DR. KARL AIKEN  is a retired Senior Lecturer in zoology from the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Campus, Jamaica, where he taught Fisheries & Aquaculture from 1980 to 2019. He also taught at the graduate level during 1996 to 2022. From 1992 to 1994, on leave from the UWI, he was counterpart CARICOM Fisheries Resource Assessment and Management Programme (CFRAMP) Regional Assessment Unit leader in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

PAPER

Item 6.7  - THE FISH SANCTUARIES NETWORK: JAMAICA’S QUIET FISHERIES SUCCESS STORY

DR. VIVIAN ALEXANDER obtained his PhD in educational psychology from Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, where he specialised in Applied Measurement and Research Methods. His research interests are scale development and implementation, psychometric testing, academic achievement in Trinidad and Tobago and the wider Caribbean, and large-scale data analysis. He has both published his work in peer-reviewed journals and presented at regional and international conferences.

PAPERS

Item 3.11 - Comparative Analysis of Shark Capture Data: Species Composition, Diversity, and Abundance Along the Northeast Coast of Trinidad

Item 4.2 -  Investigating the Economic Implications of Weather-Related Damages and Theft on Fishing Vessels: a Survey-Based Analysis in the Coastal Communities of Trinidad

DR. MARIO ALAYON MARICHAL is a chemical engineer with more than 25 years of experience in the research and commercial areas. In 2014, he earned his PhD in emulsions at the University of Victoria in Wellington, New Zealand. He worked at Plant and Food Research Limited of New Zealand for almost 7 years mainly on projects related to the use of the side streams from the food industries. He moved to Australia in 2022 and works in research and development for a company making micro encapsulation of oils.

PAPER

Item 7.3 Sargassum in the Caribbean: Challenges and Opportunity for Blue Growth Based on the Circular Economy Approach

MIKHAIL B AMSTERDAM is a Fisheries Officer at the Fisheries Department, Legal and Inspectorate Unit (L&IU), in the Ministry of Agriculture, Guyana. Through his work, he promotes fisheries management through the development of regulations, policies, and the creation of enforcement measures. He holds an MSc degree in Marine Planning and Management (Marine Spatial Planning) and an MBA in Strategic Management. He is pursuing his PhD in Administration (Organisational Planning and Management).

PAPERS

Item 3.9 - Assessing the Spatio-Temporal Dynamics and Overfishing Implications for Guyana’s Seabob Shrimp Industry

Item 8.3 - An Examination of Integrated Marine Planning and Management in CARICOM and the Wider Caribbean Region

MELANIE ANDREWS-BACCHUS is a coastal resource management specialist. She holds an MSc in Natural Resource and Environmental Management from the Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies of the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, Barbados. She is an independent consultant and continues to pursue her interest in developing the capacity of Caribbean small-scale fisherfolk to engage in the co-management and stewardship of the coastal and marine natural resources.

PAPER

Item 3.4 - Leveraging Lessons From the Caribbean to Enhance the Value-Chain Approach in Developing Sustainable Small-Scale Capture Fisheries

ISAAC ANTHONY has served as CCRIF Chief Executive Officer since 1 January 2013. He has over twenty-five years of senior management experience spanning the areas of public finance, financial sector supervision and economic planning having held key positions with the Government of Saint Lucia, including as Permanent Secretary, Finance, Economic Affairs & National Development. He has served on several Boards, including those of CCRIF, the Caribbean Development Bank and the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank.

PAPER

Item 7.1 - The Role of Climate Risk Insurance in Building Resilience of the Fisheries Sector– the Coast (Caribbean Oceans and Aquaculture Sustainability Facility) Example and Application

REBECCA AUSTIN is a conservation biologist and independent researcher / consultant. She managed the EU-funded RESEMBID (Resilience, Sustainable Energy and Marine Biodiversity Programme) project: Sustaining Queen Conch Fisheries and Livelihoods in Turks & Caicos Islands on behalf of the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) and the Turks and Caicos Islands government. She has worked for the UK CITES Scientific Authority for fauna providing scientific advice to the UK government.

PAPER

Item 3.7 - Video methodologies for deep water surveying of queen conch (Strombus gigas): a comparison study in Turks & Caicos Islands

MIA AVRIL graduated from the University of the South Pacific in Fiji with an MSc in Marine Science, with special focus in aquaponics in 2018. Since then, she has worked in various capacities in the aquaculture sector in the Caribbean region, including a consultancy with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Dominica. She teaches and conducts research in freshwater aquaculture at The Island School in the Bahamas. Originally from St Lucia, she considers herself a citizen of CARICOM.

PAPER

Item 5.5 - Evaluating the outcomes of selective breeding in optimizing the growth performance of tilapia (Oreochromis spp.) for commercial production in the Bahamas

DR. SILVANA N.R. BIRCHENOUGH is a marine ecologist and a Director of the UK Blue Belt Programme at the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas, UK). Her focus is on understanding changes resulting from climate and human activities on marine species, and the consequences for biodiversity and food security. Some of her work assesses the effects of multiple stressors on commercial species. She has worked across the North Sea, Caribbean Sea, and Pacific Ocean.

PAPER

Item 6.2 - Sustainable Harvesting of Commercial Species in the Belize Exclusive Economic Zone

MONIQUE S. CALDERON works as a Fisheries Biologist within the Resource Management Unit of the Department of Fisheries, Saint Lucia where she helps monitor and manage the coral reef ecosystem, including engaging in coral gardening activities. She has been working for the Fisheries Department for the past three years. She works with the lobster fishery, marine managed areas, and serves as a liaison for the Caribbean Cetacean Society to the Fisheries Department.

