Anguilla 
Antigua and Barbuda 
Grenada 
Bahamas 
Barbados 
Belize 
Dominica 
Guyana 
Haiti 
Jamaica 
Montserrat 
St. Kitts and Nevis 
St. Lucia 
St. Vincent and the Grenadines 
Suriname 
Trinidad and Tobago 
Turks and Caicos 
Inventory of Marine Fish and Aquaculture Factory Processing Establishment in CRFM Member States
Sandra C. Grant*, Adele Ramos, June Masters, and Pamela A. Gibson
Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism Secretariat, Belize.
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
*, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
ABSTRACT
To understand the factory fish processing industry in the Caribbean, the CRFM/CARICOM Fisheries and Aquaculture Priority Commodity Working Group (FISHCOM WG) developed tools to gather information on the industry to: (i) generate a listing of processing establishments in the CRFM Member States with contact information; (ii) understand the nature of their activities (what they process, type of processing/value-addition, level of trade); and (iii) identify challenges and opportunities experienced by fish processors. Data collection and assessments were done between April and August 2022, and all analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics 26.
Altogether, 216 marine fish and aquaculture factory processing establishments were identified: 179 marine fish processors and 37 aquaculture processors. Generally, fish factory processing establishments in CRFM Member States were involved in processing and preparing frozen whole/fillet fish and chilled fresh fish. They provide diverse goods and services ranging from purchasing varied species of wild-caught marine fish from fishermen, fresh aquaculture products from farms, or frozen imported fish, to processing and selling on the domestic and/or export markets.
Networks and communication are key to strengthening the processors group. The CRFM developed a webpage with a Contact Management System for Processors, which will allow processors and other interested parties to search for information and develop networks between individuals/countries. Also, the CRFM/IICA Fisheries Food Safety Hub was developed to strengthen the SPS capacity in the fisheries sector across the Caribbean. The Hub has over 100 documents including manuals, PowerPoint presentations, videos, and other items on health checks and certification, capacity building resources across the value chain, and general information on food safety.
HOW TO CITE: Grant, S.C., A. Ramos, J. Masters, and P. A. Gibson, 2026. Inventory of Marine Fish and Aquaculture Factory Processing Establishments in CRFM Member States. Contribution 1.4, p33-46 IN CRFM, 2026. Volume I: Technical Papers. Presented at the CRFM 20th Anniversary Scientific Conference, 28-31 August 2023 . CRFM Special Publication No. 37, CRFM Secretariat https://www.crfm.int/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=898
There is no PowerPoint or video for this paper.
FULL SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATION
Download CRFM Special Publication No. 37:
Proceedings of the CRFM 20th Anniversary Scientific Conference
KEY LINKS
Scientific Conference Home Page
Scientific Conference Proceedings Page
Explore all 20th Anniversary Scientific Papers
NOTE
If you have challenges accessing or downloading documents in this series, please email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , copied to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , or call us at +501-223-4443. Some browsers do not properly load Google Drive documents, so if you have challenges accessing the PowerPoint slides or the full special publication, try switching to another browser such as Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge.
