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ST.KITTS AND NEVIS FISHERFOLK LEADERSHIP CAPACITY BUILDING SESSIONS

 

Fisherfolk leaders from the Federation of St.Kitts and Nevis were invited to participate and benefit from capacity building sessions.   St.Kitts based fishers attended sessions held on February 13-14, 2017; similarly Nevis based fishers’ sessions were conducted on February 15-16, 2017. These workshops were facilitated by Mitchell Lay, Coordinator of Caribbean Network Fisherfolk Organization (CNFO). The CNFO works in conjunction with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) Secretariat.

The Department of Marine Resources hosted the capacity building trainings. The Director, Marc Williams gave Opening Remarks and members of DMR staff gave presentations that included Local Legislation by Wilmot Alleyne, SKN Marine Management Area by Tricia Greaux and Food Safety in Fisheries by Nikkita Browne.

Objectives for the sessions included the promotion and development of;

  • awareness of the laws, regulations, and policies applicable to the fisheries sector in St. Kitts and Nevis
  • opportunities for fishers to discuss and clarify implications of fisheries management laws on their activities.
  • fishers’ participation in fisheries management, including in MMAs
  • fishers’ contributions to the national social security mechanism
  • food safety in the fisheries sector
  • leadership skills of leading fishers in St. Kitts and Nevis.
  • fisherfolk leaders’ capacity in communications
  • document and experience sharing

The CRFM Secretariat was the lead agency, fulfilling a mandate for fishers from St. Kitts and Nevis to be exposed to knowledge and skills which will promote their development and enhance their collective participation in sustainable fisheries governance.

The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis passed new legislation, Fisheries, Aquaculture and Marine Resources Act 2016, which will impact the fisheries sector and guide its’ management. This activity will provide fishers with the opportunity to learn of these new measures and to discuss the implications, while identifying opportunities to participate in the governance and management of the sector.

       

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SPS INSPECTION OF BASSETERRE FISHERIES COMPLEX

After attending the Health and Food Safety capacity building trainings held in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Department of Marine Resources staff Ms Nikkita Browne  assisted by Ms Marva George conducted an inspection of the Basseterre Fisheries Complex.  The first site visit for this year occurred on 5 January 2017.

Ms Browne and Ms George used the procedures outlined from the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) training course surrounding inspections for the fisheries sector especially designed for processing facilities. In the future, other inspections will take place at landing sites, aquaculture sites, as well as small scale and high seas fishing vessels.

Photo taken from inside the Basseterre Fisheries Complex during inspection procedures

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REGIONAL APPROACH TO SAFER EXPORT RULES AND SEA FOOD LAWS

The Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism Regional Validation Workshop was held 14-15 December 2016 in Barbados. Ms Nikkita Browne – Department of Marine Resources represented the Federation of St.Kitts and Nevis at this workshop.

The workshop covered the legal and regulatory framework for agricultural health and food safety for the fisheries and aquaculture subsectors, including the development of the Model Fisheries Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Regulations in keeping with international best practice measures.

The Regional Validation Workshop was conducted by the Global Centre for International Law of the UK and was sponsored under the fisheries component of the programme on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, approved under the 10th European Development Fund Caribbean Regional Indicative Programmes implemented by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) in partnership with CARICOM Community Secretariat and the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CFRM).

 

Representatives of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, Caribbean Agricultural Health and Food Safety Agency, CARICOM Community Secretariat and the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism.

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FISHERY SECTOR SANITARY CONTROL CAPACITY BUILDING TRAINING

St.Kitts and Nevis was represented at the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism Food Safety Control and Laboratory Operation capacity building training held in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Mr Jermaine Mike – St.Kitts and Nevis Bureau of Standards attended the training from 28 November – 2 December 2016 which covered Laboratory Testing. Ms Nikkita Browne – Department of Marine Resources attended the Health and Food Safety 5-9 December 2016.

The Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) training course outlined; functions of the competent authority, traceability measures, training in water quality testing, standards surrounding inspections for the fisheries sector ; landing sites, aquaculture, processing facilities, and small scale and high seas fishing vessels. Manuals will be developed and distributed to countries involved in the training sessions.

Capacity building training activities were conducted by Megapesca Ltd of Portugal and was sponsored under the fisheries component of the programme on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, approved under the 10th European Development Fund Caribbean Regional Indicative Programmes implemented by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) in partnership with CARICOM Community Secretariat and the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CFRM).

 

Ms Nikkita Browne – Department of Marine Resources attended the Health and Food Safety training

Mr Jermaine Mike – St.Kitts and Nevis Bureau of Standards attended the Laboratory Operation training

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