Sustainable Fisheries Management and Development Act, 2025 (No. 10 of 2025).

This Act lays down provisions on the functions of the Minister responsible for Fisheries and the Chief Fisheries Officer; the establishment of the Fisheries Advisory Council; the management, development and conservation of fisheries, aquaculture and mariculture resources and other livelihood assets; management and collection of fisheries data and information; prohibited fishing gears and methods and control of pollution by fishing gears; marine environmental protection from fisheries activities; prohibition on illegal taking of fish or fish products; the duties and powers of the fisheries observers; surveys and certification of fishing vessels; registration of Barbados fishing vessels, foreign fishing vessels and international sea-going fishing vessels; vessel monitoring system; international vessel safety standards and maritime labour protection; registration of fish processing establishments; licenses for Barbados fishing vessel operators, commercial fishing, recreational fishing, foreign fishing, and commercial aquaculture or mariculture facilities; prohibition on conducting fisheries research without permission; permission for foreign fishing vessel to enter local port; the list of vessels involved in IUU fishing; permission to import or release live fish and to possess and trade in fish, fish product or other marine resources; high seas fishing permit for Barbados fishing vessels; aquaculture or mariculture permits; fish quality and safety; aquaculture and mariculture management plans and investment schemes; climate change mitigation, adaptation and disaster risk management in fisheries; reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the fishing industry; equitable access and participation of small-scale fishers in marine renewable energy activities; gender equality, equity and diversity in the fisheries sector; the establishment and main functions of fisheries cooperatives; sustainability of the fish aggregating devices fisheries; fisheries specific marine spatial planning and management; sea moss cultivation activities; IUU fishing; transshipment of fish; crimes relating to fisheries and marine living resources; the duties and powers of fishery protection officers; enforcement; fisheries services and fees; dispute settlement; fish tourism activities; application of international and regional fisheries instruments; environmental and social impact assessments; fisheries sector investment schemes; fisheries subsidies; and suspension, cancellation; revocation or variation of licences, permits, etc.
This Act provides for fisheries governance and an adaptive co-management approach. It also introduces innovative legal regimes including corporate social responsibility in fisheries, green fishing schemes for greater renewable energy usage, fisheries-specific payment for ecosystem services schemes, seafood traceability and fraud prevention in fisheries and the establishment of the Barbados Institute for fisheries and fisheries-related research and studies. This Act compels the certification of fishing vessels which covers certification of seaworthiness, work-in-fishing compliance and energy efficiency. It prohibits to engage in commercial aquaculture and mariculture without a license, and activities which deprive a local community of its traditional access to fishing grounds, or cause harm to the ecosystem or fisheries resources. It also sets out rules as regards the responsibility to report infectious diseases; appropriate measures to prevent or minimize the risk of the escape of aquaculture stock into the wild; the power of the Chief Fisheries Officer to inspect and seize aquaculture or mariculture produce; restricted use of drug, pharmaceutical, antibiotic or other chemical for the treatment of fish diseases or for the enhancement of fish growth without the written approval of the Chief Fisheries Officer; collection of information and data on wild and genetically modified species for the purpose of assessing their impact on aquaculture or mariculture; designated areas for aquaculture and mariculture. This Act addresses the direct and indirect impacts of climate change on fisheries and provides for the development of a climate change mitigation and adaptation plan for the fisheries, aquaculture and mariculture sectors to increase resilience, considering social, economic and environmental aspects.