Director-General visits Bridgetown Fishing Complex and interacts with local fisherfolk in Barbados

Bridgetown, Barbados- The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, met and interacted with local fisherfolk and women of the Central Fish Processors Association, during his visit to the Bridgetown Fishing Complex in Barbados. The Director-General was accompanied by The Honorable Adrian Forde, Minister for the Environment and National Beautification, Green and Blue Economy of Barbados.

As part of his agenda during his first visit to the Caribbean, the Director-General learned about the details of the implementation of a FAO supported fish silage project. This initiative aims to assist women working in the small-scale fisheries to generate an alternative source of income through the production of animal feed derived from the fish silage. Transforming fish waste into valuable resources with potential for income streams is critical to empowering women and bolstering the spirit of entrepreneurship.

Qu said that “the circular economy is ideal in Barbados as you have sugar cane. You have the residue from the sugar cane, which you can compost to make organic fertilizer and use it to grow vegetables, and you can mix it in with manure. So that's another cycle”.

The fish silage project is part of the initiative Promoting the circular economy in fisheries value chains to support sustainable livelihoods, and seeks to generate alternative measures to promote food and nutrition security while reducing imports of feed and fertilizers, for example.

Qu also saw the process for preparing and processing fresh tuna fish for export.

Minister Adrian Forde said that he was “happy to be part of something like this; something great that we are doing as it relates to a circular economy and ensuring there is sustainable development of our fisherfolk.”