Volume 54

Compliance and Enforcement of Fisheries Regulations in the Caribbean


Authors
Haughton, M.O.
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Date: November, 2001


Pages: 188-201


Event: Proceedings of the Fifty Fourth Annual Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute


City: Providenciales Turks & Caicos Islands


Country: Turks and Caicos Islands

Abstract

One of the most challenging aspects of the global, regional, and national initiatives to protect and manage fisheries resources is that of compliance and enforcement. Illegal activity and non-compliance with laws and regulations is afact of life in fisheries. Despite the provision of substantial legislative and regulatory measures to protect and manage fisheries, the level of non-compliance with these regulations is unacceptably high. Throughout the region, the available resources and institutional capacity for monitoring, control, surveillance, and enforcement is inadequate to ensure compliance with existing legislations and regulations. At the same time, the level of awareness of both the environmental problems occurring in the tisheries and the laws and regulations designed to protect the sector is low among resource users. Lack of compliance with fisheries regulations is therefore a major constraint that needs to be addressed to effectively protect and manage the fisheries resources of the region. This paper discusses the regulatory framework for tisheries management in the Caribbean region, the state of compliance with existing regulations, and possible steps that can be taken to improve the level of compliance.

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