PAPER

Item 6.9 - Utilization of Artificial Reefs for Enhancement of Spiny Lobster Resource

SANYA COMPTON has studied and worked in the area of marine science and policy for over 15 years. She has experience in marine and ocean governance, sustainable development, social impact assessments, and youth and gender empowerment. While concluding her PhD at the University of the West Indies Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies, she is also providing technical support on various projects, programmes and initiatives at the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) Secretariat.

PAPER

Item 2.4 - A Review of National Intersectoral Committee (NIC) Governance Arrangements for Shrimp and Groundfish in the Northern Brazil Shelf Large Marine Ecosystem (NBSLME)

GÉRALDINE CONRUYT is the Deputy Director of Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife Regional Activity Centre (SPAW RAC). With an MSc in ecology, she specializes in ecological continuity and implementation of public policies. She has an excellent knowledge of Caribbean institutional players and coordinates the various projects carried out by SPAW RAC.

PAPER

Item 8.4 - Regional Cooperation on Marine Biodiversity and Fisheries Management in the Wider Caribbean Region

DR. SHERRY CONSTANTINE is the Marine Spatial Planning Process Lead for The Nature Conservancy (TNC) Micronesia and Polynesia Chapter. In addition to holding a PhD in Biology (focus on Marine Ecology and Biology), she has been working for more than 22 years on environmental and marine conservation projects in a number of countries across the Caribbean, Pacific, and Africa regions. She worked previously as a Biologist with the CRFM Secretariat.

PAPER

Item 6.1 - Historical Local and Traditional Knowledge and Key Messages for Present-Day Holistic Fisheries Management – An Example from Haiti

CHRISTOPHER CORBIN is the Coordinator of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Cartagena Convention Secretariat based in Kingston, Jamaica. Mr. Corbin, a Saint Lucian national born in Barbados, has over 30 years of national and regional programme and project management experience and has been involved in several intergovernmental processes and discussions for improving oceans governance in the Wider Caribbean Region.

PAPER

Item 8.4 - Regional Cooperation on Marine Biodiversity and Fisheries Management in the Wider Caribbean Region

DR. SHELLY-ANN COX is the Chief Fisheries Officer of Fisheries Division in Barbados. She is an experienced ocean professional, fisheries management specialist, and science communicator. Shelly-Ann has over 10 years’ experience in fisheries management and applied interdisciplinary climate-related research. She is also the co-editor of the Subregional Sargassum Outlook Bulletin for the Eastern Caribbean and the Knowledge and Information Management Consultant for the Sargassum Information Hub.

PAPERS

Item 2.3 - Sustainable Fisheries Management and Development Suite of Laws for the Barbados Fisheries Sector

Item 3.6 - DIGIFISH: Data Driven Solutions to Inform Decision Making

Item 3.1 - Digitizing the Vessel Inspection Process in Barbados

Item 6.11 - Recommended Strategies to Protect Parrotfish Populations in Barbados

MARIA DELESALLE is a marine management consultant with experience working on projects that focus on finding synergistic solutions to promote the sustainable use of the ocean ecosystem. She has experience in applying economic, social, environmental, cultural, and political considerations for optimal project outcomes and results. Ms. Delesalle has experience working with industry, government, academia, and local and indigenous coastal communities.

PAPER

Item 1.2 - Food for Thought: Fisheries and Aquaculture Contributions to Food Security in the Caribbean

DR. YVETTE DIEI-OUADI is the Fishery and Aquaculture Officer of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) subregional office for the Caribbean, based in Barbados. She has been coordinating the Secretariat of the Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission (WECAFC) since she joined the Caribbean office in 2018. She has over twenty-five years of experience in post-harvest fisheries. She holds a veterinary doctorate from the Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire in Nantes, France.

PAPERS

Item 1.1 - Driving Circular Economy By Transforming Fish Parts From Processing (“Fish Waste”): a Barbadian Case Study for Resource Optimization in the Caribbean Countries

Item 5.1 - Outlook and Key Considerations for Sustainable Commercial Aquaculture Development in CARICOM

JAMES DURING is an interdisciplinary researcher with expertise in cultural history and an awareness of the historical and cultural diversity in Nova Scotia. His research experience includes a focus on the integration of historical and contemporary perspectives into historic and commemorative site management and decision-making. This experience includes Atlantic Canada as well as international areas of significance to Canada.

PAPER

Item 1.2 - Food for Thought: Fisheries and Aquaculture Contributions to Food Security in the Caribbean

NIGEL DURRANT is an agricultural trade specialist. He previously worked at the Office of Trade Negotiations of the CARICOM Secretariat and was based in Guyana. Mr. Durrant, who has degrees in economics and agricultural economics, has worked in agricultural policy and programming, and agricultural trade negotiations for many years. His involvement in agricultural trade negotiations has spanned several arenas, including the Free Trade Area of the Americas and the World Trade Organization Fisheries Subsidies Agreement.

PAPER

Item 2.6 - The WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies: CARICOM’s Interests, Participation and Outcome

ELIZABETH EMANUEL is an international development consultant with over twenty years of development experience in public policy, disaster risk management and financing, development planning, environmental management, climate change adaptation, environmental education and communication, and energy management. Since 2009, she has been the lead for the CCRIF SPC (formerly the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility) Technical Assistance and Corporate Communications portfolios.

PAPER

Item 7.1 - The Role of Climate Risk Insurance in Building Resilience of the Fisheries Sector– the Coast (Caribbean Oceans and Aquaculture Sustainability Facility) Example and Application

KENNETH R. ESQUIVEL holds a bachelor’s degree in Natural Resource Management from the University College of Belize. He works at the Belize Fisheries Department as a Fisheries Officer under the Capacity of the Capture Fisheries Unit Coordinator. Kenneth has been crucial in the Department’s coordination with local, regional and international fisheries assessments. He actively networks with national and international fisheries scientists to improve his abilities in fisheries statistics.

