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The CARICOM
Fisheries Resource Assessment and Management Program (CFRAMP)
is a sustainable development initiative of 12 Member States of
CARICOM. It was created in 1991 and is funded jointly by the
Canadian Government through the Canadian International Development
Agency (CIDA) and the participating CARICOM countries. CFRAMP is
being executed in two phases. Phase 1 of the project was concluded
in 1998 and Phase 2, which is presently underway, is due to be
completed in December 2000. It is hoped that there will be a
transition to a more permanent Regional Fisheries Mechanism.
CFRAMP'S GOAL:
To promote sustainable
development and conservation of the region's fish stocks to permit
sustainable use of these resources by the people in the region.
CFRAMP's Purposes:
To enhance the basic information and institutional capacity
necessary to manage and develop the fisheries in the CARICOM
region
To establish a regional fisheries mechanism to promote regional
cooperation and facilitate regional management of shared stocks.
CFRAMP Phase 1
The first phase of CFRAMP commenced in 1991 and came to an end on
December 31, 1998. It was valued at some $20 million Canadian, of
which CIDA provided 80% and the participating countries provided
the remaining 20%. The activities of Phase 1 included:
Training of fisheries personnel from participating countries,
Establishment of fisheries data and information management
systems,
Preparation of fisheries management plans,
Establishment of advisory/decision making mechanisms
Community awareness building
Strengthening of fishers groups and organizations to increase
their capacity to participate in co-management arrangements in
partnership with governments.
CFRAMP Phase 2
In December 1998, CIDA agreed to provide the Region with an
additional Canadian $1.5 million to allow the countries to
complete key activities which were delayed during the first phase
of the project. This was matched with $800,000.00 from the
participating CARICOM countries. In this regard the main areas of
focus during Phase 2 are:
The establishment of the Regional Fisheries Mechanism as a
permanent and sustainable successor to the CFRAMP;
Support towards national capacity building for sustainable
development of fisheries; and
Data analysis and information dissemination.
The CARICOM Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM)
The establishment of a Regional Fisheries Mechanism is one of the
expected outputs of the CFRAMP Project. It is considered as a
permanent and sustainable successor to the CFRAMP, with the
purpose of facilitating the sustainable utilization, conservation
and management of the fisheries resources of the region. It is
expected, inter alia, to enhance regional cooperation in the
sustainable management of the shared resources; act in an advisory
capacity to the national governments in matters relating to
fisheries resource management, and to further build the capacities
of the participating countries in that direction.
Through a series of national consultations, workshops and working
group activities, It is expected that there will be a seamless
transition from CFRAMP to the Regional Fisheries Mechanism.
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