Advancing the ecosystem approach to fisheries for resilient Caribbean coastal communities and livelihoods

Coastal communities, including fisherfolk, in Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago are highly vulnerable to the impacts of climatic hazards. These include coastal erosion, storms, storm-surge and flash flooding. The frequency and intensity of such events are projected to increase with climate change and climate-related impacts are increasingly being made worse by existing stresses related to pollution and habitat degradation.

About the Project

The project will promote mainstreaming of the ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF) to support ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA). EAF recognizes that fisheries are social-ecological systems and addresses sustainability by balancing ecological and human well-being through good governance. Using EAF, the project will design and deliver adaptation and stewardship actions to address risks from climate change and ecosystem degradation in six target communities and their surrounding coastal ecosystems. It will also enable conservation and sustainable management of the key mangrove, seagrass and coral reef ecosystems upon which local fisheries and related livelihoods depend, as well as ensure sustainable fisheries and local livelihoods. This will involve strengthening capacity and coordination among fisheries and other coastal resource managers and users, towards integrating EAF in their management planning and implementation as well as supporting local stewardship. Applying knowledge on best practices and innovations for EAF is then expected to further support scaling-up and replication.

How will this project benefit the Caribbean region?

• By enhancing knowledge and skills among Caribbean fisherfolk and other coastal community stakeholders on designing and delivering EAF and stewardship actions.

• By increasing the extent and health of coastal ecosystems, thereby enhancing their ability to deliver ecosystem services, including coastal protection for resilience and natural habitat for fisheries and socio-economic development.

• By improving governance for resilient, sustainable and inclusive Caribbean small-scale fisheries and related livelihoods.

• By improving understanding of EAF principles, best practices and practical applications for adaptation in the Caribbean small-scale fisheries sector.

What activities are we undertaking to achieve this?

Component 1: Enhancing knowledge and skills among fisherfolk and other coastal community stakeholders to design and deliver adaptation and stewardship actions using EAF

• Reviewing and updating vulnerability and capacity assessments for the six target communities.

• Training fisherfolk and other coastal community stakeholders on adaptation and ecosystem stewardship using EAF based on vulnerabilities and capacity gaps identified in assessments.

• Facilitating action planning with target communities to identify priority needs and actions based on vulnerability and capacity assessments.

• Supporting target communities with developing community action plans to guide local adaptation and stewardship actions.

• Supporting target communities with the design and execution of adaptation and ecosystem stewardship actions.

Component 2: Strengthening institutional capacity to mainstream EAF for resilient, sustainable and inclusive small-scale fisheries and related livelihoods

• Conducting institutional mapping and needs assessment to identify existing capacities among key management organisations operating nationally and in the six target communities and key needs for institutional capacity building for EAF.

• Designing and facilitating national EAF training workshops with national fisheries authorities, other key management agencies, fisherfolk and local community stakeholders to address the capacity needs identified in the assessment.

Component 3: Mobilising knowledge of EAF principles, best practices and practical applications for adaptation in the Caribbean small-scale fisheries sector

• Conducting a technical review to identify and assess results, lessons and best practices from the application of EAF for adaptation and stewardship across the Caribbean over the last 10 years.

• Designing and hosting two (2) regional fisherfolk learning exchanges on EAF and stewardship in collaboration with CNFO’s Leadership Institute.

• Convening an EbA learning exchange, including a focus on EAF, with CBF EbA Facility grantees to support knowledge sharing, networking and scaling-up of actions.

• Documenting and disseminating lessons and best practices.

Recent project news and information

Project-related communications

More information on this project

• Project brief
• Gender Statement 
• Grievance Redress Mechanism
• Regional Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries and Stewardship Action Learning Group
• Contact Melanie Andrews-Bacchus, Senior Technical Officer, at melanie@canari.org

Related projects and programmes

• Resilience
• Biodiversity and Ecosystems