Abstract

Within the insular Caribbean, planning for disaster management has traditionally been divorced from the normal planning process for the major economic sectors.\In the fishing industry, planning for disaster management has often been limited to removal of fishing vessels to "safe" areas before a hurricane event and making arrangements forcompensation to fishermen for damage to fishing gearand vessels.\With the increase in the nwnber and intensity of hurricanes being experienced in the region and the recognition that other natural and man-induced disasters that pose a potential threat to the fisheries sector, this level of planning is no longer sufficient.\Instead. a more proactive approach is necessary. Planning for disaster mitigation in the fisheries sector needs to be integrated into national planning for disaster mitigation. Fisheries Management Plans should reflect the understanding of the need to reduce the vulnerability of the Fisheries Sector to disasters. More thought needs to be given to ensuring that there is accurate information on which to base postdisaster assessments, that artisanal fishermen are encouraged to adopt a small business management approach to their occupation, that a high priority is given to personal safety at sea, and that fisheries infrastructure is designed in a manner that minimizes the probability of damage occurring during a disaster. This paper reviews the current status of planning for disaster mitigation in the fisheries sector in the British Virgin Islands and discusses some of the approaches that should be taken to reduce the vulnerability of the fisheries sector to natural disasters.

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