PAPER

Item 3.5 - Commercial Sea Cucumber Stock Assessment to Determine Sustainable Quotas in Belize

DR. LUCIA FANNING is professor emerita, Marine Affairs Program, Dalhousie University. Her research focuses on the value of all branches and sources of knowledge to better inform decisions affecting the sustainability of coastal and marine ecosystems. It spans multiple scales from local to global and includes research on improving integrated coastal and marine management and ocean governance in the Caribbean, Central and South America, Asia, Canada, and other areas.

PAPERS

Item 2.1 - The Regional Aspect of Fisheries Governance in the Wider Caribbean

Item 3.1 - Implementing a Monitoring and Evaluation Plan to Inform Fisheries Governance in the Wider Caribbean

MAKEBA FELIX is a Fisheries Biologist working within the Resource Management Unit of the Department of Fisheries, Saint Lucia. She provides technical support in implementing national projects to improve the status of marine ecosystems and the sustainable management of marine resources. Her focus is on implementing effective fisheries management activities in Saint Lucia, and she has a special interest in improving fishers’ livelihoods through sustainability and innovation.

PAPERS

Item 5.4 Investigating the Effectiveness of Three Different Growing Methods for Seamoss Farming in Saint Lucia

Item 6.9 Utilization of Artificial Reefs for Enhancement of Spiny Lobster Resource

LUCAS GENEVE is the Marine Fisheries Officer at SPAW RAC. With a master’s degree in marine biology, fisheries and aquaculture, he is in charge of the development of partnerships with fisheries experts and organizations, to study and identify impacts of anthropogenic activities on marine megafauna.

PAPER

Item 8.4 - Regional Cooperation on Marine Biodiversity and Fisheries Management in the Wider Caribbean Region

ALEXANDER GIRVAN is an environmental economist with expertise in value chain assessments, stakeholder engagement, ecosystem assessments, environmental mainstreaming, and communication. He has over 13 years of experience developing novel economic solutions to environmental problems in non-governmental, academic, and diplomatic contexts in the Caribbean and globally. His work focuses on developing sustainable livelihoods and enterprises in the blue and green economy.

PAPER

Item 3.4 - Leveraging Lessons From the Caribbean to Enhance the Value-Chain Approach in Developing Sustainable Small-Scale Capture Fisheries

DR. LESTER GITTENS is a Senior Fisheries Officer at the Department of Marine Resources, The Bahamas. Some of his key areas of responsibilities include supervision of the Research and Conservation Unit, providing fisheries management advice, as well as marine protected area development, biological data collection and analyses, stock assessment development, and formulation and oversight of fisheries development projects. His responsibilities include the licensing aquaculture facilities.

PAPER

Item 6.6 - What is the Right Balance Between International Management and the Involvement of Fishing Communities in the Management of Caribbean Spiny Lobster Fisheries?

DR. SANDRA GRANT is the Deputy Executive Director of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism Secretariat. She has worked for the past 30 years in the fisheries sector throughout the Caribbean. She worked with the CARICOM Fisheries Unit (which later became the CRFM), as Data Manager/Analyst under the Caribbean Fisheries Resource Assessment and Management Programme (CFRAMP) from 1999 to 2001. She holds a PhD in Natural Resources and Environmental Management from the University of Manitoba, Canada.

PAPERS

Item 3.2 - Analysis of Trends in Production, Fleet, Trade and Economic Contribution of the Fisheries and Aquaculture in CRFM Member States

Item 4.1 - CRFM’s Training and Capacity Building Activities: 2003-2023

Item 4.3 - Empowering Caribbean Women in the Fishing Industry

VILHJALMUR HALLGRIMSSON is a fisheries management consultant specialising in information technology and data management for fisheries governance and marine research. He is the owner of Fisheries Technologies, a software developer working with the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism and its Member States on a pilot initiative under the Caribbean-Iceland (CARICE) Project to integrate a cloud-based management software solution to support the management of fisheries data in the region.

PAPER

Item 3.3 - Data Management for Fisheries Management: Addressing Challenges and Unleashing Revolutionary Innovations

MILTON HAUGHTON is the Executive Director of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism Secretariat. He is a graduate of UWI, University of Buckingham, London Metropolitan University and the University of Law, London. He holds postgraduate qualifications in fisheries, general management and law, and has over 43 years of work experience in fisheries in the Caribbean.

PAPERS

Item 2.2 - Review of the Legal and Policy Framework for Sustainable Use of the Living Marine Resources of the CRFM Member States

Item 3.14 - Improving Social and Economic Resilience Through Enhanced Regional Trade in Fish and Seafood

Item 6.5 - Update on the Status and Management of the Caribbean Spiny Lobster Fisheries in the CARICOM Region

Item 7.3 Sargassum in the Caribbean: Challenges and Opportunity for Blue Growth Based on the Circular Economy Approach

Item 8.2 - Regional Cooperation Among CRFM, OSPESCA and WECAFC for Sustainable Fisheries in the Caribbean

DR. MAREN HEADLEY is the head of the CRFM Secretariat’s office in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. She is the CRFM’s Programme Manager, Fisheries Management and Development. Dr. Headley, who previously served the CRFM as Research Graduate - Research & Resource Assessment, has played an important role in supporting the scientific and technical work of the CRFM and strengthening the capacity of CRFM Member States since she joined the CRFM in 2006.

