Introduction: Why Change is Needed

Across the Caribbean, fisheries and aquaculture play a vital role in food security, employment, and coastal livelihoods. Yet the sector remains highly dependent on fossil fuels, exposing fishers, processors, and aquaculture operators to volatile energy prices, supply disruptions, and increasing climate-related risks.

Recognizing these challenges, the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), with support from the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada, launched the Sustainable Technologies for Adaptation and Resilience in Fisheries (STAR-Fish) Project. The initiative seeks to support a transition towards cleaner, more resilient, and more inclusive fisheries systems across eight Caribbean countries.

While much attention is often placed on physical investments and technology deployment, successful transformation begins long before equipment is installed. It requires strong institutions, evidence-based planning, stakeholder engagement, and a clear understanding of the social, environmental, and economic realities facing the sector.

The first phase of STAR-Fish has therefore focused on creating the foundations necessary to support meaningful and sustainable change.

Building the Enabling Environment for Change

Transforming energy use within fisheries and aquaculture requires more than identifying suitable technologies. It requires governance systems capable of supporting implementation, accountability mechanisms that ensure transparency, and processes that enable participation by those most affected by the transition.

During its initial years, STAR-Fish established the management, oversight, monitoring, and safeguards systems needed to guide implementation across eight participating countries. These systems now provide a framework for consistently and transparently planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating future investments.

Emphasis has been placed on environmental and social safeguards, ensuring that proposed interventions are environmentally responsible, socially inclusive, and responsive to stakeholder concerns. The project has also introduced mechanisms to support stakeholder participation and grievance management, helping to strengthen accountability throughout implementation.

Taken together, these efforts provide a strong institutional platform for future renewable energy and low-carbon fisheries interventions.

Putting People at the Centre of the Energy Transition

The transition to cleaner energy systems is not only a technical challenge; it is also a social one.

Across the Caribbean, women and men often participate differently within fisheries and aquaculture value chains. Women are frequently concentrated in post-harvest processing, marketing, and supporting roles, while remaining underrepresented in decision-making and access to productive assets.

Recognizing this reality, STAR-Fish has embedded gender equality and the facilitation of a just transition as a core element of project implementation rather than treating it as a standalone activity.

Through regional and national assessments, stakeholder consultations, and targeted capacity-building initiatives, the project has worked to better understand how energy transition opportunities and challenges may affect different groups. This process has informed the development of Gender Action Plans and practical recommendations aimed at ensuring that women, men, and youth can participate equitably in the benefits generated through renewable energy investments.

By placing social inclusion at the centre of project planning, STAR-Fish is helping to ensure that the transition to cleaner energy strengthens livelihoods while reducing existing inequalities.

Generating the Evidence for Investment

A key challenge facing the fisheries sector is the limited availability of information needed to guide investment decisions.

Questions such as where renewable energy technologies can provide the greatest benefit, which fisheries offer the strongest opportunities for low-carbon development, and what financing mechanisms are most appropriate for small-scale operators require careful analysis.

STAR-Fish has therefore invested heavily in generating the evidence base required to support future action. Ongoing assessments are examining fisheries and aquaculture value chains, evaluating renewable energy opportunities, identifying barriers to adoption, and exploring pathways for low-carbon fisheries certification.

These studies will provide governments, financial institutions, development partners, and fisheries stakeholders with practical information to support future investments and policy development.

Building Partnerships Across the Region

Regional transformation cannot be achieved by any single institution.

The STAR-Fish approach recognizes that lasting change requires collaboration among governments, fisheries authorities, fisherfolk organizations, development partners, academic institutions, financial institutions, and private sector actors.

Over the past two years, the project has established and strengthened relationships with stakeholders across participating countries, creating opportunities for dialogue, knowledge sharing, and collective problem-solving.

These partnerships will become increasingly important as the project moves from assessment and planning toward implementation and demonstration activities.

Looking Ahead

With the foundations now in place, STAR-Fish is entering an important new phase.

Over the coming years, the project will support the identification and implementation of renewable energy solutions, advance low-carbon fisheries initiatives, strengthen awareness and technical capacity, and work with stakeholders to unlock investment opportunities that support a resilient and sustainable future for Caribbean fisheries and aquaculture.

The lessons emerging from this work will not only benefit participating countries but will also contribute to broader regional efforts to address climate change, improve energy security, and strengthen sustainable blue economy development.