COASTAL & MARINE GOVERNANCE AND LIVELIHOODS

Strengthening Caribbean fisherfolk to participate in governance

Goal: To improve the contribution of the small scale fisheries sector to food security in the Caribbean islands through building the capacity of regional and national fisherfolk organisation networks to participate in fisheries governance and management.

Project countries:

Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and Turks and Caicos Islands

 

Dates / Term:

January 2013 – December 2016

 

Funders:

The European Union EuropeAid programme, managed by the Delegation of the European Union to Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and for the Dutch Overseas Countries and Territories

   

CANARI logo

 

Implementation: The project is being implemented by CANARI, in partnership with the   Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies (CERMES) of the University of the West Indies and Panos Caribbean in association with the  Caribbean Network of Fisherfolk Associations (CNFO) and the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CFRM).

 

Project amount: €1,032,099

 

Expected results:

  1. Built capacity of regional Caribbean Network of Fisherfolk Organisations (CNFO) to effectively represent its members (networked national fisherfolk organisations) to bring the voice of fisherfolk into regional fisheries governance and management policy and planning processes.
  2. Built capacity of national fisherfolk organisations, their network of primary organisations and individual leaders (in at least 8 project countries) to effectively network and communicate to influence policy on fisheries governance at the national and regional levels to improve food security.
  3. Enhanced system of communication across the regional and at least 8 national networks of fisherfolk organisations to share experiences and to develop common positions on their goals, needs and concerns for the governance of Caribbean fisheries in relation to food security.
  4. Enhanced collaborative development and joint communication of key policy messages by fisherfolk at multiple levels to policy makers.
  5. Improved participation of fisherfolk in national and regional processes for decision‐making in governance and management of Caribbean fisheries.

Activities:

 

Result 1: Built capacity of CNFO

  1. Review and update needs assessment through interviews and literature review followed by 3 coaching sessions to strengthen the core operational capacity of CNFO.
  2. Establish a Fisherfolk Leaders Action Learning Group (ALG) of CNFO and other fisherfolk leaders (from national fisherfolk networks) and key partners who can support them, with 15‐20 members.
  3. Facilitate first 4‐day meeting of the ALG to: (a) validate project plan and needs assessment; (b) review issues in fisheries governance in the Caribbean islands affecting fisherfolk; (c) review key policies and plans such as the CARICOM Fisheries Policy and reports/decisions coming out of the CLME and ACP Fish II projects; and (d) develop consensus on draft collective policy positions on key issues to be validated by the wider membership and to be used to influence policy development and implementation and start drafting a communication plan for the project.
  4. Facilitate second 4‐day meeting of the ALG to: (a) finalise common policy positions on key issues; (b) conduct training in networking and communication for policy influence and participation in governance; (c) refine the communication plan to communicate policy positions in fisheries decision‐making processes.
  5. Facilitate third 4‐day meeting of the ALG to: (a) report on participation of fisherfolk in decision‐making processes; (b) identify lessons learnt and recommendations for priority activities by fisherfolk under the project and further capacity building needed.
  6. Facilitate fourth 4‐day meeting of the ALG to: (a) analyse policy results of action by fisherfolk, lessons learnt and recommendations; (b) conduct a participatory evaluation of the project.

Result 2: Built capacity of national fisherfolk organisations

  1. Establish group of mentors (10‐15 persons from CNFO leadership and their partners in fisheries management agencies, civil society organisations and inter‐governmental and regional technical agencies) to provide direct support to fishers and their networks for their participation in governance.
  2. Conduct first 5‐day training of trainers workshop for mentors in: (a) key capacities needed for mentoring; (b) approaches and tools for facilitating participatory fisheries governance; (c) networking and communication for policy influence.
  3. Conduct first set of national workshops in 8 selected countries to build capacity of national fisher networks to participate in fisheries governance, to include: (a) analysis of issues at the national level; (b) analysis of policy and planning initiatives at the national level and opportunities for fisherfolk participation; (c) review or validation of policy positions and the communication plan components; (d) analysis of capacity needs by fisherfolk organisations to effectively participate in governance and management.
  4. Conduct second 5-day training of trainers workshop for mentors in project development and management.
  5. Facilitate in kind technical assistance provided by technical assistance agencies and mentors to fisherfolk networks to mentor them to develop and implement strategies and activities (projects) for participating in governance.
  6. Conduct second set of national workshops in 8 selected countries to: (a) evaluate experiences of fisherfolk participating in fisheries governance to identify lessons learnt; (b) develop communication messages; (c) do further capacity building as needed; (d) conduct a participatory evaluation of the project.

Result 3: Communication systems

  1. Establish and facilitate online project webpage and discussion forum for project visibility and project participants to promote information sharing and networking among fisherfolk and with partners, present on project at one regional conference for project visibility and networking.

Result 4: Joint policy messages

  1. Facilitate at least three 3-day national participatory video workshops for fisherfolk to develop at least 3 short videos on policy messages.
  2. Work with CNFO to develop and disseminate at least four communication products on policy positions and to promote lessons learnt on how to enhance participation of fishers in governance for enhanced food security.

Result 5: Participation in processes

  1. Support and facilitate participation of fisherfolk representatives in at least 2 key regional decision-making meetings on fisheries governance.
  2. Design and implement small grants programme to support activities (projects) by fisherfolk networks to build capacity to participate in fisheries governance and management, from total fund of maximum €100,000, awarding at least 15 grants, within the range of €$1,000 - $10,000. 

 

Key documents:

 

Key news items:

Online discussion forum:

Photos:

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For more information: please see http://www.canari.org/cm2.asp or contact Nicole Leotaud at CANARI at [email protected] or +868‐626‐6062.

 

  

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