Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism

What Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism does

The Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) is an intergovernmental organization of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) established in 2002 and headquartered in Belize City, Belize. It serves as the designated Competent Agency for the Caribbean Community Common Fisheries Policy (CCCFP), coordinating fisheries and aquaculture policy across 17 Member States: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and Turks and Caicos Islands. The organization is governed by a Ministerial Council of fisheries ministers, with a Secretariat of approximately 15 staff executing technical advisory, capacity building, and regional coordination mandates for fisheries, aquaculture, blue economy, climate adaptation, and IUU fishing combat.

CRFM's technology footprint consists of a suite of public-facing knowledge management platforms rather than commercial software products. These include the CRFM Portal (member access to datasets and documents), the BE Hub (Blue Economy Knowledge Hub), the Food Safety Hub (SPS measures for fisheries), the Digital Aquaculture Library (launched 2023), the STAR-Fish eLibrary (renewable energy in fisheries), and an Industry Directory. Backed by a small Secretariat, CRFM implements donor-funded projects such as the Global Affairs Canada-funded STAR-Fish initiative, the New Zealand MFAT-funded Sargassum Products for Climate Resilience Project, the EU's ACP Fish II and EU-EPA SPS programs, and JICA-supported CARIFICO, producing statistical reports, scientific publications, and policy frameworks.

CRFM operates as a non-profit intergovernmental organization with no commercial pricing model. Revenue is comprised of annual member state contributions from 17 CARICOM governments and project-based funding from international development partners including Global Affairs Canada, New Zealand MFAT, the European Union, Norway, Japan/JICA, FAO, and the Caribbean Development Bank. The customer base is structurally concentrated — 17 member state governments are the primary clients — with secondary beneficiaries including regional fisherfolk organizations (notably CNFO), fish processors and exporters, and ultimately Caribbean consumers facing a regional food import bill exceeding US$13 billion.

Name

Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism

Legal name

Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism

Website

https://crfm.int

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) is a CARICOM intergovernmental organization coordinating fisheries, aquaculture, and blue economy policy across 17 Caribbean Member States through a Secretariat in Belize City, funded by member contributions and international donor projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Belize City

HQ country

Belize

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Member State Contributions: Annual contributions from 17 CARICOM Member States to fund organizational operations and programs
2. International Development Partner Funding: Funding from international donors including Global Affairs Canada (STAR-Fish), New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Sargassum Project), European Union (ACP Fish II, EU-EPA SPS), Norway, Japan/JICA, FAO, and others for specific projects and technical assistance
3. Resource Mobilization: Systematic resource mobilization strategy to secure predictable, coordinated funding from development partners to support CRFM's work program

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The CRFM is an intergovernmental organization of CARICOM that promotes the sustainable use of marine and aquatic resources through regional fisheries management, aquaculture development, and blue economy coordination across 17 member states. It provides technical advisory services, policy coordination, scientific research dissemination, and capacity building to national fisheries authorities, alongside operating knowledge management platforms such as the CRFM Portal, BE Hub, Digital Aquaculture Library, Food Safety Hub, STAR-Fish eLibrary, and Industry Directory.

