On Friday, 11 March 2016, the Carriacou Fisher Folks Inc. launched the ‘Feed the Future’ project, implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment in collaboration with the UNDP–ICCAS project. This project consists of deploying FAD (Fish Aggregating Device) farms around Carriacou and Petite Martinique and training workshops on FAD fishing techniques.
The farms will have the capacity to be utilized by over 100 fishers daily. The training received will enhance the fishers’ appreciation to wisely manage their fishing stocks and habitat and develop resilience to climate change. The ‘Feed the Future’ project is a concept that aspires to feed minds and hearts with inspiration and new ideas, empowering the community of Carriacou and Petite Martinique to embrace opportunities to create new livelihoods and economic possibilities. It means feeding the very soul of the community.
The FAD will aid in addressing some of the key areas of concern affecting the fishers such as:
- Loss of revenue
- The inability to fish in deep waters due to limited equipment
- The depletion of reef fish in near shore fishing zone
- The introduction of the Sandy Island Oyster Bed Marine Protected Area in Carriacou restricting fishing in traditional areas
Merina Jessamy, acting Permanent Secretary with responsibility for Agriculture, Lands and the Environment, who spoke at the launch, stated that “this project is one of the privileged few who have received funding under the CCCAF,” and asked “that there be continued cooperation amongst the fisher folks of the various communities and a wholehearted endorsement of the Feed the Future theme.”
The deployment of the FAD farms will have an immediate effect on livelihoods of Fishers’ in Carriacou, and the Carriacou Fisher Folks Inc. are encouraged by the number of registrants for the training program and the general feeling of excitement and support being shown for the project. The ICCAS project is part of the International Climate Change Initiative funded by the German government to assist Grenada to adapt to climate change and is executed through the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands and the Environment.
UNDP
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