The Future of Caribbean Fishing Amid Climate Change

Saint Lucia and the Caribbean region has historically been an idyllic and enticing place. Not only is the fishing terrific but the tropical climate and culture lure people from around the world. For keen fishers especially, the Caribbean can deliver anglers an ‘all in one’ package of great fishing, beautiful weather and first class holiday amenities. 

But today, challenges are bearing down on the industry unlike anything the fishing tourism industry has experienced prior. As with any shift in the landscape, many professionals and entrepreneurs will find avenues to pivot their businesses, and even identify new opportunities among them. But doing this requires a clear recognition of the road that lies ahead.

Fishing in the Caribbean Throughout the Years

Given the longstanding presence of fishing throughout the Caribbean, many may think the trials and tribulations the industry has faced in recent years has been a modern issue. Yet the data bears out the reality. Between 1994 and 2014 alone, regional fishing production declined by 40 per cent among the Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS). In that same period, a UN report into The Sustainable Intensification of Caribbean Fisheries and Aquaculture found 55 per cent of SIDS’ fishing grounds were overexploited — among the highest rate in the world. 

Promising inroads have been made with the fostering of aquaculture throughout the SIDS states, but the overarching issue of climate change and growing impact on the Caribbean family’s day-to-day life has redefined the playing field. For small businesses that operate outside commercial fishing, recent years have seen especially difficult challenges. 

A Sinking Feeling

For many fishing businesses that depend on the tourism dollar, a depletion in fishing stocks can deal a savage blow to profitability from one season to the next. But just as dolphin and whale sightseeing tours cannot guarantee that the mammals will be spotted on each and every trip, fishing businesses cannot guarantee that tourists will catch fish. Yet when a depletion of fish stocks occurs, it can create a backlog of tourists, adding to the operations costs of a fishing business without providing new income. This as many fishing providers, if no fish are caught on a client’s initial trip, offer a complimentary journey (or more) until the customer does receive a good outcome. At worst, discerning tourists will have read beforehand the state of the fishing in the local waters, and decided to avoid altogether going on a trip. 

A Shared Responsibility

In this scenario it is not hard to have a sympathetic interpretation for local tourism operators; certainly, the disruption faced by many, through no fault of their own, warrants it. A key frustration is not only the occurrence of climate change but the necessity of a truly global approach to effectively combat it — something that for many years has been elusive.    

Equally, the other factors that impact the industry need to be acknowledged, as well as the role that fishing itself can play in this. That is why the rise of sustainable fishing has become such an important movement in recent years. The concept is not new, nor those who dismiss it as needless. All the way back in 1883 the English biologist Thomas Huxley gave an address in London that decried the notion of sustainable fishing on the basis that “all the great sea fisheries are inexhaustible”. But climate change is just one threat to Caribbean fishing in the future. It is indeed the key one, but cannot be permitted to overshadow any and all others. 

The exploitation and exhaustion of local fishing grounds becomes more consequential in the face of growing demand in years ahead as Earth’s population is predicted to be over 9 billion by 2050. But that demand can only be met if existing fisheries and maritime ecosystems sustain into the future. Just as everyone has a role to play in ensuring that the fishing industry sustains, so too does the fishing industry have a responsibility to prevent a rise in overfishing and eradication of marine habitats.

One Day at a Time, with Hope Ahead

For Caribbean fishing businesses (and all others which have a livelihood linked to effective action on climate change), recent years have placed hurdles in their path that could only be defined as infuriating. Major causes and blame may lie beyond the region but locals must confront the challenges. The owner of a fishing business operating today would be forgiven for having a cynical outlook surrounding the long-term future of its operations. 

Despite this, there is hope in the road ahead. Recent times have seen millenials in a number of nations around the world begin to challenge older generations for the title of the biggest voting bloc in elections. While climate change is certainly an intergenerational issue, it is millennials who are regularly recorded as harbouring the greatest concern about it, and desire for action on it. This increasingly places pressure on politicians near and far who have previously dragged their feet. 

Strong, new action will not occur immediately but it looks more promising day by day, and year by year. In the meantime, the continued progress of aquaculture and supporting initiatives offers an avenue to ensure that even if enduring solutions are not available today, options do exist to sustain and resist the worst effects of climate change. Undoubtedly this is a bruising and dispiriting era for fishing businesses, but there is also room for optimism about the next era, and how it may just arrive sooner than expected.