February 29, 2024 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
The Caribbean Fishery Management Council has more commercial and recreational species under its management than any other council in the nation. However, the fishery and ecosystem data collection to support the assessment, monitoring, and management of these stocks comes from disparate sources that are often siloed from one another. This creates substantial challenges that require collaboration, coordination, and integrated funding considerations when it comes to ensuring sustainability.
To help overcome these challenges, NOAA Fisheries’ Southeast Fisheries Science Center hosted a strategic planning workshop. Representatives from 13 regional partners focused on strategy and innovation to improve fisheries management in the region.
“The strategic planning project came about because partners across the region recognized the need to better coordinate and cooperate to address data collection challenges,” said Kevin McCarthy, chief of the Caribbean Fisheries Branch in the Center’s Sustainable Fisheries Division. “These collaborative efforts to find and organize new data sources will set us up for success when studying and managing Caribbean fishery species.”