CRFM Events Announced

The Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) is planning to convene two technical events during the 19th Caribbean Week of Agriculture, slated to be held at the Marriott Hotel in Saint Kitts and Nevis from 29 September to 3 October 2025. The theme for this year’s event is ‘Sowing Change, Harvesting Resilience: Transforming Our Caribbean Food Systems for 2025 and Beyond.’

The CRFM is inviting all stakeholders and partners to join us at the two open public events, focused on Strengthening Fisheries and Aquaculture through Partnerships.

The Sixteenth Special Meeting of the CRFM Ministerial Council will kick off the CRFM events, starting at 9:00 a.m. Atlantic Standard Time (AST) on Tuesday, 30 September 2025. In this closed session, Ministers will consider new policies and protocols for addressing climate change and disaster risk, including access to finance and insurance for CRFM Member States and stakeholders in the Fisheries and Aquaculture (including mariculture) sector.

Later that day, starting at 1:00 p.m. AST, the CRFM and Plant and Food Research (PFR) of New Zealand will co-host the Sargassum Seminar: From Sargassum to Biostimulant: Sowing Change and Harvesting Resilience. This will be a free hybrid event, allowing for both in-person and online attendance.

 Key seminar topics include:

✔ The Sargassum Challenge & Opportunity in the Caribbean

✔ Liquid Biostimulants - Agribusiness Applications

   - Potential markets and users in the Caribbean

   - Issues affecting agriculture in the Caribbean

   - Benefits of Sargassum

✔ Developing a Safe, Circular Sargassum-Based Biostimulant

  - Development process of the Sargassum extract

  - Training of fisherfolk to obtain samples

  - Dangers of using unprocessed Sargassum

✔ Capacity Building for Fishers for Harvesting Sargassum & Value Chain Integration

  - Presentation of Sargassum Harvest Collection Manual

The Caribbean Small-scale Fisheries & Aquaculture Forum will be hosted jointly on Wednesday, 1 October 2025, by the CRFM and the Department of Marine Resources (Saint Kitts and Nevis), National Fisherfolk Organisation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, and the Caribbean Network of Fisherfolk Organisations (CNFO).

The event is slated to start at 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. AST, also at the Marriott Hotel in Saint Kitts and Nevis. Arrangements are also being made to allow online participation for those who will not be able to attend in-person. 

Key forum topics include:

✔ Conservation Measures for Sustainable Fisheries Development

✔ Initiatives in Caribbean Aquaculture

✔ Harnessing Fisheries Value Chain Opportunities for Fishers & Processors

✔ Women in Fisheries and Aquaculture: Initiatives and Opportunities

✔ Additional Income Opportunities for Fishers through the Sargassum Value Chain

✔ Addressing Impacts of Tourism on Fisheries for a Sustainable Blue Economy

This is an opportunity to join in taking critical actions needed to forge a more resolute direction on the way forward.

CWA is the premier event on the regional agricultural calendar. It is a roving event hosted by CARICOM Member States and Associate Members and includes seminars, key meetings, a special meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED), and an exhibition.

It was conceptualised by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) as a facility to place agriculture and rural life on the front burner of regional integration activities.

Bookmark our CWA 2025 event site to stay current with updates and future information releases, including recordings, presentations and other resources from the event. Click here.