September 25, 2018 (Bridgetown, Barbados) – Marine  experts will meet in Barbados this week for the Third Meeting of the joint Regional Working Group on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (RWG-IUU). During the meeting they will discuss how countries in the Western Central Atlantic, which includes the Caribbean region, can improve sustainable use of marine resources, including the eradication of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU).

Scheduled to take place from 26 to 28 September, 2018, the three-day meeting will be hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) at the United Nations House in Christ Church, Barbados. The event is a joint initiative of the Western Central Atlantic Fisheries Commission (WECAFC), Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), and the Organization for Fisheries and Aquaculture for Central America (OSPESCA). It is organized by FAO, in collaboration with the above, as well as the European Commission (EC) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Barbados. Dr. Lystra Fletcher-Paul, FAO Subregional Coordinator for the Caribbean, will deliver opening remarks on 26 September at 8:45am. 

The Third Meeting of the RWG-IUU will bring together key Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) officers, fisheries managers, coastguard and navy officers, prosecutors and other major stakeholders involved in fisheries compliance and enforcement. Participants will represent selected WECAFC, CRFM and OSPESCA member countries, and key institutions in the Caribbean region.

The multi-agency meeting will develop a regional plan of action for the elimination of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (RPOA IUU) – an important milestone for the Caribbean region and a globally significant contribution to the efforts towards the eradication of IUU Fishing.  

“This meeting is significant because it will produce a regional plan of action to prevent, deter and eliminated IUU fishing in the Caribbean region, marking a solid foundation upon which to build further regional efforts. This RPOA-IUU will serve to bring together existing international fisheries instruments with the regional context and will act as an important tool for the countries in the Caribbean,” explains Yvette Diei Ouadi, Fisheries Officer for FAO’s Subregional Office for the Caribbean.  

Participants will discuss the implementation of a comprehensive approach to eliminate IUU fishing, including monitoring, control and surveillance, and information exchange; a regional cooperation mechanism; and building awareness. They will also review the international instruments and tools in support of the fight against IUU fishing in the region, and provide an update on current regional initiatives to combat IUU fishing.