PAPER

Item 6.5 - Update on the Status and Management of the Caribbean Spiny Lobster Fisheries in the CARICOM Region

Item 7.3 Sargassum in the Caribbean: Challenges and Opportunity for Blue Growth Based on the Circular Economy Approach

TYANN HENRY is an Environmental Officer at the Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources Management, Turks and Caicos Islands. Her work includes fisheries-based research and development, review of national policy and legislation, scientific monitoring of local commercial fisheries landings, and assisting with export permits of CITES-listed species. She has been the lead for field work completion for the RESEMBID project: Sustaining Queen Conch Fisheries and Livelihoods in Turks & Caicos Islands.

PAPER

Item 3.7 - Video methodologies for deep water surveying of queen conch (Strombus gigas): a comparison study in Turks & Caicos Islands

DR. NICOLE A M (ATHERLEY) HERBERT was awarded a bachelor’s degree in biology and microbiology from the University of the West Indies in Barbados. In 2017, she commenced her master's degree research project at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine (RUSVM) on the biology and diseases of the Caribbean spiny lobster on Saint Kitts and Nevis. Her project was converted to a PhD, which she completed in 2021. Nicole is a Postdoctoral Fellow at RUSVM, working on parasites in marine organisms. 

PAPER

Item 3.15 - Biology and Diseases of Panulirus argus on Saint Kitts and Nevis

IAN HORSFORD is the Chief Fisheries Officer of the Fisheries Division, Ministry of Agriculture (Government of Antigua and Barbuda). He has also served as a consultant / technical expert to various organizations, including the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and the International Collective in Support of Fishworkers. Mr. Horsford holds an MSc (Distinction) in Marine Resource Economics.

PAPERS

Item 3.12 - Socio-Economic Features of Antigua’s Small-Scale Fisheries Sector – Implications for Economic Security and Sustainable Development

Item 6.8 - Ten Years of Caribbean Spiny Lobster (Panulirus argus) Closed Season: Evidence From Antigua and Barbuda’s Small-Scale Fishery

DR. SHARON HUTCHINSON is a food and resource economist and Head of the Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Faculty of Food and Agriculture, the University of the West Indies. She holds a PhD in food and resource economics from the University of Florida. Her research focuses on determinants of food import in the Caribbean, climate change, vulnerability and poverty in communities, fisheries value chain analysis, fisheries economics, and food policy.

PAPER

Item 3.4 - Leveraging Lessons From the Caribbean to Enhance the Value-Chain Approach in Developing Sustainable Small-Scale Capture Fisheries

SAORI IMAMURA works with the Strengthening Sustainable Use and Management of Coastal Fisheries Resources in CARICOM Countries (COASTFISH) Project, funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency. She assists with marine reserve activities and strengthening community organizations based on participatory approaches in Saint Lucia. She has interest in the effectiveness of artificial reefs and coral activities, as well as building community awareness of marine resources.

PAPER

Item 9.1 - Promoting a Fishery-Centered Blue Economy Through Co-Benefits and Knowledge Sharing

ADRIEL JACKMAN leads the fisheries services section at the Fisheries Division, Barbados. He has more than 25 years’ experience in information communication technology development and database development and management. He was instrumental in developing the vessel registry at the Division and is upgrading the database to facilitate the automation of reports. He developed the Division's website and advises on the integration of data-driven solutions to inform decision-making.

PAPERS

Item 2.3 - Sustainable Fisheries Management and Development Suite of Laws for the Barbados Fisheries Sector

Item 3.6 - DIGIFISH: Data Driven Solutions to Inform Decision Making

Item 3.1 - Digitizing the Vessel Inspection Process in Barbados

IMRAN KHAN holds a master’s degree in the Science and Management of Tropical Ecosystems. He has been employed as an environmental and ecological consultant over the last 14 years. Imran has developed an understanding of Trinidad’s artisanal fishery from a multidimensional stakeholder perspective. He also established and maintained good relationships at some fishing ports/communities, as well as within the Fisheries Division and local conservation groups.

PAPERS

Item 3.11 - Comparative Analysis of Shark Capture Data: Species Composition, Diversity, and Abundance Along the Northeast Coast of Trinidad

Item 4.2 - Investigating the Economic Implications of Weather-Related Damages and Theft on Fishing Vessels: a Survey-Based Analysis in the Coastal Communities of Trinidad

ANDRE KONG is the former Director of Fisheries, Fisheries Division (now the National Fisheries Authority), Jamaica. He served in that capacity for almost 12 years. He is now an independent consultant. He holds a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Marine Management.

PAPER

Item 6.7  - THE FISH SANCTUARIES NETWORK: JAMAICA’S QUIET FISHERIES SUCCESS STORY

ISHMAEL W. P. LASHLEY is the principal of PLA Consultants and a founding member of the Caribbean Centre for Food Security & Sustainability. He is the FAO Project Manager for the pilot: Fish Waste to Feed (2022-2023), working with the principal of the pilot, Dr. Yvette Diei-Ouadi. Over the past nine years, he has worked on developing and delivering community-based training and capacity building from ridge to reef.

PAPER

Item 1.1 - Driving Circular Economy By Transforming Fish Parts From Processing (“Fish Waste”): a Barbadian Case Study for Resource Optimization in the Caribbean Countries

BRUCE LAUCKNER is a retired biometrician who worked at the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) from 1979 to 2015. He has a post-retirement position as Editor-in-Chief of Tropical Agriculture journal. For the final 15 years of his career with CARDI, he held several senior management positions, including Acting Executive Director, Manager of Research and Development, Head Strategic Alliances, and Chairman of the Publications and Seminars Committee.

CONTRIBUTION

Item 6.1 - Historical Local and Traditional Knowledge and Key Messages for Present-Day Holistic Fisheries Management – An Example from Haiti

YANN LAURENT is a senior Fisheries Statistics and Information System Expert, FAO. He joined the FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Division in 2002. He supervises capacity building activities for the FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Division in the domain of fisheries statistics and information system, for Saint Lucia, Bangladesh, Mauritius and Guyana. He also coordinates the development of the new FAO platform Calipseo, a web-based IT app for National Fisheries Authorities of FAO Member States.

