SVG FISHER FOLK COMMEND SANDALS/CNFO EFFORTS TO SUPPORT LOCAL INDUSTRY
Creating mutually beneficial partnerships and ensuring that the tourism sector continues to drive the growth and development of communities throughout the Caribbean was the key takeaway as Sandals Resorts joined with the Caribbean Network of Fisherfolk Organisations (CNFO) to host a successful two-day workshop in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Participants lauded the initiative, which was held recently at Sandals Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and which has opened the door for them to develop strong and beneficial markets for the fishing community in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, by supplying product to meet the demands of not only Sandals, but the entire hospitality sector.
President of the National Fisherfolk Organisation in Saint Vincent Winsbert Harry commended both Sandals Resorts as well as the CNFO for the guidance which the workshop has provided. The organization has over 800 members.
“We have always wanted more Vincentian fish to be on the dish at Sandals and given this opportunity and seeing the requirements and what needs to be done from our end regarding standards, I now have a task to go back to the fishing community to get them on board because there was a (communication) gap, and we have now bridged that gap.”
Harry appreciated the support and the proactive efforts from Sandals Resorts to engage with the CNFO – which represents 17 similar organizations throughout the Caribbean – and by extension the local fishing sector.
“We realise now there were weaknesses in our practices, it’s up to us now to come up to scratch, and we feel we are in a better position to engage with Sandals to develop our own capacity. So I would say to the local fishermen let’s get on board, let us move to a different level, let us see fishing as a business and we have to do it together.”
Mitchell Lay, the programme coordinator of the CNFO, said the organization found a willing and able partner in Sandals Resorts to work toward its goals of building capacity in the regional fishing sector, of promoting sustainable fisheries, opening up new markets and ensuring it creates an industry that is profitable.
“We really looked at this as an opportunity where we could not only help develop the national organisations and enhance the lives of fisherfolk, but also seize the opportunity to engage other partners who impact the sector and who are also impacted by the sector, such as the tourism industry, and Sandals was open to that kind of partnership.”
Lay said the workshop allowed the CNFO to share global fisheries policies with the national organization in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, which, if implemented properly can contribute to the wider sustainable development goals, not only relating to the sea, but also SDG goals that speak to food sustainability and human dignity, “So quite a few goals are directly impacted by some of the activities we have been able to have.”
The two-day workshop is the first step in strengthening the partnership between Sandals and local small-scale fisherfolk, and aligning local seafood sourcing with sustainability, traceability and tourism quality standards. Similar workshops will be held across other Caribbean islands where Sandals Resorts operate, with Jamaica set to host the second staging.
According to Matthew Flynn, Sandals Resorts senior manager for purchasing, who chaired the workshop, the key goals for Sandals are to:
- Establish a formal Sandals Local Seafood Sourcing Policy
- Provide photographic product specifications and examples of “what good looks like”
- Share annual seafood demand forecasts with fisherfolk cooperatives to support planning
- Work with chefs in Saint Vincent and Sandals Food and Beverage teams to integrate local fish species into resort menus
- Improve cold chain infrastructure through shared use of ice machines
Following the session there was a strong commitment from both Sandals and CNFO to build a traceable, high-quality local seafood supply chain, to support fisherfolk with training on handling, hygiene, and traceability standard, and to move initiate plans for cooperative development and local product branding.
