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Fisher Consultations on Fisheries Regulations

The Department of Marine Resources held consultations with the fishers at every major landing site in the Federation during the month of November 2016.

The St.Kitts based consultations conducted at; 9th November at Old Road Fisheries Complex, 10th November at Pump Bay, Fig Tree for the Fig Tree and Sandy Point based fishers, 14th November at the Dieppe Bay Fisheries Cooperatives and 23rd November at the Basseterre Fisheries Complex for the Basseterre East and West based fishers.

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Meeting at Basseterre Fisheries Complex

The Nevis based consultations conducted at; 15th November at the Franklin Browne Community Center for New Castle, Long Haul and John’s Bay fishers, 17th November at the Charles Walters Community Center, Hanley’s Road for the Indian Castle based fishers and 21st November at the Gazebo fishers who use the landing site at Charlestown.

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Meeting at Franklin Browne Community Center

The fishers were engaged in an interactive session on topics that included Safety at Sea, Trading of Fish and Fishery Products, Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported Fishing, Basic Fisher Training, Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, Registration and New Identification Cards for Fishers, Vessel Monitoring Systems, St.Kitts and Nevis Marine Managed Areas, Species Catch Size Limits, Closed Seasons for vulnerable species, and Trap Mesh Sizes. Presentations were made by the Fisheries Enforcement Officer, Wilmot Alleyne.  The fisher feedback will be integrated into the final regulations document to be produced.

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 Meeting at Charlestown Gazebo

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SKN Department of Marine Resources represented at WECAFC-FIRMS data worshop

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The Subregional Office of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Secretariat of the Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission (WECAFC)  hosted the WECAFC-FIRMS data workshop in Christ Church, Barbados from 19 to 21 January 2016.

The main goal of this regional workshop, through the WECAFC-FIRMS partnership, is to develop the foundations of a regional data base in support of priority fishery management plans, with initial focus on Flyingfish, Queen Conch and Spiny Lobster.

The workshop was  organized as the cornerstone of the joint FAO – European Union DG Mare’s project, “Strengthening national data collection and regional data sharing through FIRMS to support priority regional fishery management plans in the WECAFC area”.

GIS and Oceanography Officer, Ms Nikkita Browne, represented the St. Kitts-Nevis Department of Marine Resources.

 

 

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SKN represented at First CLME+ Steering Committee Meeting and Inception Workshop in Columbia

The Project Coordination Unit (PCU) of the UNDP/GEF co-funded Project “Catalysing Implementation of the Strategic Action Programme for the Sustainable Management of shared Living Marine Resources in the Caribbean and North Brazil Shelf Large Marine Ecosystems” (the “CLME+ Project”) held the First CLME+ Steering Committee Meeting and Inception Workshop held in Cartagena, COLOMBIA 26-28 January, 2016.

The CLME+ Project Steering Committee (PSC), is expected to provide overall strategic policy and management direction for the project and play a critical role in reviewing and approving overall project planning and execution. More specifically, the CLME+ PSC will be expected to, amongst other things and in line with the adoption of an adaptive management approach, review project progress and results, make recommendations and adopt the (biennial) project work plans and budget.

The objectives of this First CLME+ Steering Committee Meeting and Inception Workshop were to:
 Review and adopt suggested updates to the CLME+ Project Document

 Review and adopt the CLME+ Project Work Plan and Budget for the period 2015 – 2017

 Adopt the proposed TORs for CLME+ Project National Focal Points and Steering Committee, including the proposed Rules and Procedures for the PSC meetings

 Review activities implemented during CLME+ Project Inception Phase

 Review and adopt proposed coordination and management arrangements for the CLME+ Project and the 10-year CLME+ Strategic Action Programme (SAP)

 

Representing St. Kitts-Nevis, for the Deparment of Marine Resources, was Ms. Nikkita Browne in her capacity of Oceanography and GIS Officer.

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St. Kitts-Nevis represented at (ECMMAN) 4th Advisory and Coordination Committee (ACC) Meeting

The Eastern Caribbean Marine Management Area Network (ECMMAN) 4th Advisory and Coordination Committee (ACC) Meeting is being held on March 9-11th 2016 in The Federation of Grenada.  In attendance was Marine Management Areas + Habitat Monitoring Officer Ms. Tricia Greaux from the St. Kitts-Nevis Department of Marine Resources.

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The objectives of the meeting were:

  • Present and discuss technical and financial reports from each of the ECMMAN Implementing partners – SPAW_RAC/ CaMPAM, OECS Commission, PCI Media Impact, Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism / Caribbean National Fisherfolk Organization and The Nature Conservancy.
  • Share experiences on issues, challenges and successes related to the project implementation at the national level in the 6 ECMMAN countries
  • Discuss major activities of ECMMAN for 2016 and life beyond the ECMMAN that will conclude in 2017.

Ms Tricia Greaux, made a very important country report on the progress of St. Kitts and Nevis’ implement successes over past four years.

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History and Heritage Hike to the Narrows

On Saturday February 27th, 2016, The Deparment of Marine Resources partnered with the organisers of History and Heritage Month in St. Kitts and Nevis to guide a hike to Cockleshell Bay.

About 30 persons took part in the hike that was lead by Mr Kharim Saddler (Fisheries Assistant) with responsiblity for FAD’s and Seamoss Product Development.  Mr Saddler sensitized the participants about the benefits of the mangroves, biodiversity, the sand erosion on the South Friars Bay and the importance of protecting The Narrows (The Channel between St. Kitts and Nevis).

The hike began on Frigate Bay Lawn at about 6.30am and continued 6 miles to Cockleshell Bay.

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Shark Sighting Not A Cause For Alarm

St Kitts and Nevis (WINN): A shark advisory by Nevis’ Department of Fisheries came as a surprise to the Director of the St. Kitts Fisheries Marc Williams, who tells WINN FM that his inquires indicate that there was just one incident reported of a bull shark coming ashore in pursuit of prey. Something he says that is not unusual.

“There’s no Nevis waters or St Kitts waters, it’s the waters of the federation of St Kitts and Nevis, it’s federally managed waters. So the advisory that was issued by the Department of Fisheries in Nevis was somewhat abrupt and very surprising. We should have the same information but there was no communication before the advisory was issued. It was reported in Nevis that it seems a shark was in following a stingray and in pursuit of the stingray it came ashore that was all. There was no incident of that shark patrolling the beach looking for someone to attack or anything like that it was in pursuit of food. In the case of bull sharks they normally come right in to shore to pursue their prey”

Mr Willams said.

Last Tuesday the Nevis Department of Fisheries issued a Shark Sighting advisory, warning the public to ‘take precautions.’

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