May 2023
In the Caribbean Fishery Management Council (CFMC)'s bulletin you will find announcements, facts about marine species, and valuable information on fishing and regulations that rule this activity in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.
A colorful Damselfish swims over the most predominant species of coral in The Cayman Crown, Belize.
Dubbed “The Cayman Crown,” this secret coral garden that surpasses the size of Manhattan is a refuge for a vast array of underwater life, from schools of yellow jack and blue tang to bottlenose dolphins to the critically endangered – and commercially
Credit: Alfredo Barroso / © Terra Mater Studios important – Nassau grouper. Up to one-third of the globe’s coral has been lost in the past few years. While not wholly immune to the dangers that face other reefs, such as overfishing, bleaching, and invasive species, this reef’s remarkable resilience is likely due
to its position on the edge of the Cayman Trench. Cold currents rising from the depths sweep nutrients up to the reef and cool the corals. Additionally, the reef has an abundance of slow-growing corals that can withstand warming waters and fastgrowing corals that can proliferate like weeds after bleaching events.
The Cayman Crown was given protected status in 2020 by Belize and Guatemala, but there is still much to be done to ensure its conservation. In Treasure of the Caribbean, hear from scientists and fishermen who worked together to research this reef for nearly a decade before revealing its existence to the public. From mapping the reef and cataloging its inhabitants; to pioneering new ways to use underwater acoustics to discern how fish rely on sound; to
experimenting with new approaches to protect breeding fishes, their insights give hope for future reef conservation.
Watch the documentary today in https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/about -treasure-caribbean/!
By Cristina D. Olán Martínez, interviewing Ana Salceda
Fish aggregations are natural events key to ocean life. They are also vital to fishery activity since these aggregations produce future catches.
Ecosystems must be healthy for these aggregations to occur. Unhealthy ecosystems hurt oceanic species and threaten the future of all human activities that depend on the sea.
Coral reefs figure among the ecosystems that must be in optimal conditions so that fish aggregations take place. Fish life cycles and the huge importance of coral reefs for many species’ reproductive activities were the driving forces interesting Ana Salceda, Founder and Director of BelugaSmile Productions, and producer and director of the documentary Treasure of the Caribbean This naturally led to the desire to create a documentary about this natural phenomenon.
“The more I learned about the subject, from both a science and an aesthetic point of view, I realized how little we truly knew about fish aggregations and how much we had to learn, how much research was still needed, and how many aggregation zones were unprotected I began developing a documentary about the subject, but the executive producers said it wasn’t enough of a story. So, I was looking for a hook for a greater story to frame our aggregation story. And that’s how I found out about this reef that’s new to science,” Ana explained.
We are talking about Cayman Crown, a jewel in the Greater Caribbean region not only for its beauty but also for its relevance to scientific research, fishery health, and the overall wellbeing of essential fish habitats This is the main stage in which Treasure of the Caribbean takes place.
“It was discovered in 2013 by a fisherman – fishermen always find out about everything before anyone else – in waters between Belize and Guatemala. And this reef was, preliminarily, super resilient, super rich, not pristine as such, but incredibly healthy. Furthermore, because of its geomorphology, it was potentially home to at least one aggregation This is where Treasure of the Caribbean comes from. I developed the story within this framework, and we were successful. Then, from 2018 onwards, we began working with the Spawning Aggregation Working Group (SAWG), and all the other partners from the documentary so we could develop this idea,” the producer added.
After knocking on several doors and presenting the idea for this documentary, Ana received support from PBS Nature, Tangled Bank Studios from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Terra Mater Studios, and Doclights. These partner organizations all functioned as executive producers of the film.
The Cayman Crown, as well as the fish aggregations that take place on the crown, are highlighted in the documentary., with a particular focus on the critically endangered Nassau grouper Many other themes and topics were also explored throughout the film, such as: ecosystem connectivity, the functions of a coral reef, the importance of protecting reef species, and the role of marine acoustics in developing a deeper understanding of ecosystem health as well as grouper communication.
Humans play an extremely important role in this conservation work. The people working in the science, management, and fishery sectors must work together to preserve these habitats.
