Fishing and fish trade in Trinidad and Tobago – in pictures

 

When a team from the WTO Secretariat visited Trinidad and Tobago on 17-19 January 2023 for a workshop with Caribbean officials on the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, they seized the opportunity to have a good look around the local fishing facilities. The following photos provide insights into the importance of marine fishing and fish trade in Trinidad and Tobago.


At the private port of Chaguaramas in north-west Trinidad, the team came across Rema, a Jamaican national, who moved to the island to work on a fishing vessel. He said the job allows him to send money back to his family.
Chaguaramas is a re-export hub for fishing vessels across the Caribbean region. At its busiest, the port sees up to 18 longliner vessels landing their tuna catch per day. At the port, sanitary and phytosanitary checks and customs controls are conducted for all catch destined for foreign markets.
Trinidad and Tobago adopted the Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA) in 2019 and is currently in the process of passing it through legislation. In the meantime, the country is implementing PSMA requirements such as the prior notification of vessels entering the port and the establishment of a Single Electronic Window for customs processes.
A short drive from Chaguaramas is the Carenage Fishing Centre. The Centre was established by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago in 2019 to provide facilities for small-scale, artisanal fishers including ice machines, storage, and a boat repair and cleaning yard.
The team met David, who said he learned from his parents how to fish for a living. He grew up on the water and has been supporting his family through fishing for more than 30 years. David said he has seen the gradual depletion of fish stocks and that he worries future generations will not have the same opportunity to benefit from the ocean.
For David, fishing is a way of life and he cannot imagine doing anything else. He says the Centre has helped him bring better quality fish to the local market.