Coast Guard and Marine Police officers in the Eastern Caribbean recently received training in Fisheries Prosecution and Interdiction:

Twenty border control officers from six Member States of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) completed a three-week training course in Fisheries Prosecution and Interdiction, organized by the Barbados-based Regional Security System (RSS) in collaboration with the CRFM Secretariat, the Government of Barbados and the British Royal Navy’s Fisheries Protection Squadron.

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Participants have increased their capability to function in an operational environment and in accordance with best practices based on the Prosecution and Enforcement Manuals for CARIFORUM Member States: Volume 1 – Fisheries Prosecution Manual; and Volume 2 – Fisheries Enforcement Standard Operating Procedures Manual.

These officers who have border security responsibilities are now more knowledgeable about the correct procedures to follow while enforcing the laws under their Fisheries Acts and Regulations. They are also better able to prepare for trial proceedings where offences are committed in violation of the Fisheries Laws and where illegal, unreported or unregulated (IUU) fishing has been perpetrated. IUU fishing is a major concern for CARICOM States, as it undermines efforts to conserve and sustainably manage the region’s fisheries resources and jeopardizes food security, livelihoods, and foreign exchange earnings from fisheries.

Read more about the training at the CRFM website.

The CRFM has also produced an e-booklet on IUU fishing, explaining why illegal, unreported or unregulated fishing poses a threat to the marine environment, the sustainability of Caribbean fisheries, and the region’s food security.

[Image credit: CRFM]