Product overview

The Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) is an inter-governmental organization of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) that serves as the primary regional body for fisheries and aquaculture management across 17 Caribbean nations. The CRFM does not offer a commercial software product; instead, it provides a suite of public-facing information platforms, knowledge management systems, and resource repositories. These include the CRFM Portal (member access), the BE Hub for blue economy knowledge, the Digital Aquaculture Library (2023), the STAR-Fish eLibrary, a Food Safety Hub, and an Industry Directory. The organization also produces statistical reports, scientific publications, policy documents, and technical advisory resources. Additionally, the CRFM implements major regional projects including the STAR-Fish renewable energy initiative, the Sargassum Products for Climate Resilience project, and the BE-CLME+ blue economy initiative.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CRFM Portal A secure portal for CRFM member access to documents, datasets, and fisheries management resources for 17 CARICOM member states and their national fisheries authorities.
• BE Hub (Blue Economy Knowledge Hub) A knowledge management platform under the BE-CLME+ Project that connects policymakers, fisherfolk, private sector, and communities with blue economy knowledge and resources across the Caribbean region.
• Digital Aquaculture Library A comprehensive online platform launched in 2023 serving as a registry for regulators, managers, aquaculturists, and funding agencies in the Caribbean region, facilitating exchange of information, best practices, training programs, and technical know-how among CARICOM countries.
• STAR-Fish eLibrary An electronic library under the Sustainable Technologies for Adaptation and Resilience in Fisheries (STAR-Fish) project containing resources and information on renewable energy and energy efficiency in Caribbean fisheries.
• Food Safety Hub An online resource hub for sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures and food safety information for fisheries in the CARIFORUM region, supporting export market access for fish processors.
• Industry Directory A directory of fisheries-related establishments and businesses across the Caribbean region, hosted on Notion.
• Regional Fisheries Technical Advisory Services Technical advisory and consultative services delivering fisheries management, aquaculture development, climate resilience, IUU fishing combat, and SPS compliance support to national fisheries authorities of 17 CARICOM member states.
• Ministerial Council Meetings and Caribbean Fisheries Forum Coordination Biannual Ministerial Council meetings of Ministers responsible for fisheries from 17 member states and the Caribbean Fisheries Forum, the primary technical deliberative body bringing together Directors of Fisheries and Chief Fisheries Officers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Trade deficit reduction target of US$78 million through Vision 25 by 2030 initiative
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 September 2025First bilateral accord signed between CRFM and OECS in September 2025, formalizing cooperation in fisheries governance, blue economy development, marine spatial planning, climate resilience, safety at sea programs, insurance products for fishers, fisheries research, and youth/women empowerment in the fisheries value chain. The MoU spans 2025-2028.
• University of the West Indies (UWI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 September 20255-year MoU signed for educational and academic collaboration in blue economy development, marine spatial planning, climate change adaptation, ecosystems resilience, and resource mobilization. To be executed through UWI Five Islands Campus in Antigua and Barbuda, with support from Centre of Excellence for Oceanography and the Blue Economy (COBE).
• Caribbean Community Climate Change CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to build a stronger, climate-ready Caribbean through joint initiatives on climate resilience and fisheries adaptation.
• Plant & Food Research (New Zealand)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew Zealand Crown Research Institute collaborating with CRFM on the Sargassum Products for Climate Resilience Project to develop liquid fertilizers and compost from Sargassum seaweed.
• University of the West Indies - Cave Hill CampusmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTechnical partner providing research support for producing liquid fertilizers from Sargassum under the Sargassum Products for Climate Resilience Project.
• Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI)majorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTechnical partner conducting farmer surveys and greenhouse trials for Sargassum-derived fertilizers under the Sargassum Products for Climate Resilience Project.
• Caribbean Network of Fisherfolk Organisations (CNFO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional network of fisherfolk organizations partnered with CRFM on Small-Scale Fisheries Action Plan 2023-2025 to contribute to Vision 25 by 2030 food import reduction target.
• Norway (Norwegian Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnical cooperation under CARICOM-Nordic MOU signed 2016, focusing on fisheries research, data collection, resource management, aquaculture development, and potential deployment of research vessel Dr. Fridtjof Nansen.
• FAO / UN Food and Agriculture OrganizationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing collaboration on fisheries management, aquaculture development, climate change, SPS standards, and FAO-led studies including 2022 aquaculture sector assessment.
• CARICOMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCRFM is an intergovernmental CARICOM institution. Works with CARICOM Secretariat on Vision 25 by 2030, Common Fisheries Policy, and regional agricultural initiatives.
• Blue Justice InitiativemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal initiative CRFM participates in to combat fisheries-related crimes including IUU fishing and transnational organized crime in the fishing industry.
• Blue Justice Caribbean HubmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional hub based in Jamaica supporting CRFM and Caribbean countries in addressing fisheries-related crimes.
• CARICOM IMPACSmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCaribbean Community Implementing Agency for Crime and Security partnered with CRFM on addressing fisheries-related crimes.
• Auxilium WorldwideminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner with CRFM on interventions related to fisheries-related crimes and organized crime in the fishing industry.
• United Nations University (Iceland)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerIceland UNU Project providing training in ocean governance, fisheries management, and related topics for CRFM member state officials.
• Inter-American Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture (IICA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in EU-funded SPS measures project to help CARIFORUM countries introduce food safety legislation and governance.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO): Regional fisheries management organization for the Northwest Atlantic with comparable intergovernmental mandate for conservation, management, and IUU enforcement across member states.
• Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC): Intergovernmental fisheries body serving 11 Southeast Asian member countries with mandate for sustainable fisheries and aquaculture development; comparable scale, mandate, and donor-funded operating model.
• Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC): Regional fisheries management organization under FAO for tuna and large migratory species in the Indian Ocean; comparable intergovernmental governance structure focused on regional stock management.
• Pacific Community (SPC): Intergovernmental organization providing scientific, technical, and policy support across 27 Pacific Island states; its Oceanic Fisheries Programme is structurally analogous to CRFM's fisheries coordination role across 17 Caribbean states.
• Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission (WECAFC): FAO regional fishery body covering the Western Central Atlantic, including many CRFM member states; the closest geographic and functional peer, with overlapping mandate in shared-stock management and capacity building.
• Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA): Regional fisheries body coordinating tuna management and fisheries policy for 17 Pacific Island Forum members; mirrors CRFM's mandate of regional fisheries governance, regulatory coordination, and donor-funded project delivery.

Broad incumbents

• CARICOM Secretariat: CRFM's parent organization and broader Caribbean Community governing body; CRFM operates as a specialized CARICOM institution but is governed within the CARICOM framework, making the Secretariat a structural parent peer.
• Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS): Sub-regional intergovernmental body of 10 Eastern Caribbean states; signed a first bilateral MoU with CRFM in September 2025 covering blue economy, fisheries governance, and climate resilience — direct institutional peer in regional cooperation.
• FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department: Global UN body providing fisheries policy, technical assistance, and standards; CRFM both partners with FAO and operates as a regional implementing layer of FAO's global fisheries mandate.

Regional players

• Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC): Regional fisheries management organization for tuna in the Eastern Pacific; comparable intergovernmental fisheries governance model, though operating in a different ocean basin from CRFM's Atlantic/Caribbean focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xlinktr.ee/thecrfm
• YouTubeyoutube.com/TheCRFM
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/caribbean-regional-fisheries-mechanism

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism