Fishers and seafood businesspeople from the Eastern Caribbean are looking at new opportunities to expand seafood trade after a five-day exchange in Belize that gave them a firsthand look at the country’s lobster industry and fisheries management practices.
According to a Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) release, Jack Spencer and Marcus Spencer of St. Kitts and Nevis, along with Calvin Josiah of St. Martin, visited Belize from September 15–19, 2026. The visit focused on Belize’s lobster industry and opportunities to increase trade in fish and fish products between Belize and the Eastern Caribbean.
The exchange was coordinated by the CRFM and the Caribbean Network of Fisherfolk Organisations (CNFO), with support from Belizean government agencies, fisher cooperatives, conservation partners and local fishers.
The delegation visited the Belize Fishermen Cooperative Association, the National Fishermen Producers Cooperative Society and the Northern Fishermen Cooperative Society, where participants saw how lobster is received, handled, processed and prepared for market.
The programme also included meetings with Belize’s Ministry of the Blue Economy and Belize Fisheries Department, where participants discussed the development of the lobster fishery, management arrangements, legislation, trade requirements, compliance and enforcement.
The exchange later moved offshore, with a field visit to Turneffe Atoll led by the Turneffe Atoll Sustainability Association (TASA), with support from the Belize Fisheries Department, CRFM and Belizean fisher Jason Young.
At Young’s lobster fishing camp, the visitors learned about lobster traps, preparations for the fishing season and the practical realities of running a fishing business. They also visited the Caye Bokel and Calabash Caye co-management sites within the Turneffe Atoll Marine Reserve.
The experience highlighted the role of cooperation between fishers, governments and conservation organisations in managing fisheries resources.
Marcus Spencer said he was impressed by what he saw in Belize.
“The fisheries in Belize are well managed, and I would love for other fishers in the Caribbean to have similar experiences,” he said.
Josiah also pointed to the potential for increased seafood trade between Belize and the Eastern Caribbean, while noting that transportation and logistics will be important to turning commercial interest into sustainable trade.
The delegation expressed hope that the exchange will lead to longer-term cooperation involving Belize and fisheries stakeholders in St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Martin and the wider Caribbean.
The CRFM said the experience demonstrated how fisher-to-fisher, cooperative-to-cooperative and business-to-business exchanges can help strengthen fisheries enterprises, create value-added opportunities and connect seafood producers with markets across the region.
