The fishing community on Monday joined family, friends, uniformed organisations and government officials in paying a final farewell to Chief Fisheries Officer Dr Shelly-Ann Cox, who was remembered as a visionary and transformative leader with a legacy that will endure for generations.
A full salute as the fishing community bade their final farewell. (Photo Credit: Lourianne Graham)
Mother of Dr Cox, Faith Cox and sister embrace following the funeral service. (Photo Credit: Lourianne Graham)
The 38-year-old died suddenly while presenting prizes at a fishing event in Weston, St James, on June 13. She became chief fisheries officer in early January 2023, becoming the youngest person to hold the post and only the second woman in the Caribbean Community to do so.
Prime Minister Mia Mottley. (Photo Credit: Lourianne Graham)
At an official funeral service at the Wildey Gymnasium attended by family, friends, and government officials, Prime Minister Mia Mottley told mourners that Dr Cox died while serving the very community to which she had dedicated her career:
“She did not observe from a distance. She was serving. She was giving. Right there.”
While Dr Cox’s life had been tragically cut short, her contribution to the nation would be remembered for years to come, Mottley declared:
“We will always wish that she had more time. But let us also remember that a life cut short is not a life of no consequence. Her life was short, but her contribution was not small. It was great. Her example will not only endure. It will inspire.
“I want her family to know, from you she went to give time to others, from you she took that time to live out her purpose. I need you to know that this nation benefited from her sojourn, this nation benefited from her example.”
Mottley recalled first meeting Dr Cox through the Future Barbados programme, where she immediately stood out as a young woman with purpose and leadership qualities.
“We wanted to create something that would give our young people opportunity to express themselves, to learn, to share and to drag us into the future with them. Shelly was part of that first cohort. Her purpose that very first day at Ilaro Court became absolutely clear to me.”
When the time came to appoint a chief fisheries officer, the prime minister had every confidence that Dr Cox was the right person for the job, she said.
“Shelly did not disappoint. She excelled. She had the mind of a scholar, the instincts of a practitioner, but above all else, the heart of someone who cared.”
Dr Cox was praised for possessing a rare ability to combine academic excellence with an understanding of the everyday realities facing fisherfolk:
“The scholarship never separated her from people. She understood the policy, but she understood the reality of the work in the market.”
This quality was evident in Dr Cox’s work on the Barbados Fisheries Policy and the Sustainable Fisheries Management and Development Act, said the prime minister.
“It was probably her management of the complex Sustainable Fisheries Management and Development Act of 2025 that we saw her amazing skills and her capacity to bring vision into life, dotting every ‘i’ and crossing every ‘t’. Very often you do not find that capacity for vision married with that capacity for detail.”
Mottley also reflected on Dr Cox’s leadership following Hurricane Beryl’s devastation of the Bridgetown Fisheries Complex in July 2024, recalling repeated visits to the facility, where Dr Cox was focused on restoring an industry on which hundreds of Barbadians depended:
“Shelley’s unflappable stance ensured that even when fishermen, those depending on the industry, panicked, hers was a steady voice. That’s remarkable for someone so young, but with a clear, clear mission.”
Mottley said Barbados fully understood the magnitude of its loss: “We know what we have lost.”
That recollection was echoed in an earlier tribute by friend and colleague Nikola Simpson-Kellman, who said Hurricane Beryl was one of the few times she ever saw Dr Cox overcome by emotion:
“Almost always had a smile on her face; even when she was facing challenges, she was inspired and gifted and guided. The only time that I ever saw Shelley crying was just after Hurricane Beryl, when the complex was a scene of utter devastation and heartbreak. Perhaps this was the last time, up until a month ago, that many in this room, including the fisherfolk in front of me, felt this way.”
Addressing Dr Cox’s son, Shay Ocean Cox, Mottley said although no words could replace the loss of his mother, he should always remember how highly she was regarded.
“You must know that your mother served this country greatly. You must know her work has been spoken of with pride.”
She challenged members of the Fisheries Division and the wider fishing community to continue the work Dr Cox had started:
“As I indicated, her work was not over, and the greatest tribute we can pay to her is to build out that vision.”
Friend and colleague Damien Prescod described Dr Cox as an exceptional public servant whose passion for the ocean fuelled her determination to transform Barbados’ fisheries:
“Within the span of three years, Shelly and her A-Team revitalised the local fisheries sector. One only had to enter the halls of the Fisheries Division since she assumed the role of Chief Fisheries Officer to feel the renewed sense of purpose and contagious energy that emanated from personnel within the various departments.”
Prescod said Dr Cox invested in those around her and believed everyone deserved an opportunity to grow.
“She met them where they were at and provided them with the tools to evolve and elevate professionally. No one was left behind.”
He recalled a relentless work ethic, saying she was often sending messages to colleagues before dawn. When he once asked where she found the energy, her answer was always the same:
“If we don’t do it, who will?”
Prescod also credited Dr Cox with championing science-based fisheries management, advancing work on the use of sargassum seaweed, promoting opportunities for women and young people in the industry, and leading its recovery following Hurricane Beryl.
While her passing left a void that would never be filled, her vision must live on, he said.
“There will never be another you, and this space will never be the same. However, the mission continues. We will honour your legacy and do our best so that the shared vision of world-class transformation continues, rooted in deep collaboration.”
Simpson-Kellman also urged colleagues to continue carrying Dr Cox’s legacy forward while remembering the friend she had been to so many:
“We are forever grateful and privileged to have been in your physical presence. As you would often say to me on our birthdays, friends like you are the greatest gift. Shelly, you were and are the greatest gift to so many.”
(LG)