PAPER

Item 3.8 - Modern Tools for Fisheries Data Collection and Data Management: Experiences From Suriname

DR. JANET LAWRENCE is an agricultural health, safety and food quality specialist and the Caribbean/11th European Development Fund (EDF) Sanitary and PhytoSanitary (SPS) Project Manager with the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture. She is a trained agricultural research and development professional/entomologist with considerable experience in the agricultural sector in the Caribbean. She has been assisting countries to develop modern Agricultural Health and Food Safety Systems for improved production and trade.

PAPER

Item 1.3 - Strengthening Sanitary and Phytosanitary Capacity of the Fisheries Sectors within CARIFORUM Countries for Improved Market Access Under the Economic Partnership Agreement

RALNA K. LEWIS is the Assistant Country Director at Wildlife Conservation Society Belize. Her work focusses on identifying and incorporating underrepresented priority areas into Belize’s marine protected areas network and promoting the equitable use of Belize’s coastal and marine resources. Her work also addresses the role of women in small-scale fisheries, while promoting gender equality and equity in the allocation of resources, rights, status, and responsibilities between women and men.

PAPER

Item 4.3 - Empowering Caribbean Women in the Fishing Industry

ALISON LITTLEWOOD is the Head of UK CITES Scientific Authority (fauna) and Team leader, International Advice Team, Joint Nature Conservation Committee, United Kingdom. She has worked as UK lead on the RESEMBID project: Sustaining Queen Conch Fisheries and Livelihoods in Turks & Caicos Islands.  She has over 25 years’ experience contributing to the discharge of the JNCC’s function as the UK CITES Scientific Authority for fauna. 

PAPER

Item 3.7 - Video methodologies for deep water surveying of queen conch (Strombus gigas): a comparison study in Turks & Caicos Islands

KATHY LOCKHART is the Assistant Director of Fisheries, Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources Management, Turks and Caicos Islands Government, and the TCI lead on the RESEMBID project: Sustaining Queen Conch Fisheries and Livelihoods in Turks & Caicos Islands. Her work includes research and development, review and drafting national fisheries policy and legislation, secretariat for the Fisheries Advisory Council of TCI and project management of fisheries research.

PAPER

Item 3.7 - Video methodologies for deep water surveying of queen conch (Strombus gigas): a comparison study in Turks & Caicos Islands

DR. OMARDATH MAHARAJ is an agribusiness finance specialist with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. He previously served as Agricultural Economist under the UWI / FAO FISH4ACP initiative and more recently as Agribusiness Specialist at the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute. He has also lectured for several years under the Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Faculty of Food and Agriculture, University of the West Indies.

PAPER

Item 1.1 - Driving Circular Economy By Transforming Fish Parts From Processing (“Fish Waste”): a Barbadian Case Study for Resource Optimization in the Caribbean Countries

DR. ROBIN MAHON is a retired Director and Professor Emeritus at the Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies at the University of the West Indies, Barbados. He began his work in Caribbean Fisheries in 1981. He has worked on national and regional ocean governance in the Wider Caribbean and elsewhere for over 20 years. He has also worked with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the FAO, the CARICOM Fisheries Programme, the Caribbean Conservation Association, and as a consultant.

PAPERS

Item 2.1 - The Regional Aspect of Fisheries Governance in the Wider Caribbean

Item 3.1 - Implementing a Monitoring and Evaluation Plan to Inform Fisheries Governance in the Wider Caribbean

DR. PATRICK MCCONNEY is a Senior Lecturer in Marine Resource Management Planning at the Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies (CERMES), The University of the West Indies (UWI), Cave Hill Campus in Barbados. His work covers many aspects of small-scale fisheries and marine protected areas, but especially governance, livelihoods, socio-economics and developing adaptive capacity within the contexts of resilience and social-ecological systems.

PAPERS

Item 7.2 - Gender Perspectives in Social, Blue and Climate Justice

Item 8.1 - Fisherfolk Organisations in Fisheries Governance and Policy

NARIAKI MIKUNI is a chief adviser of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) project for Forming Good Practices of Islands-type Blue Economy in Palau. He was chief advisor in Caribbean Fisheries Co-management Project (CARIFICO). His expertise lies in the domains of fishing technology and coastal fisheries development, where he has extensively utilized Japanese knowledge and practices, including fisheries cooperatives, co-management strategies, food value chains, and Sato-umi principles.

PAPER

Item 9.1 - Promoting a Fishery-Centered Blue Economy Through Co-Benefits and Knowledge Sharing

CHRIS MILLEY is a marine resource manager with over 30 years of experience in over a hundred local, regional, and international marine management projects in the Caribbean, Central America, and Canada. Mr. Milley has liaised actively with regional and national indigenous communities and organizations, international agencies, and organizations, such as the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, the FAO, UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, and the Assembly of First Nations.

PAPER

Item 1.2 - Food for Thought: Fisheries and Aquaculture Contributions to Food Security in the Caribbean

DR. NANCY MONTES holds a PhD in interdisciplinary ecology from the University of Florida. In the Caribbean, she led the design, implementation and analytical components of a project funded by the Japanese government titled “A Socio-Economic Characterization of Benefits to Caribbean FAD Fishers Participating in the JICA CARIFICO Project.” Dr. Montes is also part of the team that organizes the Caribbean Fisheries Professional Development Program.

