“We believe our lives depend on the quality of the environment; our health depends on the quality of the natural resources we consume; and our coastal and marine environment is vital in sustaining our well-being. Future Fishers is therefore dedicated to working with local, national and other key stakeholders to achieve national and global targets set for protecting the environment, creating livelihood opportunities and improving the long-term sustainability of our natural resources. “
Annual Reports
Demonstrating accountability
The 2022 Annual Report of Future Fishers details significant strides in capacity-building and sustainable fishing practices across Trinidad’s northeast coastal region. Future Fishers established an information system called “FISHNET” with 14 months of data collection. The initiative successfully trained 97 individuals in First Aid and CPR, exceeding the target by 22 people. A separate training for 49 small-scale fisher captains in Safety at Sea was also completed, with further plans for ongoing education in Outboard Engine Repair. The report highlights efforts in reducing bycatch and promoting safer, more sustainable practices through depot talks, clean-up initiatives, and participatory mapping workshops. Significant achievements include a 40% sample showing over 53,000 lbs of sharks caught and the release of 83% of turtles captured in nets, underscoring Future Fishers’ and the fishers’ commitment to enhancing marine ecosystem resilience and supporting community livelihoods through improved fishing practices and governance.
The 2023 Annual Report for Future Fishers outlines the organization’s continued efforts in capacity building, sustainable fishing practices, and community engagement along Trinidad’s northeast coast. Key highlights include the successful training of fishers in Engine Repair and Safety at Sea, surpassing educational targets. The report emphasizes significant improvements in FISHNET. The active participation of fishers in depot talks and our learning more about the issues have led us to develop 2 research on the sector in the area. Furthermore, Future Fishers has expanded its initiatives into value-added fish product development, training 22 persons in smoked and salted fish and providing kilns to producers, aiming to enhance the economic viability of low-value fish species. The organisation also reports on the work of building a cooperative with fishers to strengthen community ties and ensure better market positioning for fishers, supported by grant funding and comprehensive governance frameworks.
Key Issues
The new way of thinking among stakeholders provides opportunity for collaboration, cooperation, capacity building and collective decision making …
The issues that challenge the industry include governance, resource management, social inclusion, operating cost and capacity of the fishers…
Developing, managing and measuring indicators are important for comparing the relative strengths of communities and equitably allocating resources…
Helping CSOs navigate the level of thinking required to improve organisational capabilities and yield greater, more inclusive conservation impacts…
