Abstract

This article summarizes the genesis of the St. Thomas Fishermen's Association (STFA) and its efforts to become involved in actively managing the commercial fisheries in the U.S. Virgin Islands. In January of 2005 the Caribbean Fisheries Management Council (CFMC) Sustainable Fisheries Act Amendment, proposed management measures which included closure of 240 square kilometers (93 square miles) of Virgin Islands shelf to fishing and seasonal closures for a number of species. The STFA came into being in order to oppose these measures which its members felt were not justified on the basis of the state of Virgin Islands fishery resources. The STFA was largely successful in negotiating with the CFMC to reduce closed areas and postpone species closures until further research is conducted. At the same time they came to recognize that information necessary to properly manage Virgin Islands fishery resources was insufficient and that continued ignorance could lead to further restrictive management proposals. Rather than wait for the territorial government to conduct this research, the organization established committees to gather information from its members necessary to develop sound fishery management proposals for local fisheries. The STFA has developed research programs and secured NOAA and other sources to study the fisheries on their own. This scientific information, along with the historical knowledge from generations of fishing, puts the STFA in a unique position to participate in fisheries resource management. Further, the STFA has now been included in the decision-making councils, the St. Thomas/St. John Fishery Advisory Council and the Caribbean Fisheries Management Council. This article will detail how fisheries management in St. Thomas/St. John is changing because of the efforts of the STFA and benefits of participatory management

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