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TDA/SAP workshop

The TDA SAP training and first TTT and STAG meetings were held in Cartagena as scheduled (25-30 January 2010). A consultant was hired to facilitate the meetings and will be assisting the CLME PCU in further related issues. Discussions with the implementing agencies are ongoing.

The role of the TTT and STAG groups were clarified by the regional experts and the TORs for both technical groups were amended accordingly to reflect the recommendations. Active and successful participation of Stakeholder Advisory Group (STAG) and TDA Technical Task Team (TTT) members. All TTT and STAG members showed commitment to continue advising the CLME project. Two key recommendations were produced during the workshops:

• Reformulation of the focus of the revised TDA. It was determined that the best way to proceed to update the TDA was on a fisheries-related ecosystem basis consistent with the overall goals of the project. Three specific ecosystems (continental shelf, pelagic and reef ecosystems) were agreed as the focus of the revised TDA; and,
• Postponement of the 2nd Steering Committee Meeting (SCM). The CLME Technical Groups recommend to the Steering Committee members that the 2nd Steering Committee be postponed until the fourth quarter of year 2010.

After a consultation process with the implementing agencies and the Steering Committee representative a letter informing on the official postponement of the 2^nd Steering Committee was circulated. This will be held in November 2010 in a venue to be confirmed based on costs.

Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem Transboundary Assessment completion on move

Based on TTT GAP and STAG recommendations the TDA was change from fisheries perspective to a more holistic engagement using the Ecosystem Base Management approach for fisheries ecosystems as a base for support a fisheries governance framework for the Caribbean Region. Three ecosystems were selected Pelagic, Coral Reef and Shelf ecosystems as some of the most representative for the Caribbean.  Actually based on the Committees recommendations TORs were prepare and the consultants are beginning to work on gap filling analysis on the original TDA for shelf, Coral Reef and Pelagic fisheries-related ecosystems, as well as Governance issues for the three of them, these information will serve to update of the TDA. This information will be a great deal of data and knowledge to analyze and contrast with the information gather from the field by partners during at least 5 different study cases and pilot projects.

UNEP and UNOPS are working together on Reef Ecosystem Management to improve fisheries in the Caribbean

CLME recently signed a letter of agreement between UNEP and UNOPS for the implementation of a pilot project. This pilot project will implement various actions that serve to establish based on the field experience activities that could be part of the strategic plan for the implementation of the governance model that the CLME project will propose for the Wider Caribbean.

This case study in general terms will work with local partners such as TNC in Jamaica and Coralina in San Andres-Colombia in the development of specific cases of management of marine protected areas and community-based fisheries management.  Likewise, UNEP will work with the CLME project coordination unit Dominican Republic and Haiti governments to provide support and demonstration cases to countries from the Insular Caribbean region. The Pilot project will develop in general (a) an analysis of collaborative management at specific sites in protected areas or managed under particular schemes and their impact on fisheries, (b) an analysis of political cycles in different local and national levels as well as (c) establishing a monitoring and tracking system to promote an adaptive management of conservation areas for fisheries ecosystems, (d) incorporating the assessment of their value and economic contributions to society and fisheries in particular, (e) establish a program for exchange of experiences and (f) promoting the development of public awareness and knowledge through the dissemination of experiences and lessons learned.

For further information please contact Nestor Windevoxhel (nestorw@unops.org) at Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem Project-CLME or Alessandra Vanzella-Khouri (avk@cep.unep.org) or visit UNEP website. 

OSPESCA will develop the Subregional Management of the Spiny Lobster Ecosystem Fisheries in Central America and Insular Caribbean

OSPESCA has submitted a proposal to CLME Project which led on a draft agreement that is now under preparation of its final stages for the implementation of a pilot project. This pilot project will implement various actions that serve to establish based on the field experience activities that could be part of the strategic plan for the implementation of the governance model that the CLME project will propose for the Wider Caribbean.

The most important aspects of the study that will be implemented with the assistance and leadership of government organizations responsible of fisheries will be the development of seven field studies that will provide the needs for the strengthening of local conditions to the fisheries governance in coral reef ecosystems. The establishment of an information management system will allow a learning process based on the experience in the adaptive management of fisheries in reef ecosystems and the development of a subregional governance system for the lobster fishery in reef areas. Based on these analyses the pilot study will establish specific recommendations for amendments to rules, fishing practices and habitat management and legal regulations that make possible the proposed governance model.

For further information please contact Nestor Windevoxhel (nestorw@unops.org) at Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem Project (CLME) or Mario Gonzalez Recinos (mgonzalez@sica.int) or visit OSPESCA website.

More case studies…

The CLME project is making progress in the development of four potential case studies that will be signed soon with other partners in the region, they could be the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies (CERMES), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission-United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (IOC-UNESCO). These case studies allow:

• Compare real-life situations with the results of the Transboundary Analysis of the Caribbean that the Technical Task Team (TTT) identified in the initial phase of the project.
• Testing some working hypotheses through the implementation of field studies.
• Propose a governance system for the sustainable management of fisheries ecosystems in the Caribbean.
• Develop knowledge and information management systems that can generate a positive environment for the implementation of the governance model proposed by the CLME project.

Based on these and other inputs the project will propose an action plan for the Caribbean which allows the setting of the proposed governance model for the sustainable management of fisheries ecosystems in the Wider Caribbean.

For further information please contact Ivan Soto (ivans@unops.org), Nestor Windevoxhel (nestorw@unops.org), Robin Mahon (robin.mahon@cavehill.uwi.edu) at CERMES, Milton Haughton (haughton@caricom-fisheries.com) at CRFM, Cesar Toro (c.toro@unesco.org) at IOC-UNESCO.

The CLME Project welcomes new incomes and acknowledges the work of others

On April 7, 2010 we welcomed on board Nestor Windevoxhel as the new CLME Regional Project Coordinator.  Read more…

We are also pleased to welcome Maria Talero our new Stakeholder and Public Participation specialist, just arriving the CLME Team this July 25.

We wish to express our gratitude to Wendy Guerra, our IT Specialist and Maria Bolaños, our Administrative Assistant for their support to the CLME first year and wish them success in their new professional challenges.

Continuous update to CLME Website

We have been continuously updating our CLME Website with all CLME Project relevant documents and information from our meetings:

• First Steering Committee Meeting (SCM) held in Cartagena, Colombia from 29-30 September, 2009: Overview, agenda, presentations, final reports and documents.
•  TDA/SAP Training Workshop held in Cartagena, Colombia from 25-30 January, 2010: Agenda, presentations, recommendations and meeting reports.

All key documents from previous phase of the CLME Project (PDF-B) have been migrated from CERMES website to CLME Website.

Translation of our CLME Website

Since May 2010 the CLME Project began to translate its website into a Spanish Version.  At this stage all the CLME Website in the English Version has been translated into the mirror side in Spanish Version.  We encourage our partners to visit: www.clmeproject.org 

Thanks to GEF-IWLearn

We would like to share our acknowledgment and gratitude expression of permanent support to CLME Website. IW:LEARN works with GEF International Waters (IW) projects to improve online sharing of data and information relevant to managing international waters, including marine, coastal and freshwater ecosystems.

CLME Website is hosted and developed by IWLEARN.  IWLEARN implements its website Toolkit which provides support for developing a dynamic content management system that is linked and searchable through IW: LEARN’S International Waters-Information Management System (IW-IMS). The resulting network will allow access to high quality data and information and ensure dissemination to a broader community of Stakeholders.

Click here and you will find a list of GEF IW project and partner websites implementing the IW: LEARN Website Toolkit.

Meeting Experts on the Caribbean Sea Commission

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