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Debating Fisheries and Trade Issues in the Caribbean

30 March 2005

Fisheries issues in World Trade Organisation (WTO) and Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) negotiations were the focus of a meeting of some 35 senior Caribbean fisheries and trade officials and civil society participants on 21-22 March 2005 in Bridgetown, Barbados.

Fisheries
"The fisheries sector, which currently accounts for significant foreign exchange and employment, will become more important as the region seeks to diversify its economic base in a sustainable manner,"
The meeting sought to increase awareness of issues related to fisheries trade and sustainable development of the fisheries sector; update Caribbean fisheries and trade officials on the status of current multilateral trade negotiations on fish and fisheries products; provide a forum for the examination of issues surrounding the WTO and EPA negotiations on fisheries products; and identify areas in which governments in the region require support during these negotiations.

Speaking at the meeting's opening, Henry Gill, Senior Director of the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNM), highlighted the socio-economic role of Caribbean marine resources, and noted the fisheries sector's contribution to food security in the region. He also emphasised the need for trade policies that are consistent with the Caribbean's long-term development goals.

"The fisheries sector, which currently accounts for significant foreign exchange and employment, will become more important as the region seeks to diversify its economic base in a sustainable manner," Mr Gill said.

The meeting was attended by fisheries and trade policy-makers from Commonwealth and other governments in the Caribbean, fisheries industry representatives from within and outside the region, and representatives of CARICOM (the Caribbean Community), the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism, and international organisations including the Food and Agriculture Organisation and the WTO.

Also attending were participants from the University of the West Indies and environmental NGOs. The meeting was hosted by the Commonwealth Secretariat in partnership with CRNM, with the support of the United Kingdom's Department for International Development.

Dr Roman Grynberg, Deputy Director of the Secretariat's Economic Affairs Division, stated at the opening session of the meeting that the interaction of fisheries and trade officials taking place there was critical for the development of informed policies and negotiating positions related to the fisheries sector. He noted that the WTO and EPA negotiations present an opportunity for Caribbean states to develop new trading relationships, and underscored the need for adequate participation in such negotiations in order to arrive at an agreement that effectively represents their interests.

Participants discussed the fisheries industry, Caribbean approaches to resource management, the scope of bilateral and international agreements on fisheries signed by Caribbean states, and the development of a Caribbean Common Fisheries Policy. There was significant focus on the WTO negotiations on fisheries subsidies disciplines, the relationship between multilateral environmental agreements and the WTO and ACP-EU fisheries agreements, and the structure of 'artisanal' fisheries which largely characterise Caribbean fisheries activity.

Major concerns raised included: trading partners' non-tariff barriers, higher operational costs to fishers resulting from increasingly stringent quality standards, negative impacts of other sectors on the fisheries industry, and improving co-ordination in fisheries trade and management. Participants identified a need for targeted legislation and integrated policies, as well as increased capacity to manage fisheries and combat illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing.

 

CNIS - the Commonwealth News and Information Service Issue 228  30 March 2005

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