As 2025 comes to a close, we are taking the time to look back at the milestones achieved throughout the year. Despite the many challenges faced, the year was filled with even more reasons to celebrate. Below are some of the major highlights throughout the year!
January
Phase 2 of the Shellcatch Electronic Monitoring System (EMS) program was rolled out, furthering the Division's mission to enhance fisheries data collection, compliance, and traceability within the industry.
Vessel Monitoring Technician Olushola King (left) and Alfredo Sfeir of Shellcatch (right)
February
The Sustainable Fisheries Management and Development Bill, 2025 and the Sustainable Fisheries Management and Development (Seafood Markets and Businesses) Bill, 2025 were debated and passed in parliament. The legislation covers a wide spectrum of areas to support fisheries governance and an adaptive co-management approach, marking a major win for the sustainability of the fishing industry.
In the same month, the BFD also hosted its largest Agrofest exhibition to date, titles Fishing Into The Future, complete with showcases of the new technologies being deployed across the sector such as EMS and Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS), and educational materials on marine species. Valued partners such as Adam's Aquafarm, Shorelinez, the Barbados Game Fishing Association (BGFA), and the Barbados Marine Spatial Plan were also present.
There was heavy foot-traffic during the Division's exhibit at Agrofest.
March
The Barbados Marine Spatial Plan concluded its first cetacean survey in collaboration with the Caribbean Cetacean Society. Kyle Foster and Jalisa King of the BFD took part in the survey, discovering the presence of a local pod of bottlenose dolphins and two sperm whales.
Fisheries Biologist Jalisa King working the hydrophone (left), and Fisheries Data Analyst Kyle foster as he snapped a shot of a bottlenose dolphin during the cetacean survey (right).
April
The 2025 Republic Bank Sir Charles Williams International Tournament, the BGFA's largest tournament of the year, saw a group of black, female anglers, known as the Ebony Anglers, participate in the tournament. This representation was a major milestone given that the tournament is predominantly male. The Ebony Anglers also hosted a Junior Anglers Camp, imbuing twenty-two children between the ages of two and thirteen years old with the fundamentals of fishing. As it is the Division's mission to attract youth to the fishing industry, the camp was of great significance.
Picture 1: from left to right, Tiana Davis, Gia Peebles, Lesleigh Mausi, and Glenda Turner of the Ebony Anglers.
May
The 12th of May saw the Sustainable Fisheries Management and Development bill and its sister bill, Sustainable Fisheries Management and Development (Seafood Markets and Businesses), were officially gazetted, becoming Acts. This legislative reform will uplift the profile of the sector and highlight its importance to blue economy development and the national identity of Barbadians. Aspirations to become 'World-Class' can become reality through the effective implementation of the new legislative framework which aims to realize the highest level the potential of the Barbados’ fisheries sector and chart the way forward to sustainable development.
Landmark Fisheries Legislation officially Gazetted
June
June was easily the Division's busiest month. The month-long 2025 Barbados Fisherfolk Festival hosted celebrations at several landing sites across the island. Simultaneously, a ministry-wide Research Frontiers Symposium was planned and executed, featuring twenty-two presentations by government agencies, academia, and non-gonvernmental organizations. The Summer Internship was also launched, with 10 students enrolled in the 2025 cohort.
July
The 1st of July was the one-year anniversary of the passage of Hurricane Beryl. Today, through a continued collaboration of public and private sector funding, the fishing industry is on its way to being more resilient than ever before.
July also saw the successful training in Seafood Safety and Quality Assurance for Fisherfolk in Public Seafood Markets and Onboard Commercial fishing vessels. Over 250 persons successfully completed the course.
August
The BFD hosted a mock trial simulation titled "Size Matters: Do You Measure Up?" to address catch sizes of dolphinfish and the strict liability penal provisions which are created by the Act and Sustainable Fisheries Management and Development Regulations, 2025 (“the Regulations”). The event was a major success, fueling wider discussions and educating the public on the new regulations in an interesting manner.
Additionally, the Barbados Marine Spatial Plan, in partnership with the Irish Marine Institute, the Research Vessel Celtic Explorer begun a five-year journey of undertaking a bathymetric survey of Barbados' entire Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), a journey which our Jalisa King was a part of.
