Fishing is considered one of the world’s most dangerous jobs, with small-scale fishers (SSF), who comprise over 90% of the world’s fisheries fleet, and 93% of the Caribbean fisheries fleet, are most exposed and otherwise vulnerable. The Smart Seas Project recognizes the critical need for information & communications technologies (ICTs) in disaster resilience and sets out to identify gaps within the maritime communications enabling environment, and gap-filling recommendations, for each of the four countries within the Project: Barbados, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines as well as Trinidad and Tobago.
The Gap Analysis spans 6 dimensions:
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1. UN Regulations and Recommendations | Considers the maritime communications-related obligations and recommendations that member states are required to uphold. |
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2. Ecosystem | Considers the interactions and engagements among various actors in the maritime communications ecosystem |
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3. Policy Environment | Considers the maritime communications related policy documents, including frameworks and disaster management plans that countries have in force as well as policy initiatives |
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4. Regulatory Environment | Considers standardised procedures and enforcement measures related to maritime communications |
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5. Operations | Considers maritime communications infrastructure and the roles and procedures of different entities in the sector |
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6. Capacity | Considers knowledge and skills that lead to the utilization of communications at sea technologies |
