Electronic Monitoring in Barbados — From REBYC Bycatch Pilots to ICCAT-Ready Systems
Context
Barbados, like many small island states, faces the dual challenge of managing bycatch impacts in pelagic fisheries while also responding to increasing international reporting and monitoring requirements.
Limited fleet sizes, constrained technical capacity, and the need to balance conservation, compliance, and economic viability mean that electronic monitoring systems must be practical, affordable, and interoperable from the outset.
In this context, Barbados has been advancing electronic monitoring as part of a broader effort to strengthen fisheries data systems, beginning with targeted bycatch objectives and expanding toward longer-term regulatory alignment.
Problem
Historically, fisheries data collection in Barbados — as in many small island states — has relied on a mix of manual reporting, observer coverage, and project-specific pilots.
- Limited capacity to scale human observer programs
- Fragmented data collection across projects and requirements
- Growing expectations related to bycatch monitoring
- Emerging compliance needs linked to international frameworks such as ICCAT
- The need to ensure compatibility with national digital fisheries strategies, including DigiFish
Addressing these challenges required an approach that could start small, respond to immediate program needs, and still scale toward more comprehensive monitoring and reporting obligations.
Implementation
Electronic monitoring in Barbados was initially deployed in the context of a bycatch reduction and monitoring initiative under the REBYC framework.
- Collecting reliable bycatch data in priority fisheries
- Reducing reliance on continuous human observer presence
- Minimizing operational burden on vessels
- Generating structured, reviewable video and sensor data
From the outset, the system was designed with scalability and interoperability in mind, rather than as a standalone pilot.
- Align with emerging ICCAT electronic monitoring and reporting expectations
- Support higher data quality and auditability standards
- Prepare for integration with national and regional data systems
Integration with National Digital Strategy
A key design requirement was compatibility with Barbados' broader digital fisheries direction, including the DigiFish strategy.
- Structured data exchange with national databases
- Future integration with electronic reporting systems
- Alignment with analytics and decision-support platforms
- Preservation of government ownership over fisheries data
This approach ensured that electronic monitoring strengthened existing institutional systems instead of creating parallel or isolated data streams.
What Changed
- Operational bycatch data collection without expanding observer programs
- A practical pathway toward ICCAT-ready electronic monitoring
- Improved consistency and structure of fisheries monitoring data
- A foundation for integrating monitoring and reporting workflows
- Reduced long-term risk of system fragmentation
Most importantly, electronic monitoring transitioned from a project-specific tool to a building block of a national digital fisheries roadmap.
Why This Approach Worked
- Starting with a clearly defined bycatch objective (REBYC)
- Designing for future compliance needs, not just current pilots
- Treating interoperability as a requirement, not an afterthought
- Adapting system complexity to small-island operational realities
- Maintaining public-sector ownership and control of data
This allowed Barbados to move incrementally while keeping a clear long-term direction.
Current Status
Electronic monitoring in Barbados continues to evolve as part of a broader effort to:
- Strengthen bycatch monitoring and mitigation
- Meet international reporting and compliance standards
- Integrate monitoring data into national fisheries information systems
- Support future electronic reporting and traceability initiatives
The experience demonstrates how small island states can sequence digital fisheries investments, starting with targeted needs while remaining aligned with national and international requirements.
Key Takeaway
Electronic monitoring does not need to be implemented as a full, end-state system from day one.
The Barbados case shows that starting with bycatch objectives, designing for interoperability, and planning for future compliance frameworks can create a realistic pathway from pilot projects to nationally relevant systems.