PAPER

Item 4.4 - Reflections on a Collaborative Program to Build Capacity in the Caribbean Fisheries Resource Management Sector

DR. RICARDO ANTHONY MORRIS is a fisheries and marine ecosystem management specialist. He recently earned his doctorate at La Universidad Marista de Mérida in Fisheries and Aquaculture Bioeconomics. He is a former Fisheries Officer of Jamaica. Under the then Director of Fisheries, he supported fisheries management and policy through scientific research, industry analysis, and implementation of targeted projects. His work also involved surveys, assessments, data analysis, and reporting.

PAPER

Item 5.6 - A Bioeconomic Approach for Sea Cucumber Mariculture in the Caribbean

PETER A. MURRAY has a Master of Philosophy degree in Biology and a Diploma in International Environmental Law.  He was senior-most Fisheries Biologist at Saint Lucia’s Department of Fisheries; senior Programme Officer at the OECS Secretariat, and Programme Manager at the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism Secretariat. He is currently Advisor, Fisheries Management and Development at the CRFM Secretariat and leads on MCS and IUU fishing, fisheries and trans-national crime, gender, and fisheries nutrition, health and sanitary issues. 

PAPERS

Item 1.3 - Strengthening Sanitary and Phytosanitary Capacity of the Fisheries Sectors within CARIFORUM Countries for Improved Market Access Under the Economic Partnership Agreement

Item 2.5 - Developing a Policy Framework for Gender Mainstreaming in the Fisheries Sector - a Retrospective

Item 4.1 - CRFM’s Training and Capacity Building Activities: 2003-2023

Item 6.4 - Use of a Maritime Domain Awareness Tool for Detecting Fishing Activity in the Waters of Caribbean States

RAY ANTHONY NEWTON works as a Quality, Health and Safety and Environmental Officer at the Gulf Engineering Services (Guyana) Inc. He studied environmental science & agriculture and forestry at the University of Guyana. He is a qualified first aider with the American Safety and Health Institute.

PAPER

Item 3.9 - Assessing the Spatio-Temporal Dynamics and Overfishing Implications for Guyana’s Seabob Shrimp Industry

YUKIKA OHMURA is a gender equality expert working for the JICA Project for Strengthening Sustainable Use and Management of Coastal Fisheries Resources in the CARICOM Countries - COASTFISH. She has conducted gender research in Japan, Asia, and Africa. Yukika has implemented several technical assistance projects, such as health and social welfare projects. She has expertise in women’s economic empowerment and has conducted training on women’s empowerment in small-scale fisheries.

PAPER

Item 4.3 - Empowering Caribbean Women in the Fishing Industry

DR. PRANAYA PARIDA is the Fisheries Scientist at the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism's office in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. He holds a PhD in Fisheries Resource Management from India and has more than 18 years of experience in fisheries research, teaching and extension. He was recruited to assist the CRFM with fisheries assessment studies, statistical analyses of commercially exploited marine fish stocks, and the formulation of fisheries management plans and advice for decision-making.

PAPER

Item 3.2 - Analysis of Trends in Production, Fleet, Trade and Economic Contribution of the Fisheries and Aquaculture in CRFM Member States

MARIA PENA, Project Officer at the CERMES, has played varying leadership and support roles in several externally funded marine resource management projects, including socio-economic monitoring at marine protected areas (MPAs) and coastal sites, fisheries management planning, MPA management effectiveness evaluation, marine resource governance, and more recently climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction in fisheries and aquaculture in CARICOM.

PAPERS

Item 7.2 - Gender Perspectives in Social, Blue and Climate Justice

Item 8.1 - Fisherfolk Organisations in Fisheries Governance and Policy

ALISHA PENGEL is a technical specialist with Centre for Development and Sustainable Fisheries (CeDePesca) in Suriname. Her work entails the design and automation of data workflows and the creation of digital tools for the collection of fisheries data. She also works as a consultant for Green Heritage Fund Suriname on the project titled, "ESI Update Nickerie Maps – Participatory Environmental Sensitivity Index Mapping". She holds an MSc degree in track geo-engineering and a BSc in applied earth sciences.

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Item 3.8 - Modern Tools for Fisheries Data Collection and Data Management: Experiences From Suriname

DR. ARLENIE A PEREZ is a marine scientist with a PhD in Marine Affairs and Resource Management. She is an Assistant Professor in the Marine Biology and Natural Resource Management Program at the University of Belize. Her professional experience in Belize and Taiwan focuses on coastal communities and their relationship to the environment. Her interests are in fishing communities, mariculture and conservation of marine species.

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Item 3.5 - Commercial Sea Cucumber Stock Assessment to Determine Sustainable Quotas in Belize

TERRENCE PHILLIPS is a former fisheries manager, with an MSc in fisheries biology and management, and over 30 years’ experience in fisheries. He started his career as a Fisheries Officer in the Fisheries Department, Guyana, and went on to serve as Programme Manager, Fisheries Management and Development in the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism. He is now an independent consultant focusing on governance, ecosystem approach to fisheries and livelihoods in small-scale fisheries.

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Item 3.4 - Leveraging Lessons From the Caribbean to Enhance the Value-Chain Approach in Developing Sustainable Small-Scale Capture Fisheries

GINA SANGUINETTI PHILLIPS is a consultant at Sustainability Managers, which provides services in policy development; training; strategic planning & research; writing, editing and communications in the areas of environment and sustainable development. Clients include the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility, the National Environment and Planning Agency (Jamaica), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Bank, and the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

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Item 7.1 - The Role of Climate Risk Insurance in Building Resilience of the Fisheries Sector – the Coast (Caribbean Oceans and Aquaculture Sustainability Facility) Example and Application

ALWYN R. PONTEEN is the Chief Fisheries and Ocean Governance Officer, Government of Montserrat. He is the Principal Technical and Policy Advisor to the Government, with the mandate to strengthen ocean sustainability, Governance and Management. Alwyn continues to provide sterling support to the Caribbean Community through the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism, Small Island Developing States, and by extension Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States SIDS and His Majesty’s UK Overseas Territories.

