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Commonwealth Caribbean & Americas Fisheries Profile
Capture fisheries within the region produce over 15,000,000 metric tonnes annually. Marine fishing industries in the region are largely characterised by SSF that are fundamental in employing and feeding the populations of the Caribbean’s small island states and in some cases acting as products of national export.
Sources: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/ER.FSH.CAPT.MT?locations=ZJ-CA | http://www.fao.org/3/ca9229en/ca9229en.pdf | http://www.fao.org/3/ca9229en/ca9229en.pdf; https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NV.AGR.TOTL.ZS?end=2020&locations=XU-ZJ-CA&start=2020&view=bar; http://www.fao.org/3/ca9229en/ca9229en.pdf
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“Digitalisation efforts within the Commonwealth Caribbean fisheries face an array of challenges.”
Digitalisation in Caribbean & Americas fisheries
The state of digital fisheries in the region is assessed using the digital fisheries framework described under the methodology section.
It consists of (I) digital innovations, (II) data infrastructure, (III) business development services, and (IV) the enabling environment for the digitalisation of fisheries.
Caribbean
Digitalisation efforts within the Commonwealth Caribbean fisheries face an array of challenges. Firstly, there is limited understanding of the full value and potential of the fisheries sector. However, the emergence of the Blue Economy drive is drawing more attention to fisheries as an industry and solutions for optimising its benefits. Secondly, the traditional culture of the fisheries sector limits scope for digital innovation and uptake within the industry. A lack of innovation and uptake within the sector is further amplified by digital illiteracy.
Canada
Canada’s fisheries sector faces challenges in terms of productivity. The seasonality of the industry is thought to be partly to blame, along with limited innovation and modernisation of the fisheries sector.1 In Canada, digitalisation has been described as “ubiquitous” but uneven across industries. A 2021 study that reviewed digital “intensity” within the production sectors of Canada’s economy between 2000 and 2015 ranked agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting “low” in terms of digital intensity.2
Pillar i
“The current state of digital innovations within the Caribbean’s fisheries sector is considered “low”, with fishers in the region mainly relying on basic digital solutions and services.”
Pillar ii
“Data is lacking regarding catch, fishing areas/zones, damage and loss at sea, ICT usage, ICT profiles of fisherfolk, marine communications infrastructure and granular marine environmental measurements.”
Pillar iii
Business Development Services
Digitalisation within the Caribbean’s fisheries sector is hindered by limited business development services.
There is limited financial investment within the fisheries sector in general, which consequently has a negative impact on potential investments relating to digitalisation.
“There is limited financial investment within the fisheries sector in general, which consequently has a negative impact on potential investments relating to digitalisation.”
The Base
Enabling Environment for Digitalisation
The enabling environment for fisheries digitalisation in the Caribbean is well developed in terms of the determination of functions needed in the region. The actual implementation is, however, still lacking.
Caribbean governments are now beginning a more focused digital transformation drive, and there are plans to increase possibilities to leverage common infrastructure.
“Governments are also increasingly demanding structured data collection and reporting, which will likely form an important foundation upon which future technologies and innovations will be developed.”
Footnotes
[1] TheFutureEconomy.ca (2020) Canadian Fisheries Industry Direction – Carey Bonnell. https://thefutureeconomy.ca/interviews/carey-bonnell/
[2] Government of Canada, S. C. (2021) ‘Measuring digital intensity in the Canadian economy’. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/36-28-0001/2021002/article/00003-eng.htm