accomplishments made it seem as though she had served in the industry for decades.

“It felt like she was here for 30 years,” the vendor said. “She has done so much.”

The vendor recalled Dr Cox’s efforts following Hurricane Beryl, when she worked to ensure vendors had the documentation needed to access financial assistance.

“She came around and made sure every vendor had the right documents so that they would receive monies,” the vendor said. “She was really, really nice.”

Reflecting on the shock of her sudden death, the vendor added: “She was loved by the fisherfolk because she looked out for our interests.”

(SM)