A new home for the Castries Fishermen’s Cooperative Society was commissioned earlier this week, signaling a new era for the organisation and its membership.

The overarching aim of Castries Fishermen’s Co-op is to improve the livelihoods of its member fishers and that of the Castries fishing community, while promoting the sustainable use of marine resources, contribute to food and nutrition security, and economic and social developments.

President of the Castries Fishermen’s Cooperative, Thaddeus Augustin said it is time for the entity’s membership to step into the future and play a greater role in their development and safety—particularly while out at sea. Three critical areas were singled out for focus this year, namely, capacity building, policy advocacy, and policy engagement.

Minister with responsibility for the island’s fisheries development, Hon. Ezechiel Joseph, in applauding the latest achievement of the Castries Fishermen’s Cooperative Society, insists that the organisation’s vigour in attending to the needs of its membership is seen by his ministry’s leaders as commitment to further exploration of interventions to enhance the potential of the national fisheries economy.

Developing the capacity and knowledge base of its members to manage successful fisheries operations, and to participate in sustainable fisheries governance and management at all levels are some of the areas to receive attention for 2020.