At the end of the Mock Trial Simulation, all of those who took part gathered at the front to be recognized (left). | Jalisa King aboard the RV Celtic Explorer pointing to the display monitors for the bathymetric equipment (right).
At the end of August, the Division hosted a fisheries-focused Disaster Response Tabletop Exercise in collaboration with Ms. Shonda Gibbs, MSc. Natural Resource and Environmental Management student at UWI-CERMES. The exercise which was held on 29 August 2025, simulated a scenario of an impending system approaching Barbados.
September
During the month of September, the Regional Security System (RSS) and the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism collaborated to conduct the RSS' Fisheries Prosecution and Interdiction course in Barbados. This served to train law enforcement and fisheries officers in the detection, investigation, and prosecution of Illegal, Unregulated, and Unreported (IUU) fishing. Two officers from the Barbados Fisheries Division - Tonya Ifill and Makayla Williams - took part in the training, helping to boost the Division's knowledge on techniques for the preparation of Trial Proceedings for fisheries-related offences should the need arise.
October
October saw a large collaboration amongst the Barbados Port Inc., Barbados Coast Guard, Marine Police, The Black Fin Fleet, the Barbados National Union of Fisherfolk Organisations (BARNUFO), the University of the West Indies Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies (UWI-CERMES), and the Barbados Fisheries Division (BFD) to conduct BLUE HAVEN – the Hurricane Maritime Evacuation and Casualty Response Simulation. The simulation was successful in helping all relevant parties to prepare for the worst, seeing as climate change will continue to increase the frequency and intensity of hurricanes in the coming years.
One of the vessels being relocated by the marine travel lift (left) | BFD's Dock Master McAndrew Ottley giving the group a briefing before the start of the exercise (right).
At the end of October, The Division participated in the 78th Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute Annual Conference. One of the presentations was delivered by Daniel Gibbs on the Current Status of the Sport Fishery in Barbados.
November
The BFD successfully installed 100 Vessel Monitoring Systems across the fleet, which was a significant milestone for the fisheries sector Barbados as it charted the way forward to a sustainable recovery post Beryl. This growing coverage will significantly promote maritime safety and support data driven solutions to inform decision making.
The Division also collaborated with the Coastal Zone Management Unit to host Blue Fest, a week-long event highlighting the importance of the ocean for all Barbadian people.
Olushola King as he installs a VMS (left) | From left to right: Olushola King, Shonee Howell, Anij Brewster, and Kyle Foster as they participate in BlueFest's Lionfish Derby (right).
The second REBYC-III CLME+ Project Gear Technology Workshop was held during 3- 7 November 2025. The workshop was led by Dr. Antonello Sala of the National Research Council (CNR), which trained Fisheries staff on the analyses required to discern the results of the experimental fishing exercise conducted in October.
In November, steady progress on the repairs to the breakwater at the Bridgetown Fisheries Complex continued with armoured stone securely placed at the head of the structure.
The 2025 Brian Manning Memorial Billfish Tournament took place over the weekend of 14th-16th of November. While all boats fished valiantly, these were the three which came out on top: coming in third place was the boat Carib Girl, Legacy took second place, and Wicked Tuna took the lionshare of the winnings after they earned first place.
December
The year closed out with the "Evidence-based Climate Action through Artificial Intelligence and Data Innovation for Caribbean SIDS" project, with the intention of enhancing Barbados' ability to monitor and analyze the greenhouse gas emissions of vessels in maritime transport, trade, and fisheries. The workshop was the first step towards ensuring enhanced data availability and stronger linkages and data-sharing between agencies in order to tackle the reduction of GHG emissions from ocean-based economic activities, in particular maritime transport and fishery, and the protection and restoration of coastal ecosystems.
Ending on a high note, during the Lawrence Worrell Memorial Wahoo Shoot Out #1 on December 6th, Chief Fisheries Officer, Dr. Shelly-Ann Cox, won the prize for Best Female Angler, landing a wahoo weighing 31.1 lbs!
On the 22nd December, team members from the Division delivered gifts to the children in the Pile Bay Area as part of our annual Christmas Gift Drive
