UBEC Partners Discuss Sustainable Management of Fish Aggregating Devices
Representatives from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada and Saint Lucia participated in a regional discussion on the management of fish aggregating devices (FADs) under the World Bank-funded Unleashing the Blue Economy of the Caribbean (UBEC) Project on October 30, 2026.
The hybrid session focused on strengthening cooperation and management practices to support sustainable fishing, improve fishers’ livelihoods and contribute to regional food security.
FADs are structures deployed at sea to attract fish, including tuna, to identifiable locations. Their strategic placement can help fishers reduce the time and fuel spent searching for fish and may reduce the need to travel farther offshore.
UBEC Fisheries Specialist, Risha Alleyne highlighted the importance of managing these devices responsibly and ensuring that national practices align with relevant international fisheries commitments and procedures.
She explained that while FADs offer benefits to fishing communities, effective management is essential to support the sustainable use of marine resources.
“We’recertainly happy that we are working with this World Bank project to ensure that Saint Vincent and the Grenadines conduct its fisheries in a sustainable way,”Alleyne said.
The regional exchange provided an opportunity for participating countries to share perspectives on FAD management and identify areas for continued collaboration and capacity building.
Alleyne expressed optimism about further cooperation with UBEC partners to strengthen fisheries management across the region.
Through these exchanges, the UBEC Project continues to support a coordinated approach to sustainable fisheries, recognising the importance of healthy marine resources to livelihoods, food security and the development of the Caribbean’s Blue Economy.
