NATIONAL INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
Fisheries Development in the BVI
Emerging Issues
(continued)
8.0 REGIONAL TRENDS IN FISHERIES
DEVELOPMENT
Within the Caribbean region, several inter- governmental organizations
deal with fisheries matters. These include the Organization of Eastern
Caribbean States (OECS), the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the
International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT),
and the Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission (WECAF). The
activities of these organizations include regulation, harmonization of
fisheries legislation, data acquisition and research. The BVI has
relationship with these and other International agencies such as the
International Center for Living Aquatic Resources Management(ICLARM) a
non-governmental research organization.
CURRENT REGIONAL INNITIATIVES:
a) Harmonized Fishery Management Legislation - the OECS has
taken steps to put in place some initiatives towards the development of
coordinated fishery management in the EEZ’s of member states. These
regional policies and activities include the development of harmonized
fisheries legislation. The legislation was first developed in 1988 as a
legal and institutional framework to manage fishing in EEZ’s and the
terms and conditions for foreign fishing access. It was reviewed in 1992
to incorporate developments in relation to common surveillance zones and
common fishing zones
b) Common Fisheries Surveillance Zones – coordination of
fisheries surveillance within the OECS region has centered on the use of
marine units of member states on arranged schedules. This involves the
use of surface vessels up to 120 – 130 kilometers off- shore. Aerial
surveillance with use of light aircraft has been provided in some states
through foreign funding. The BVI has its own surveillance aircraft.
Limitations in the ongoing surveillance system has led to the proposal
to set up a coast watch program. In 1991, it was agreed to establish
four common surveillance zones, one of which is the BVI. The implication
is that the marine units from one Member State could enforce laws of any
other member state in the surveillance zone.
c) Common Fishing Zones – The concept was introduced by OECS
in 1991, to stimulate local harvesting sectors to allow OECS fishermen
to target migrating pelagic fishes more easily, as they pass through
member states EEZs.
The zoning took into consideration the interests of traditional
artisanal fishermen by excluding territorial seas, archipelagic and
internal waters. The concept necessitates the setting up of new
arrangements for vessel registration. Inline with this, member states
are being encouraged to remove the registration of fishing vessels from
their merchant shipping acts and to enact specific fishing vessel
registration. It should be noted that in the proposed 1996 Fisheries Act
Parts II, III and IV were drafted in cognizance of these regional
developments.
d) The Caribbean Marine Protected Areas ( MPA ) Project – This
project is being carried out by ICLARM in collaboration with the CFD.
British Virgin Islands and the University of the West Indies, Jamaica.
The focus of the project is to investigate recruitment of juvenile fish
to coral reefs in order to help formulate guidelines for the design of
MPA which benefit fisheries. Light-traps would be used to study fishes
early in their lives before they settle on coral reefs, while visual
censuses and small-meshed fish traps would be used to identify older
juveniles. An integral part of the ICLARM project would be to
investigate the bioeconomics of MPAS in both Jamaica and the BVI with
reference to fishing, tourism and integrated coastal zone management.
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