Building regional capacity for SSF stewardship with St. Vincent and the Grenadines National Fisherfolk Co-operative Limited (SVGNFO)

 

 

The community/organization and local perspectives on conservation and stewardship 

 

The St. Vincent and the Grenadines National Fisherfolk Co-operative Limited (SVGNFO) is a non-governmental organisation and was registered in 2103 under the Co-operative Societies Act No.12 of 2012. The mission of the organisation is “Educating and empowering fisherfolks for future livelihoods.” The organisation works in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) and is the umbrella for four Primary Fisherfolk Organisations (PFOs): Barrouallie Fisheries Development Co-operative Society Limited; Goodwill Fishermen’s Co-operative Society Limited; Calliaqua Fisher-folk Co-operative Society Limited; and Fish Vendors Cooperative. 

Some of objectives of the SVGNFO are to

• Promote the organisation and development of Fishermen’s Cooperative Societies;
• Encourage cooperation among co-operatives and train co-operative leaders at levels local and overseas;
• Work for the improvement of the fishing industry and betterment of living standards of fishermen;
• Act as the overall marketing organisation for fish and fish products for the fisheries co-operatives;
• Act as a spokesperson, representative and negotiator for all fishermen in relation to government and other authorities and organisations. 

 

The SVGNFO is currently wrapping up a project for “Improving fisherfolk engagement and enhancing overall capacity to participate in ecosystem stewardship” under a micro grant provided by The Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI). This sub-project was part of the “Developing Organisational Capacity for Ecosystem Stewardship and Livelihoods in Caribbean Small-Scale Fisheries (StewardFish)” project being funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented by the UN Food and Agriculture Agency (FAO) Sub-regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean. Under StewardFish, a regional Code of Conduct for Caribbean Fisheries was also developed by the Caribbean Network for Fisherfolk Organizations (CNFO) which is the regional umbrella body for the SVGNFO. The Code recognizes fishers as ecosystem stewards and as important actors in the Blue Economy and advocates for Blue Justice. The Code sets out principles and standards of behaviour to ensure the well-being of fisherfolk through sustainable use, management, and development of both marine and freshwater living aquatic resources in the Caribbean, which is considered to be ecosystem stewardship.

 

Stewardship experience: Improving fisherfolk engagement and capacity to participate in ecosystem stewardship

 

The issue or problem being addressed

Given the importance of the fisheries to fisherfolk livelihoods, it was decided that in order to mainstream good management practices, there was a need to have an electronic registry of Fisherfolk Organization members, develop a stakeholder engagement strategy to increase membership, and provide training in business and fisheries resource management.

 

The activities

An electronic registry was developed, and membership information updated for all 4 PFOs. The stakeholder engagement strategy has now been completed. Three workshops have also been completed and training of Board Members in  (1)  Importance of fishing industry in SVG and ways to adapt current practices in light of COVID-19; (2) Understanding fishing as a business (financial management, record keeping and exploring new opportunities); and (3) Business management as a way to increase profits, ensure sustainable fishing and improve resilience in light of COVID-19. 

 

The benefits/impacts including sustainability/environmental effects

The benefits of this project include the highlighting of the importance of the fisheries sector and fisheries resources to SVG. It provides fisherfolk with training in the importance of sustainable fishing practices, and how fishing, fish-processing and related sectors can be managed to provide lucrative sources of jobs and incomes. It also expanded the fisherfolks’ knowledge base of alternative strategic options for sustaining and growing their fishing businesses instead of increasing fishing effort and catches including options such as using more energy efficient engines and developing value-added products.

The following are also outcomes of the project: Improved skills of fisherfolk in business and resource management;  Improved resilience of fisherfolk to shocks such as COVID-19; Primary Fisherfolk Organizations and SVGNFO maintain and update the database on an annual basis; Strengthened capacity of PFO leaders to contribute to the development of the SVGNFO; SVGNFO strengthened through recruitment drive and membership benefits (trainings) and overall relationship and trust built between the NFO and PFOs/members.

The mission of the SVGNFO is “Educating and empowering fisherfolks for future livelihoods.” In continuing to be guided by this mission, the project focused on sustainable livelihoods, employment and decent work, capacity development and government policy and decision-making for the fisheries sector in SVG. It was also in line with the SSF Guidelines.

 

The success and significance of the activities

This project was successful since the SVGNFO took the lead in identifying its needs and determining which activities would have been appropriate for addressing them. One of the proudest achievements would be the development of a stakeholder engagement strategy which will assist the SVGNFO to communicate with the various stakeholders in the fisheries industry in order to achieve support for the organization and its operations as well as increase the visibility, efficiency and outreach capacity of the organization, and improve its overall performance and success in achieving its mission.

 

Some lessons learned or words of wisdom

It is critical to have the Board Members and membership of the organization on board with the initiative from the start as this increases buy-in. Stakeholder engagement throughout the project cycle and follow-up plans are also critical in ensuring that the project outputs are sustained when the project ends.

 

For more information on this organization, visit: https://www.facebook.com/National-Fisherfolk-Organization-NFO-in-SVG-1456316297839347/

 

 

 

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Fishery Facts

(Below are the applicable categories of fisheries, environment, species, gear type and livelihood role.)

 

Fishery characteristics:

• Marine capture fishery (e.g. nearshore/coastal/reef-based/deep sea)
• Commercial fishery
• Multi-species 

The environment where fishing takes place: 

• Open Ocean
• Coastal – Nearshore
• Coastal – Coral

Main species targeted:

• Marine – Large pelagics (finfish) – e.g. tuna/sharks
• Marine – Small pelagics (finfish) – e.g. reef fishes/herring/mackerel/sardines
• Molluscs (including bivalves & cephalopods e.g. octopus/clams)
• Crustaceans (e.g. shrimp/prawn/lobster)

Gear types/ methods used:

• Longline
• Beach seine
• Line
• Pot/trap
• Dive

Role of the fishery in local livelihoods:

• Main source of employment
• Full-time