Climate bodies unite to protect Caribbean oceans

Ryan Bachoo
Lead Editor – Newsgathering
[email protected]

The Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) and the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) have agreed to strengthen collaboration aimed at protecting the region’s oceans, fisheries and coastal communities from the growing impacts of climate change.

Leaders from both organisations met on July 16 in Belize City, Belize, to discuss ways to combine expertise, resources and experience to address environmental challenges affecting Caribbean countries.

During the meeting, the CRFM presented updates on initiatives focused on building more sustainable fisheries across the region. The projects include efforts to improve marine planning, support renewable energy development, strengthen fishing communities and promote greater gender equality within the fisheries sector.

A key issue discussed was the increasing impact of sargassum, the brown seaweed that continues to affect Caribbean coastlines. The phenomenon has created challenges for tourism, fisheries and marine ecosystems, but both organizations noted that it could also provide opportunities through a circular economy approach.

They said that with proper research, coordination and information sharing, sargassum could potentially be transformed into useful products while reducing its negative impacts on coastal communities.

The discussions also highlighted the importance of Blue Carbon, which refers to carbon stored in coastal ecosystems such as mangroves and seagrass beds. These ecosystems play a critical role in helping countries address climate change by absorbing and storing carbon dioxide.

The CRFM and CCCCC noted ongoing conversations about developing a regional Blue Carbon Policy to help Caribbean countries better protect and manage these important natural resources.

Another area of focus was improving access to climate and marine data. Both organizations agreed that stronger data collection and sharing mechanisms are needed to support better decision-making, improve policies and help governments, researchers, fishers and coastal communities prepare for future climate-related challenges.

The partnership comes as Caribbean countries face increasing threats from rising temperatures, changing ocean conditions and extreme weather events linked to climate change.

The organizations said closer cooperation will be critical to ensuring the sustainable management of marine resources and safeguarding the livelihoods of communities that depend on the ocean.

They added that the collaboration reflects a shared vision of a Caribbean where healthy oceans, resilient coastal communities, sustainable fisheries and climate-smart development can progress together.