A US$2.93 million (BDS$5.92 million) coastal fisheries resilience project, backed by the United Nations and Japan, was launched on Monday to help the island’s fishing industry recover from the widespread devastation of the fishing fleet caused by Hurricane Beryl in 2024.
The project is being implemented through a partnership between the Ministry of the Blue Economy, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the government of Japan.
At the official launch event at the Fisheries Division, Limya Eltayeb, the UNDP resident representative for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, stressed the urgency and importance of the initiative, particularly in light of the widespread damage caused by last year’s hurricane.
“The Bridgetown Fisheries Complex suffered with the Oistins complex and many other fishing sites of smaller scale. More than 200 boats were damaged, representing a substantial investment to the economy, and the impact was felt throughout the value chain,” she said.
“I am extremely pleased today that the partnership with the fisherfolk, with the fisherfolk union, with the ministry and the division of fisheries, and with the government of Japan, we’ve been able to secure 2.93m USD that will be implemented over the next year to rebuild the sector.”
Minister of the Blue Economy, Adrian Forde.
The UNDP representative added: “Not only will we rebuild physical infrastructure, we will also provide essential equipment and emergency communications that will also be capacity building, [involving] business continuity, and operations continuity as part of the components. In specific, there will be a travel lift for the Barbados Fisheries Complex which will be able to haul boats of 52 tonnes, [and] there will be improved communication packages on board for the fisherfolk.
“There will also be ice machines for the fishing vendors and processors; there will be updating and testing of disaster preparedness plans; there will be capacity building for the fisherfolk’s union; there will be boat building training; and there will be conceptual designs for the Bridgetown and the Oistins complexes.”
Japan’s Ambassador to Barbados, Misayaka Yusuke, underscored the shared experiences of island nations facing climate-related disasters: “Japan is no stranger to powerful typhoons, which are similar to hurricanes. Typhoons have caused the destruction of physical infrastructures, fishing boats and equipment. Over the years, we have developed robust early warning systems, strict building and infrastructure standards, well-coordinated emergency response mechanisms and regional disaster prevention plans.
“This project, implemented in partnership with the UNDP and the government of Barbados, will enhance local capacity, provide technological and infrastructural support, and empower fishing communities to build a more sustainable future.”
Minister of the Blue Economy Adrian Forde thanked Japan and the UNDP for their timely cooperation and emphasised that the moment was right to bring much-needed transformation to the fishing industry.
“Building forward better, that must be the maxim that carries us; it must be able to carry us to another level in terms of technology in our fishing industry,” he said.
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