Abstract

Fishery resources have been an important source of food and livelihood for millions of people across the globe and in the Caribbean region. According lo FAO almast 70% of marine capture fisheries are now considered fulIy or overexploited. Many Caribbean fisheries, like others across the globe, are organized and conducted in ways which will inevitably lead to overfishing. The symptoms of overfishing, habitat degradation and loss of marine biological diversity are already present throughout the region. It is vitalIy important that the countries of the Caribbean find ways of developing and using the region' s fishery resources in a manner that provide optimal benefits lo society without compromising the long-term health and productivity of the fish stocks, biodiversity or the marine ecosystems. The traditional approaches to fisheries development and management alone are not going to transform our fisheries into sustainable, dynamic systems, capable of meeting future demands for food and employment. Fundamental changes are needed in our approach to fisheries management in the region. This paper explores new approaches to ensure that fisheries will make improved and sustained contribution to human development and socio-economic advancement of the Caribbean region in the 21st Century.

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