GCFI: 67th Conference at Accra Beach Resort, Barbados

The 67^th Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute (GCFI) Conference is being held in Barbados from November 3rd - 7th at the Accra Beach Hotel and Spa, under the auspice of the The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus - with the Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies (CERMES) being the local organiser.

The theme for this year is "Small islands, big issues: applying fisheries and marine science to solve problems and create opportunities". The conference is one of the largest and best-known multi-disciplinary marine science conferences in the wider Caribbean region, and will consist of a series of technical sessions throughout the week, focused on a number of thematic and programmatic areas: fisheries livelihoods, Small Island Developing States, data limited stock assessment, reefs and associated ecosystems, climate change vulnerability and adaptation, and Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) science and management amongst others.

INTASAVE Caribbean (CARIBSAVE) will be participating in the poster session being held on Tuesday, November 4th between 6.00pm and 9.00pm, with the following presentations:

1. Strengthening Climate Change Resilience in Caribbean Coastal Communities: Insights from Regional Capacity-Building Initiatives


2. Understanding the Social Dimensions of Marine Protected Areas in Jamaica: Fishers' Perceptions and Attitudes Towards Fish Sanctuaries


3. Community-based Approaches to MPA Research and Monitoring

CARIBSAVE will also be participating in one of the conference's side events - a workshop titled "MPAs as a tool for responsible fisheries and sustainable livelihoods in the Caribbean", organised by FAO, WECAFC, GCFI and UWI-CERMES, in collaboration with CARIBSAVE, C-FISH, TNC and NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program

The aim of the workshop is to contribute to successful fisheries-oriented MPA management in the countries of the Caribbean region by facilitating an exchange of experiences and views among MPA managers and practitioners, fishers and fishing communities, governments representatives – including fisheries, parks and environment departments and agencies – academia and NGOs. Accordingly, the workshop will attempt to identify issues, best practices and critical processes for planning and implementing MPAs in the context of fisheries, in particular with regard to small-scale fisheries.

Further information on the conference can be found via the conference website: http://www.gcfi.org/Conferences/67th/Barbados_en.html.

(Photo: Simone Lee/CARIBSAVE)