News

The Ministry of Fisheries, Marine and Land Conservation and Climate Resilience, in collaboration with the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission and the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Environment Fund (SVGEF), successfully hosted a three-day Capacity-Building Workshop to Support the Sea Moss Industry from July 21–23, 2026, at the Union Island Secondary School.

The workshop formed part of the Caribbean Regional Architecture for Biodiversity (CRAB) Project, an initiative funded by the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund (CBF) with support from the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the Fonds Français pour l’Environnement Mondial (FFEM).

Approximately thirty (30) participants benefited from the training, which forms part of a broader regional capacity-building programme being implemented under the OECS Food and Agriculture Systems Transformation (FAST) Strategy. The FAST Strategy seeks to strengthen food security, increase food self-reliance, improve rural livelihoods, and promote sustainable agricultural development throughout the OECS.

The workshop was designed to enhance the technical knowledge and practical skills of sea moss farmers through training in improved production techniques, harvesting methods, and post-harvest handling practices. By strengthening these competencies, the initiative aims to improve productivity, enhance product quality, increase value-added opportunities, and support the long-term sustainability and competitiveness of the sea moss industry in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Participants benefited from a combination of classroom instruction and practical field demonstrations. On the final day of the workshop, participants visited the farm of Leopold and Hulda Tash of Dusk Till Dawn Enterprises and Ms. Ann Harvey in Jerome, Union Island, where they observed the practical application of sea moss cultivation, harvesting, and processing techniques. The field exercise provided an opportunity to reinforce the knowledge gained during the training and encouraged the adoption of best practices across the industry.

Delivering the closing remarks, Hon. Conroy Huggins, Minister of Fisheries, Marine and Land Conservation and Climate Resilience, commended the participants for their commitment to improving the industry and underscored the importance of continued investment in capacity building and sustainable marine resource management.

At the conclusion of the workshop, twenty-five (25) participants were presented with certificates of participation in recognition of their successful completion of the training programme.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is one of four beneficiary OECS Member States participating in this regional initiative. Similar training programmes have already been conducted in Dominica and Grenada, with the final workshop in the series scheduled to take place in Saint Lucia.

The Ministry remains committed to advancing the sustainable development of the sea moss industry as a key component of the Blue Economy and one of the government’s strategic pillars for economic transformation and sustainable development.

SOURCE: Agency For Public Information (API)