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Innovative approaches to sustainable management of bycatch in Latin America and the Caribbean were discussed during a REBYC-II LAC side-event to the 32^nd Session of the Committee on Fisheries.  The COFI Secretariat granted REBYC-II LAC this side event thanks to the efforts of OSPESCA and the National Institute for Fisheries and Aquaculture (INCOPESCA). Representatives of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism, Brazil, Mexico, Costa Rica and SEAFDEC served as panellists and shared their regional or national experiences to improve bycatch management in trawl fisheries.About 60 participants from across the world also joined.

The side-event was opened by H.E Monica Rabelo, Ambassador of Nicaragua to Italy, in Nicaragua’s role as Pro-Tempore President of OSPESCA. She highlighted the need to “improve management and utilization of bycatch as a means to achieve food and nutrition insecurity in the region” and asked side event participants to share their experiences and lessons learned not only on how to improve trawl fisheries but also on how to increase their social and economic impacts. 

The Panel discussion was moderated by Mr. Mario Gonzalez Recinos, Director of OSPESCA and the panel members included Mr. Antonio Porras of INCOPESCA, Mr. Fabio Hazin from the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Brazil, Ms Martha Estrada of the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Commission (CONAPESCA) of Mexico, Mr Milton Haughton of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism and Mr. Somboon Siriraksophon of the South-East Asian Fisheries Development Center.

All panellists agreed that the days of focusing only on gear improvements and regulation in trawl fisheries are over and that holistic approaches that include participatory management, socio-economic initiatives and bycatch utilization efforts are crucial to actually improve trawl fisheries, better manage bycatch and reduce discards. In Mexico’s Pacific coast, significant advances have been achieved to increase the use of bycatch reduction devices and turtle excluding devices.  In particular, the now consistent use of TED’s was a result of strong policies and regulations in conjunction with collaborative work with fishers.

 The countries involved in REBYC-II LAC, as well as their neighbours, are actively strengthening legislation and seeking both stronger policies and effective compliance and surveillance. Panellists called for national plans of action, in the context of REBYC-II LAC, to guide this integrated approach. Past lessons, however, show that a participatory framework that includes fishers and other underrepresented groups like women and youth is necessary to actually secure changes.  In Costa Rica, for example, REBYC-II LAC will incorporate small-scale fishers that are not usually part of the more industrial shrimp trawling management measures. This has allowed Costa Rica to understand the impacts of trawling on small-scale fishers and promote policies that include both sub-sectors. Brazil is taking this a step further. Their idea, based on experiences in other sectors, is to manage and supervise shrimp fisheries through local and national shrimp management committees.

The side event also highlighted the urgent need to improve bycatch and discards utilization. Panellists and participants shared advances and obstacles that the region has faced in this regard. In Central America, OSPESCA has partnered with a nutrition institute to develop snacks and cookies made with 65% fishmeal from bycatch.  Acceptance amongst children has been quite high so the programme will be up scaled soon. In Trinidad and Tobago bycatch and lower valued fish have been used in school feeding programs.  Other value added options exist in Guyana and Suriname, where bycatch is salted or smoked and sold for human consumption or turned into animal feed for small-scale producers.

The side-event concluded with an understanding that the REBYC-II LAC project, alongside existing national initiatives, is integral to addressing the problems, limitations and capabilities of trawl fishing in Latin America.