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Item 8.5 - Transforming Our Seas and Oceans Resources Collaboratively with Accredited Development Partners for the Benefit of all

DR. CLAIRE PUSINERI is the Biodiversity Project Officer at SPAW RAC. With a doctorate in marine ecology, she has dedicated most of her career to the study and conservation of marine megafauna in tropical waters of the Indian and Atlantic Ocean. She is an experienced biologist with a good knowledge of marine megafauna conservation networks and issues.

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Item 8.4 - Regional Cooperation on Marine Biodiversity and Fisheries Management in the Wider Caribbean Region

DR. IAN RALBY is a globally recognized expert specializing in areas such as maritime law and security, maritime domain awareness, and maritime strategy that integrates security, governance and the maritime economy. He previously served as Adjunct Professor of Maritime Law and Security at the US Department of Defense’s Africa Center for Strategic Studies and Maritime Crime Expert for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s Global Maritime Crime Program.

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Item 2.7 - The Need for Rigor in the Fisheries Space - Why the Term “IUU Fishing” is a Hindrance

ADELE O. RAMOS is a consultant supporting the CRFM Secretariat’s initiatives to modernize and expand its Information and Communications Technology framework. Her experience in Fisheries dates back to the late 1990s. More recently, she designed and developed the first Fisheries Food Safety Hub globally, under the EU-funded 11th EDF SPS Measures project through a partnership between the CRFM and IICA. She also developed for the CRFM the first directory of Caribbean Fisheries Enterprises.

PAPERS

Item 3.14 - Improving Social and Economic Resilience Through Enhanced Regional Trade in Fish and Seafood

Item 8.6 - A Modernized and Results-Based ICT Framework to Strengthen Institutional Governance, Administration, Productivity, Outreach, Visibility, and Engagement

JOHN REID has forty-four years of experience in the design, finance and operations of agriculture, aquaculture, hydroponic, and energy companies and systems. He built and ran the world’s largest, integrated aquaculture and hydroponics company, breeding and growing organic fish, shrimp and produce. He is working on developing multi-trophic freshwater crustaceans, and mollusk post larvae/ spat seed-stock for aquaculture farms in the US and international markets.

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Item 5.5 - Evaluating the outcomes of selective breeding in optimizing the growth performance of tilapia (Oreochromis spp.) for commercial production in the Bahamas

WILNER ROMAIN is a Senior Fisheries Officer with the Fisheries Directorate of the Ministry of Agriculture, Port-au-Prince, Haiti. He holds a Master of Science degree in Natural Resource Management from the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus. During the past two decades, his work has focused on developing the fisheries sector in Haiti. In that capacity, he works mainly with the Fisheries and Aquaculture Directorate of the Ministry of Agriculture of Haiti.

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Item 6.1 - Historical Local and Traditional Knowledge and Key Messages for Present-Day Holistic Fisheries Management – An Example from Haiti

LUCILE ROSSIN is the director of SPAW RAC. An eco-development engineer, she specializes in project management and setting up high-performance organizations in complex environments. She has worked in the public, private and non-governmental sectors of France, Europe and the Caribbean and is familiar with international project management and financing procedures.

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Item 8.4 - Regional Cooperation on Marine Biodiversity and Fisheries Management in the Wider Caribbean Region

DR. JULI-ANNE ROYES RUSSO holds a PhD in fisheries and aquatic sciences. Her specialties include formulation, fish health, nutritional diseases, training, education, food safety, communications and networking for fish farmers. She is a member of the Aquatic Blue Foods Action Coalition formed at the UN Food System Summit. She is also the founder of the Caribbean Aquaculture Education and Innovation Hub to share knowledge, inspire and motivate more women and youth to be involved in aquaculture.

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Item 9.2 - Building the Capacity of Aquaculture and the Blue Economy in the Caribbean

DENNIS SAMMY has been at the forefront of conservation and ecotourism efforts in Trinidad and Tobago, with over 25 years of experience in leadership positions at the grassroots level working with Nature Seekers. Dennis has led the development of Future Fishers within the last four years and serves as a director with project management responsibilities. One of his core interests is working with stakeholders to improve the conditions for co-management in the Caribbean.

PAPERS

Item 3.11 - Comparative Analysis of Shark Capture Data: Species Composition, Diversity, and Abundance Along the Northeast Coast of Trinidad

Item 4.2 - Investigating the Economic Implications of Weather-Related Damages and Theft on Fishing Vessels: a Survey-Based Analysis in the Coastal Communities of Trinidad

DR. SAMIA SARKIS has worked in aquaculture for the past 30 years. She is Executive Director and Head of Coral Restoration at Living Reefs Foundation in Bermuda. Her work includes pilot scale and commercial production, teaching and mentoring University students, activity coordinator and consultant for the FAO, and Overseas Territories Officer for the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC, UK). She was the lead investigator in the development of CARICOM’s Digital Aquaculture Library.

PAPER

Item 5.1 - Outlook and Key Considerations for Sustainable Commercial Aquaculture Development in CARICOM

DR. CHARLES SIDMAN is the Associate Director for Research of the Florida Sea Grant College Program, University of Florida. He established a university program to train Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean-based fisheries professionals at the University of Florida through collaborations with other Sea Grant programs and regional partners, including the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism and the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute.