“Crucial, indispensable (the relationship between science, management, and fishing). Scientific knowledge is incomplete without fisherfolk’s traditional and local expertise. It’s that simple. We need to stop presenting fisherfolk as the bad guys in our jobs, our messages, and films. This is a hugely important part of the solution to the crises we’re facing, not just the climate change crisis but also the fishery crisis. So, to summarize, the collaboration between these three stakeholders is key to advancing research and, of course, successful enforcement,” Ana pointed out.
Several experts at the forefront of their research and studies participated in the documentary, including Belizean fisherman Kenworth “Kenny” Martin, Dr Michelle T. Schärer (marine acoustics expert), EDF fishing technician Nicanor Requena, Dr. William Heyman (fishery expert), Myles Phillips (technical coordinator in WCS Belize) and scientists Ana Giró and Dr. Melanie McField from Healthy Reefs Initiative. The production is also supported by NOAA Fisheries, the Caribbean Fishery Management Council (CFMC), and the Spawning Aggregation Working Group, formed by representatives from the Western Central Atlantic Fisheries Commission (WCAFC), the Organization of the Central American Fisheries and Aquaculture Sector (OSPESCA, by its Spanish acronym), the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), and CFMC itself.
Filming this documentary meant facing challenges of all sorts: human, natural, and climate related It was filmed in the middle of a pandemic, with an international work crew, working around the surprises presented by the natural world in waters managed by two countries. However, these challenges also led to important lessons and unique opportunities.
“We are living in times in which we are beginning to understand and suffer from climate change. This creates uncertainty when planning a film project. Climate change means the oceans are warming up As we were recording this documentary, some corals in this reef grew sick. This gave us the opportunity to film their recovery and explore the reasons why these corals recovered. But imagine, it scared us to death and besides, it determined filming times. Furthermore, the aggregations are being influenced by climate change, they’re happening later than normal. Water temperature is very important to aggregations, especially for spawning, the timing of which is also changing. This was another challenge,” Ana pointed out
Treasure of the Caribbean will hopefully be a key to opening the door to marine resource conservation in the Greater Caribbean and to unite individuals and communities around environmental health.
“The documentary production itself was a catalyst to all these efforts from the stakeholders. Thanks to what we documented, we created momentum in both countries (Guatemala and Belize) to help decision-makers realize the wonder they had in their waters. There is still a lot of work to do, but so much has already been accomplished,” Anna expressed
The documentary’s launch is highly optimistic regarding an uncertain future in which climate change presents discouraging scenes. It promotes not only the quick recovery of nature, but also humankind’s transformational capacities once there is a common understanding of what is happening.
“It speaks to us about hope, about optimism And this is real There is no challenge that cannot be overcome by a passionate, intelligent, and tenacious group of people. There is nothing we cannot accomplish when we work together, with passion, with a common goal. There’s nothing else to do,” she summed up.
The documentary is available through PBS Nature and is a central piece that serves as an introduction to the Big Fish campaign, a regional initiative in the Greater Caribbean, the main goal of which is to protect fish aggregations in the region.
“When we researched the communication strategy that would frame the Big Fish campaign, we realized that beauty is something that resonates with all our audiences We’re facing so many global problems, so many regional crises, and so many local conflicts! Things haven’t very easy lately. I believe that, as humankind has been known to do, beauty serves as a refuge for all of us in times of crisis I am biased, but I have to say that the more time goes by, the more I realize that the art and beauty humans can create, adding a bit of intelligence, will never surpass the beauty we find in the natural world. Not really. This is, really, where our inspiration lies, and I believe that beauty is something in which we can all find refuge and inspiration, especially during times like these ”
BelugaSmile is a small, missiondriven communications boutique Their mission is to show and emphasize the connection between nature, science, and human wellbeing, what we know today as sustainability It was created in 2008, at a moment when the industry was very focused on nature stories. Since 2008, BelugaSmile has searched for an approach in which humankind is the main character as well as the key player in achieving sustainability The company’s name and image are inspired by the beluga whale, due to its intelligence among marine mammals, its sophisticated communication skills, and its flexibility in communications. Intelligence, sophistication, and communications flexibility are what sets BelugaSmile Productions apart.
In April of 2023, CMFC Chairman Marcos Hanke celebrated his last Regular Meeting as Chairman. Marcos will be finish his term as member and Chair on August 10, 2023. We extend our deepest thanks to Marcos for his passion and commitment to fishing and the fishing community.
