February 2017 |Business View Caribbean

8 9 opening lines was quoted as saying in a government news release. Apart from helping CRFM member states to improve evidence-based management of the re- gion’s fisheries resources and associated ecosys- tems, the effort,which the parties hope will result in a regional project to be launched in the latter half of 2017, is also geared towards bolstering trade by improving the Caribbean’s competiveness on the world market. On the conclusion of the fact-finding mission this week,Haughton said that,“Although the local characteristics and environment in Norway are very different from ours in the Caribbean,we can nevertheless benefit from the underlying guiding principles and research, and institutional capaci- ties of Norway to develop and strengthen our sys- tems, to ensure that we optimize the contribution that our marine resources make to our economic and social development targets. So we are look- ing forward to working closely with our partners from Norway in the coming months and years to build capacities in the CARICOM countries, and transfer knowledge and technology to strengthen our fisheries research and information systems, improve governance, resource management and trade capacities, and ultimately strengthen food security and wealth creation for our peoples.” More specifically, future collaboration should aim at helping Caribbean countries to strength- en fisheries data, establish traceability of fish catch, and improve catch documentation to ensure that investment and policy-decisions are based on good science, as well as safeguards against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing -- a scourge to the Caribbean and the rest of the world. The collaboration between the parties rep- resents the first such initiative undertaken by Norway with Caribbean countries, and via the regional fisheries body, the CRFM. The parties hope to strengthen their cross-hemisphere ties for the long-term, in line with a wider agree- ment sealed five months ago by the CARICOM Secretariat and the governments of the Nordic countries. That agreement does not only enable cooperation in fisheries, identified as one of the priority areas for attention; it also supports col- laboration in areas such as renewable energy, climate change, gender equality, tourism, and information technology. “The Norwegian governance and man- agement system for their marine living and non-living resources is very impressive and has contributed immensely to their national wealth and economic development. Underpinning their exceptional economic performance and high standard of living is a resolute commitment to the collection and use of scientific evidence and knowledge of the marine resources to inform decision-making and policy implementation,” Haughton concluded.