Promoting Community-Based Resilience in the Fisheries Sector
Description of Project
The Project Development Objective (PDO) is to enhance community-based climate resilience among targeted fishing communities of Jamaica.
This would be achieved by investing in:
- strengthening the fisheries policy and regulatory framework including making it climate-smart,
- diversification and viable alternative livelihoods that enhance sustainable fisheries, and
- capacity building and Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized awareness raising among the fishing and fish farming communities.
These measures would be implemented in a participatory approach with the targeted fisheries communities. While national and international best practices will inform the design and implementation of the supported activities, the use of local knowledge will be crucial to the success of the Project.
Strengthening the Fisheries Policy and Regulatory Framework (US$1 million)
An updated and strengthened policy is critical for ensuring a sustainable and climate resilient Jamaican fishing industry. This component would support updating the regulatory framework for the management of the fisheries sector, including restoration of resources in overfished areas through community based measures, and carrying out community-based monitoring, control and surveillance actions to limit illegal activities. Furthermore, Jamaica’s Strategic Programs for Climate Resilience (SPCR) notes that livelihoods in the agriculture and fisheries sector are the most vulnerable to climate related disasters, and this partially explains the chronic levels of poverty observed in fisheries communities.
Diversification, Alternative Livelihoods and Aquaculture for Sustainable Fisheries (US$3 million)
This component would support viable alternative livelihoods for the targeted fishing communities. The depletion of near-shore fish stocks has led to more stringent regulation. But given the high degree of pressure from artisanal fishers, measures to limit further entry of artisanal fishers into the industry and to encourage exit are necessary with appropriate incentives including provision of alternative livelihoods. The depletion of domestic fish stocks has the consequence of increased dependence on imported food fish, unless the food fish deficits can be significantly reduced, if not eliminated, by corresponding increases in aquaculture products.
Sub-component 2.1 – Continuity-based Aquaculture:
Given concerns about declining fish stocks and the rising demand for fish and fish products in the domestic market as well as globally, aquaculture is seen as a key component in the development and management of fisheries resources and an important climate resilience measure. The Project would facilitate the development and management of responsible aquaculture based on the best available scientific information, specifically through support for establishing a fish farm cluster in select communities, training and technical inputs (e.g., fingerlings) and partnering with aquaculture/processing enterprises to contract the new fish farmers and provide technical inputs and farming materials.
Sub-component 2.2 – Coastal Mari-culture/Poly-culture:
Support and training will be provided for marine-based sustainable livelihoods activities, selected and validated by the participating communities.
Sub-component 2.3 – Artisanal Long Lines for Offshore Pelagics:
The Project would support the diversification of fishing effort with a pelagic fishery that is currently under-utilized. Targeted fishers are primarily the north coast communities who would not otherwise look at alternatives outside of fishing due to the strong cultural bond of many fishers to seafaring. This activity would involve strong research, development and training components to ensure that any fishery established for offshore pelagics would be done on a sustainable basis and in conformity with international best practices. This would be modelled after similar small scale pelagic fishing activities in the Eastern Caribbean.
Capacity Building and Awareness Raising (US$0.4 million)
This component would support the capacity building of the fishing cooperatives to provide commercial services to fishermen as well as to serve as facilitators in the process of transitioning to alternative livelihoods. This would include the improvement of the organizational capacity of cooperatives and civil society involved with the artisanal fishers by enabling them to spearhead programs for upgrading of artisanal fisheries and facilitating their transition into alternative activities.
Sub-component 3.1 – Training:
The Project would provide suitable skills-based training to facilitate their transition to the new fishing zones or to alternative livelihoods. This training would also include targeted community-to-community learning tours/visits and knowledge exchange in order to share best practices.
Sub-component 3.2 – Support to Fishers’ Organizations:
The formation and strengthening of cooperatives and other types of associations of fisher folk would be supported. This would promote empowerment of local fisher folk and effective implementation of climate-resilient fisheries activities supported tinder the Project in a community-based manner by the fishing communities. Sub-component.
Sub-component 3.3 – Awareness Building and Behaviour Change:
The Project would support measures, including development of strategies, to increase public awareness and education about capture and culture fisheries and related issues in order to increase public support and participation in sustainable fisheries management policies. The transformation of the fisheries sector will require significant behaviour change.
Project Management including Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) (US$0.4 million)
This component would support the Project management including implementation, M&E, and fiduciary services. The M&E aspect would include targeted knowledge management activities aimed at capturing and sharing overall lessons within Jamaica and across countries under the PPCR Caribbean regional track. This would include tailored South-South learning and exchange visits.