(Bridgetown, September 12, 2015) - Six Latin American and Caribbean countries have committed to a work plan to improve shrimp trawl fisheries in their waters.

Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico,  Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago have signed on to the REBYC II-LAC project, which aims to improve shrimp fisheries by enhancing the sustainable management of by-catch and the reduction of discards in shrimp trawl fisheries.  The project is a 5 year joint initiative spearheaded by the Global Environmental Facility and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), along with various partners in the region.

Shrimp-trawl fisheries are the second most valuable fishery in the region, and it is the most valuable fishery in several of the project countries. Mr Raymon van Anrooy, Secretary of the Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission noted that “many of the fish and shrimp stocks targeted by bottom trawling in the region are either fully exploited or overexploited and for many others we don’t even know basic information about what is being caught”. He also added that “the work that these countries have agreed to undertake will directly impact the livelihoods of fishers and other workers and their families in the sector and enhance food security in their coastal communities.”

Bycatch is the term for the portion of the catch that is not directly targeted by the fleet. Bycatch is often landed in port, sorted and sold to a variety of buyers depending its value. A significant portion of the landed bycatch is traded locally at low prices and plays a crucial role in local diets. On the other hand, a large part of the bycatch has no commercial value. In this case, the bycatch is discarded at sea, usually dead. The participating countries seek to reduce these discards in order to preserve ecosystems, while also providing an opportunity to improve availability of cheap fish protein in local and national communities.

The REBYC II-LAC project seeks to reform national policy and legal frameworks that govern bycatch and discards in shrimp trawl fisheries; develop improved fishing technology and develop modern management plans for bycatch and discards and improve livelihoods of fishing communities, including a strong emphasis on improved value chains, strengthened fisher organizations and special priorities for women.

The recipient countries have also agreed to execute the project in participatory fashion, with close collaboration with the private sector, fisher organizations, and research and academic institutions.

The project will be funded with a 5.8 million USD grant from the Global Environmental Facility and an additional 17 million USD provided by partner countries, regional partners and industry stakeholders.