crfm

Working with the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism Secretariat

The Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) is an international treaty organization dedicated to the sustainable and wise exploitation of Caribbean fishery resources. The CRFM Secretariat holds an annual stock assessment meeting and also oversees the working of several working groups, notably an ad hoc working group on stock assessment methods.

Photos:
top left. Harbor in Georgetown, Grenada.
top right. The island of Grenada in the Caribbean. In 2006, the CRFM Methods Working Group met in Georgetown, Grenada.
bottom left. Participants in the CRFM Methods Working Group meeting in Georgetown, Grenada.

I have been involved as a consultant to the annual stock assessment meetings and the methods working group. In 2006 I attended the meeting in Trinidad and Tobago where I worked with the Conch and Lobster Working Group. In 2007, I attended the annual stock assessment meeting in St. Vincent and the Grenadines where I worked with the Shrimp and Groundfish Working Group to assess stocks of seatrout (Cynoscion virescens), bangamary (Macrodon ancylodon) and three species of penaeid shrimp. VIMS student Lynn Waterhouse also attended the assessment meeting and helped with a shrimp assessment.

left. Participants at the 3rd Annual Scientific Meeting in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, July 2007
right. Meeting scientists working to analyze stock assessment data.

top left.     At the caldera of Soufriere volcano, St. Vincent.
top right.   View of Kingstown on the island of St. Vincent.
bottom.     Plant life along the trail to the top of Soufriere volcano.

The CRFM Secretariat and VIMS are hoping to encourage further significant interactions in the future by promoting collaborative efforts and educational opportunities. These may include the following.

Potential collaborative ties between CRFM and VIMS:

CRFM internships for VIMS students wishing to obtain experience in tropical fisheries assessment and management
VIMS student participation in short or long term CRFM research projects
Collaborative CRFM-VIMS research projects
VIMS student participation in CRFM meetings
Provision of training by VIMS faculty (perhaps with VIMS student participation) to CRFM clients
Joint sponsorship/funding of graduate level training for CRFM clients at VIMS

Publications resulting from my work at CRFM meetings.

Soomai, S., Y. Babb, C. Derrell, P. Ramotar, J. Hoenig, C. Porch, T. Gedamke, and L. Waterhouse. 2007. Report of the Shrimp and Groundfish Resource Working Group (SGWG). Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism CSM 2007: Document 4-12.

Derrell, C., J. Hoenig and L. Waterhouse. 2007. Guyana Seabob (Xiphopenaeus kroyeri) Fishery. Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism CSM 2007:Document 4-4.

Ramotar, P., J. Hoenig, C. Porch and T. Gedamke. 2007. Guyana Seatrout (Cynoscion virescens) Fishery. Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism CSM 2007:Document 4-8.

Ramotar, P., J. Hoenig, C. Porch and T. Gedamke. 2007. Guyana Bangamary (Macrodon ancylodon) Fishery. Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism CSM 2007:Document 4-11.

Babb-Echteld, Y. and J. Hoenig. 2007. Shrimp fishery (Farfantepenaeus subtilis and F. brasiliensis) of Suriname. Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism CSM 2007:Document 4-5.

Hoenig, J.M. 2006. Appendix 6. Activities of Consultant John M. Hoenig in Furtherance of the Work of the Ad Hoc Methods Working Group at its Meeting in Grenada, June, 2006. Data Quality Control Procedures, and Estimation of Survival Rates from Catch Rates. Pages 39 - 56 In CRFM (Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism), Report of the Second Meeting of the CRFM Ad Hoc Working Group on Methods, 27-30 June 2006, St. George's, Grenada. CSM 2007: Document 3.