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Item 4.4 - Reflections on a Collaborative Program to Build Capacity in the Caribbean Fisheries Resource Management Sector

DR. SUSAN SINGH-RENTON has more than 35 years of experience in fisheries science and management. She was the Deputy Executive Director of the CRFM Secretariat from 2011 until her retirement in June 2021. Her primary research interests are fisheries ecology and management. Susan has led the design and delivery of fisheries training courses on statistics and stock assessment, value chain management, and climate change monitoring and analysis. Susan now works as an independent consultant.

PAPER

Item 6.1 - Historical Local and Traditional Knowledge and Key Messages for Present-Day Holistic Fisheries Management – An Example from Haiti

LT CDR ROLERICK SOBERS is the Regional Maritime Officer serving with the Regional Security System (RSS). In his current assignment, he has responsibilities for the coordination of maritime matters relating to the RSS and those of the national, regional and extra-regional partners of the RSS. His professional career spans over 38 years of service to government and non-governmental organisations in the areas of maritime security and other marine environmental matters.

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Item 6.4 - Use of a Maritime Domain Awareness Tool for Detecting Fishing Activity in the Waters of Caribbean States

DR. HIROAKI TERASHIMA is Senior Adviser of IC Net Ltd, a Japanese consulting firm. He has worked for over 30 years as a researcher / consultant for fishery resource management and ecological monitoring in coastal fields for both tropical and temperate waters. He has done many surveys on the effectiveness of artificial reefs and the construction and monitoring of nursery grounds, as well as development studies and technical cooperation projects implemented through JICA.

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Item 6.9 - Utilization of Artificial Reefs for Enhancement of Spiny Lobster Resource

SHANNA-LEE THOMAS is the Chief Scientific Officer at Discovery Bay Marine Laboratory in Jamaica. She is responsible for the establishment and maintenance of equipment inventory and usage system, monitoring coral nurseries and out plants, providing weekly oversight and supervision of a wet laboratory and other teaching spaces, providing field assistance for scientific research, undertaking administrative aspects of research projects, and other related matters.

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Item 6.3 - An Assessment of the Reproductive Activity of Queen Conch (Aliger gigas) in Captive and Wild Populations in the Discovery Bay Special Fishery Conservation Area, Jamaica

JIMMY VAN RIJN is a Researcher at Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences, Leeuwarden, Friesland, Netherlands. He is co-founder at Wild Conscience and a Researcher at Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences. Jimmy specializes in technical monitoring solutions and conducting studies in challenging terrains. As a technical expert, Jimmy played a vital role in the RESEMBID project: Sustaining Queen Conch Fisheries and Livelihoods in Turks & Caicos Islands.

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Item 6.7  - THE FISH SANCTUARIES NETWORK: JAMAICA’S QUIET FISHERIES SUCCESS STORY

SARA VANDERKADEN is a marine resource manager with experience working on projects that take on a collaborative approach to support the sustainable management, use, and development of natural resources. Through her educational and professional pursuits, Ms. Vanderkaden has developed a solid background in interdisciplinary knowledge systems, strong written and oral communication skills, and experience conducting quantitative and qualitative research.

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Item 1.2 - Food for Thought: Fisheries and Aquaculture Contributions to Food Security in the Caribbean

DR. ERIC WADE is an Assistant Professor of environmental social science in the Department of Coastal Studies at East Carolina University and jointly appointed as an Assistant Research Scientist at the Coastal Studies Institute. His research interests lie in understanding the role of non-monetary drivers of individual and collective decisions in stakeholder adaptation to socio-ecological change. His current research projects are focused on the Wider Caribbean, including Belize, Jamaica, and Saint Lucia.

PAPERS

Item 5.1 - Outlook and Key Considerations for Sustainable Commercial Aquaculture Development in CARICOM

Item 6.1 - Uncovering Stakeholder Perspectives on Belize's Managed Access Program: Implications for Sustainable Fisheries Management

PROFESSOR MONA WEBBER is a Marine Biologist in the Department of Life Sciences, University of the West Indies, Mona Campus with over 30 years of experience in research and teaching in Jamaica’s coastal waters. She is the Director of the Centre for Marine Sciences and the Discovery Bay Marine Laboratory and the James S. Moss Solomon Snr. Chair in Environmental Management at UWI. Her research ranges from marine water quality and microplastics to mangroves, seagrasses and Sargassum.

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Item 6.3 - An Assessment of the Reproductive Activity of Queen Conch (Aliger gigas) in Captive and Wild Populations in the Discovery Bay Special Fishery Conservation Area, Jamaica

DR. TOMAS WILLEMS is a fisheries biologist based in Suriname. For the last 8 years, he has been working as an independent consultant for various organizations, including the FAO, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), and Conservation International (CI). He heads the Fisheries Improvement Project (FIP) in Suriname led by the Centre for Development and Sustainable Fisheries (CeDePesca).

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Item 3.8 - Modern Tools for Fisheries Data Collection and Data Management: Experiences From Suriname

DR. STACEY WILLIAMS is the co-founder of Institute for Socio-Ecological Research, a non-profit organization in Puerto Rico. Stacey has dedicated most of her research to understanding the impacts and distribution of benthic organisms on coral reefs throughout the Caribbean. She is the director of the first land-based coral and sea urchin nurseries in Puerto Rico. She and her team have restored thousands of corals and sea urchins to coral reefs around Puerto Rico.

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Item 5.3 - Restorative Aquaculture: How Commercially Important Sea Urchins Can Aid in Coral Reef Recovery

SHANNON WOOD is a marine and coastal resource manager with experience working on interdisciplinary projects throughout Canada and internationally, focusing on sustainable blue economy initiatives. Her academic background in biology and sustainable development has allowed her to garner a robust understanding of the relationship and intersections between environmental and socio-economic contexts.

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Item 1.2 - Food for Thought: Fisheries and Aquaculture Contributions to Food Security in the Caribbean