FAO hosts 20th WECAFC Session to Advance Fisheries Cooperation and Marine Sustainability in the Caribbean

Montego Bay, Jamaica – The Twentieth Session of the Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission (WECAFC), the largest regional fishery body of the Latin America and the Caribbean under the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), officially opened on July 8, 2025, in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Marking the largest-attended biennial session in nearly a decade, this year’s hybrid gathering brought together over 120 participants – 26 members of the Commission, alongside 11 international and regional partner organizations. This included fisherfolk organizations and technical experts convening to review progress, share innovations, and agree on priorities for sustainable fisheries management and marine conservation in the Western Central Atlantic.

Over the three-day session, delegates deliberated on key regional priorities, including the strategic reorientation of WECAFC and the implementation of a roadmap to modernize its structure and mandate. Updates from technical working groups will cover progress on species-specific management efforts such as queen conch, spiny lobster, flying fish, dolphinfish, and spawning aggregations. Special attention was given to strengthening regional monitoring systems, including the development of a guidance framework to support countries in implementing regional instruments and tracking progress in areas such as combatting the illegal unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and curbing the effects of climate and protect marine resources, etc.

Participants also examined the growing challenges posed by sargassum influxes, explored solutions for managing bycatch and fishery by-products, and assess collaboration opportunities with global bodies including the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) and the World Trade Organization (WTO). Recent global developments such as the WTO agreement on fisheries subsidies and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) will be discussed in terms of their implications for the region’s fisheries sector.

The biennial session opened with statements underscoring the importance of more effective and inclusive management of aquatic resources and the essential regional cooperation to unlock the region’s potential for food security and economic development.

“To grow fisheries and aquaculture in the WECAFC region, it is essential to promote sustainable aquaculture, especially in food-insecure areas, and to expand effective management to fisheries facing sustainability challenges. These solutions and actions are central to FAO’s work in the region, supporting sustainable fisheries, aquaculture, and stronger value chains through its Blue Transformation Roadmap,” said the FAO Assistant Director-General and Acting Regional Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean, Maximo Torero.

Outgoing Chair for WECAFC, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green, reflected on the Commission’s progress over the past biennium and urged members to continue building on that foundation through legacy-focused, coordinated action. “Now, more than ever, as the world battles the effects of climate change, food insecurity, and ecosystem degradation, WECAFC continues to stand as an anchor and a buttress while guiding the region towards a resilient, productive and equitable marine resource management system,” he stated.

During his keynote, Minister Green cited several key achievements, in strengthening regional fisheries governance. These included the development of action plans, regional management strategies and capacity-building frameworks that promote responsible harvesting and traceability. He emphasized efforts to increase regional information exchange and coordination particularly in combatting IUU fishing and addressing habitat degradation through legal reform and enhanced regional cooperation.

At the session, delegates also reviewed the financial and administrative affairs of the Commission, elected new leadership, and adopted the updated 2025–2027 work plan. The chairmanship, previously held over the last intersessional period by CARICOM countries under the leadership of Hon. Floyd Green, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining of Jamaica, was officially passed on.

Election of New Co-Chairs of WECAFC

Mexico was elected as the new Chair, represented by Isabel Cristina Reyes Robles, Director of International Affairs at the National Aquaculture and Fisheries Commission. St. Kitts and Nevis assumed the role of Second Vice-Chair, represented by Randell Thompson, Chief Fisheries Officer. The First Vice-Chair, to come from the Central America Fisheries and Aquaculture Organization (OSPESCA) membership, will be designated intersessionally.

Building on the achievements of the 2023 session held in Bridgetown, Barbados, the Commission continues to address growing demands for science-based, inclusive and climate-resilient fisheries management, while working to formalize stronger institutional arrangements for regional cooperation.

WECAFC 20 positions the region’s fisheries and aquaculture sectors as vital pillars for food security, livelihoods and blue economic development, particularly for Small Island Developing States.

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Dainalyn Swaby

Communication Consultant

FAO Representation for Jamaica, The Bahamas and Belize dainalyn.swaby@fao.org |876-579-9497