Departmental Units
Extension
Transfer appropriate technology to fishermen and aquaculture farmers, and also train young prospective fishermen in the rudiments of fishing, navigation and other related activities.
Research
Undertake relevant studies to manage the living marine resources and promote sustainable utilization of fish stocks.
Aquaculture
Promote and develop aquaculture production as a diversification opportunity for farmers and augment marine fish
landings.
Programmes/Organizational Structures
The Department of Fisheries, formerly referred to as the Fisheries Division, was formed some thirty (30) years ago, comprising then, a one-man Division within the Department of Agriculture of the Ministry of Trade, Industry,
Agriculture and Tourism.
With the increasing need for scientific fisheries management and sustainable use of the island’s valuable marine
and freshwater resources, the Fisheries Management Unit was created, as a separate sub-unit of the Ministry of
Agriculture, Lands and Fisheries. The latter comprised several sections, including product development, research/resource assessment and management, extension and surveillance.
The Fisheries Management Unit was upgraded to a full Department of Fisheries and boasts a staff of
approximately forty (40) persons, including aquaculture, extension, surveillance, gear/equipment maintenance,
research/resource assessment, including data collection and analysis, as well as an administrative staff, all
operating under the guidance of the Chief Fisheries Officer. The Department as a whole, has its legal basis in the Fisheries Act No 10 of 1984 and the Fisheries Regulations No 9 of 1994.
The staff of the Department of Fisheries are currently involved in a variety of programmes aimed at ensuring the
conservation and sustainable use of all marine related resources, enhancing the livelihood and skills of local
fishermen, improving the island’s potential in terms of fisheries, aquaculture and product development and
creating an awareness and concern among students and communities island-wide. Some of these activities include:
safety and navigation, experimental and exploratory fishing, fishermen’s training, promotion of more advanced
and safer fishing vessels, protected marine area establishment, lobster, conch, sea turtle, sea urchin and coastal
zone management, cetaceans, mangrove, coral reef, and beach monitoring, sea-moss cultivation, freshwater fish
and shrimp culture, management of aquaculture ponds, data management and ongoing public education.
All this is geared towards ensuring the sustainable development of the industry and increasing the economic lot of
the individual fisher, his/her family and the country as a whole.
|
