Launch of video highlighting Montserrat voices and perspectives on climate change and the fisheries sector

Port of Spain, May 10, 2019 – The Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI), in collaboration with Montserrat stakeholders, have created a new video entitled “Our Changing Fisheries: Voices from Montserrat”. It features local voices and perspectives from fisherfolk and other coastal and marine resource users on changes being experienced in Montserrat’s fisheries sector in the context of climate change, and ideas for building their resilience. Key climate change impacts highlighted include rough seas, changing currents and more extreme hurricanes and storms that affect ability to fish and cause damage to fishing grounds and gear. This adds to the fact that fisherfolk continue to feel the effects of past volcanic activity on the island.

The video was developed as part of the Darwin Plus project, Climate change adaptation in the fisheries of Anguilla and Montserrat. This project is being implemented by CANARI in partnership with the Fisheries and Ocean Resources Unit – Montserrat, Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources – Anguilla and the Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies (CERMES) – University of the West Indies.

The process of developing the video started in workshops facilitated by CANARI in November 2018, aimed at building the capacity of fisherfolk and other coastal and marine resource users and managers to communicate effectively about climate change and use participatory video as a tool to document their local perspectives on climate change, its impacts and priorities for action. Initial video clips were
Caption: Video “Our Changing Fisheries: Voices from Montserrat” which can be viewed on CANARI’s YouTube channel collected at this time as part of practical exercises. This was followed with a contest – #Living with Climate Change in January-February 2019, aimed at gathering further inputs and providing added opportunity for fisherfolk and other local stakeholders to have a voice. Winning contributors to the video include Fish ‘N Fins-Aqua Montserrat, who will have a chance to have their work featured on a regional online knowledge platform developed by CANARI, and two local fishers, Captain John Howes and ‘Rootsman’ Murphy. The local fishers will be supported to participate in upcoming fisherfolk learning exchanges in Anguilla.

CANARI and the Fisheries and Ocean Resources Unit – Montserrat are continuing to work with the Montserrat fisherfolk and other coastal and marine stakeholders to disseminate the video and enable knowledge exchange to adapt and build resilient fisheries and related livelihoods.

Visit: https://youtu.be/sHbVbjlWl_8 to view the video.

About the project: The Darwin Plus: Overseas Territories Environment and Climate Fund project, Climate change adaptation in the fisheries of Anguilla and Montserrat, aims to mainstream climate change adaptation into fisheries governance and management in Anguilla and Montserrat using an ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF). The project is being implemented by CANARI, the Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources – Anguilla, the Fisheries and Ocean Resources Unit – Montserrat, and the Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies (CERMES) of the University of the West Indies from 2017 – 2020 with total funding of £260,925. See here for more information: http://www.canari.org/climate-change-adaptation-in-the-fisheries-of-anguilla-and-montserrat.

About CANARI: The Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI) is a regional technical non-profit organisation which has been working in the islands of the Caribbean for 30 years. Our mission is to promote equitable participation and effective collaboration in managing natural resources critical to development. Our programmes focus on capacity building, policy planning and development, research, sharing and dissemination of lessons learned, and fostering regional partnerships. See here for more information on CANARI: http://www.canari.org/.