BY DESTINY JOHNSON
Journal Staff Writer

The Ministry of the Environment, in collaboration with the Ministry of Marine Resources, hosted
The Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute (GCFI) 76th Conference on Monday at the Atlantis
Beach Resort, Paradise Island.
The conference, under the theme ‘Linking Science and Society Towards a Vision for Sustainable
Fisheries’ brought together likeminded individuals from across the region to discuss marine
conservation.
Minister for the Environment Vaughn Miller said the event facilitated 300 international
participants with over 150 local participants.
“This is very important. As you know, we’re an ocean territory and we’re doing this in
collaboration with several other ministries. It’s us, the Ministry of the Environment and Natural
Resources, along with the Department of Marine Resources, from the Ministry of Agriculture
and Fisheries, also the Ministry of Tourism, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and even some
other ministries,” he said.
“Last year, I was privileged to attend with GCFI, their 75th conference in northwestern Florida,
it was in the Panhandle area, Fort Walton Beach, not too far from Pensacola, Florida. And that’s
when they honoured our renowned bone fishing guide, Mr. Prescott Smith, who’s also a national
conservationist. He won the 75th Annual Cladding Memorial Award. We were there to support
him.”
Chairman of the GCFI Dr. Alejandro Acosta said The Bahamas was the perfect location to come
back to after their first visit 25 years ago.
“It’s an honour to see the capacity that you have in house and what really made us realize we
need to go back to The Bahamas after 25 years because a lot of things are happening here, with
the youth, with the education, and with the fisheries and all that. And Fresco was a really good
example of what local population is doing to the conservation and sustainability of the society.
So, we are very happy to be here,” Dr. Acosta said.
“I see it’s going to be an infallible conference coming out of the state of the impact of the
pandemic. We were very happy to see the large number of participants that we have. The section
from the countries in the Caribbean to come here to The Bahamas and to be able to expose and
discuss and have an open conversation about the issues that we are facing and how we can
approach them for our sustainability of resources and the humankind.”
Minister Miller said there was a lot to learn from this informative conference.