StewardFish – Identifying suitable national intersectoral coordination mechanisms (NICs)
The Strategic Action Programme for the Sustainable Management of the Shared Living Marine Resources of the Caribbean and North Brazil Shelf Large Marine Ecosystem (CLME+ SAP) proposes to achieve a regionally adopted long-term vision for a healthy marine environment that can sustain and provide benefits for human well-being and livelihoods. Through the CLME+ SAP, intersectoral governance arrangements such as National Intersectoral Coordination Mechanisms (NICs) have been identified as critical for ecosystem-based management (EBM) and ecosystem approach to fisheries. The StewardFish project aims to empower fisherfolk throughout fisheries value chains to engage in resource management, decision-making processes and sustainable livelihoods with strengthened institutional support at all levels. StewardFish is being implemented within seven Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CFRM) Member States: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. NICs within this context of StewardFish can be thesupporting mechanisms for fisherfolk engagement and good governance. Component 4 of the project is focused on good governance and learning for adaptation institutionalized among fisherfolk organisations. Activities under this component call for the identification of suitable NICs for the implementation of StewardFish. A multi-method approach utilizing primary and secondary sources was used to help in the identification of NICs in the seven countries. Information on NICs is still limited. Nevertheless, the most suitable arrangements for StewardFish was selected based on how much information was made available at time of this report. Although NICs or the closest similar arrangements have been identified for each country it is further recommended that, where and when possible, other governance arrangements, especially in the coastal and ocean marine sectors, be engaged.