POLICYMAKERS, fisherfolk, researchers, businesses and coastal communities across the Caribbean now have access to a new digital platform designed to strengthen sustainable marine development and support evidence-based decision-making throughout the region’s blue economy.
The Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF), officially launched the BE-CLME+ Knowledge Management Platform on June 8, creating a centralised repository of information on fisheries, aquaculture and marine spatial planning.
The open-access, multilingual platform serves as a permanent digital home for decades of regional knowledge, data, policy tools, best practices and technical resources generated through the BE-CLME+ Project and the work of participating countries, including Barbados, Belize, Guyana, Jamaica, Panama and Saint Lucia.
Officials said the initiative is a major outcome of the Global Environment Facility (GEF)-funded BE-CLME+ Project, which focuses on advancing national blue economy priorities through marine spatial planning within the Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem.
CRFM Executive Director Dr. Marc Williams described the platform as a significant step toward making critical information more accessible to those who depend on it.
“The BE-CLME+ Knowledge Management Hub represents a decisive shift from critical information that has been siloed, to knowledge that is accessible, and owned by the people who need it most,” Williams said.
He noted that the platform was designed to serve a broad range of users, including small-scale fishers, seafood processors, traders, young people considering careers in the fisheries sector, Indigenous communities, academics and government policymakers.
The digital hub organises technical reports, policy briefs, fact sheets and multimedia resources across seven thematic areas. Users can search and filter information by topic and access an artificial intelligence-powered assistant known as “Ask BE-CLME,” available in both English and Spanish, to help navigate the platform’s resources.
According to the organisers, the platform provides governments with a consolidated evidence base to guide marine spatial planning, strengthen fisheries policies and attract investment in blue economy industries.
FAO Sub-Regional Coordinator for the Caribbean, Dr. Renata Clarke, said the initiative addresses a long-standing challenge in the region, where valuable research and technical information often remain underutilised despite its potential to inform decision-making.
“The importance of this platform cannot be overstated,” Clarke said, noting that it will help unlock decades of knowledge and make it available to practitioners working to improve outcomes for coastal communities.
The launch comes amid growing recognition of the economic importance of the Caribbean’s marine resources. According to the CRFM Statistics and Information Report 2021/2022, fisheries and related industries support more than half a million jobs across the region and generate over US$200 million in annual exports.
CAF Principal Executive Erick Castro said the platform represents an investment in knowledge, governance and institutional capacity that will help countries make informed decisions and promote sustainable economic growth.
“Advancing a sustainable blue economy requires long-term investment in knowledge, governance, and human capital,” Castro said. “This platform transforms regional knowledge into a shared asset that will continue to generate blue value over time.”
Officials also emphasised that the platform is intended to support greater value addition within the seafood industry. While the Caribbean possesses some of the world’s most biodiverse marine ecosystems, much of the region’s seafood continues to be exported as raw products, limiting opportunities for job creation and economic growth.
The platform seeks to address this challenge by providing businesses and stakeholders with access to market intelligence, certification pathways, training resources and information on seafood standards that can help make sustainable seafood production more competitive and profitable.
Since its launch in 2023, the BE-CLME+ Project has focused on promoting sustainable fisheries management, protecting marine biodiversity, improving livelihoods and strengthening the integration of fisheries and ecosystem management across participating countries.
Organisers say the new knowledge hub will ensure that the information and lessons generated through the project remain accessible long after the initiative concludes, helping to guide the future development of the Caribbean’s blue economy.