The Antigua and Barbuda Red Cross Society (ABRCS) has strengthened its engagement with Barbuda’s fishing community through a Fisherfolk Consultation held on July 24th as part of the development of Antigua and Barbuda’s Early Action Protocol (EAP) under the Forecast-based Financing (FbF) mechanism.
Abrcs Engages Barbuda Fisherfolk
The consultation reflects ABRCS’s continuing commitment to working alongside communities, national stakeholders and regional partners to strengthen disaster preparedness and promote anticipatory action throughout Antigua and Barbuda. It brought together members of Barbuda’s fishing community to share their experiences in preparing for hurricanes and other severe weather events, identify challenges affecting the fishing sector, and provide recommendations to inform the development of practical early actions that can be taken before hazards occur.
The engagement forms part of the 3 Oceans Project, funded by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and implemented by PIRAC – the Regional Intervention Platform for the Americas and Caribbean of the French Red Cross, in collaboration with the Antigua and Barbuda Red Cross Society. The project seeks to strengthen the resilience of territories across the three ocean basins to disasters and health crises, while incorporating challenges associated with climate change and gender inequalities.
In the Caribbean, the project supports efforts to strengthen disaster preparedness and anticipatory action, helping communities prepare for hazards before they occur, with support from 510, the Data and Digital team of the Netherlands Red Cross.
The EAP is an important component of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement’s anticipatory action approach. It enables humanitarian organizations to take action ahead of disasters based on reliable weather forecasts and pre-agreed plans. Community consultation is therefore a critical part of the process, ensuring that local knowledge, priorities and experiences help shape early actions that are effective and appropriate to the circumstances of each community.
For Barbuda’s fisherfolk, this approach provides an opportunity to ensure that their first-hand understanding of hurricanes, severe weather and the challenges facing the fishing sector is reflected in the measures being developed. The consultation highlighted the importance of community participation in strengthening resilience and ensuring that anticipatory actions are practical, inclusive and responsive to local realities.
The consultation was facilitated by Team ABRCS, comprising Victoria Charlton, Ready 360/3 Oceans Project Manager and Early Action Protocol (EAP) Focal Point; Jameel Ambrose, Ready 360/3 Oceans Logistics and Administration Officer; and Mohammid Walbrook, ABRCS Barbuda Communications and Logistics Focal Point.
Their engagement formed part of the Society’s broader effort to bring technical project implementation together with community-level knowledge, ensuring that the EAP development process remains grounded in the experiences of those who face the impacts of severe weather directly.
ABRCS President Dr Jose Humphreys said the participation of Barbuda’s fisherfolk is fundamental to developing an EAP that can work effectively in practice.
“The knowledge and experience of Barbuda’s fisherfolk are invaluable to this process. Those who live and work in the community understand the realities of hurricanes and severe weather in a way that cannot be captured through technical planning alone. Their voices help us ensure that the actions we develop are practical, inclusive and relevant to the realities of Barbuda.”
He added that the Society’s approach is focused on strengthening preparedness before disasters occur rather than waiting until communities are already affected.
“Anticipatory action is about using the information and forecasts available to us to act early and reduce the impact of hazards. By combining reliable forecasting, pre-agreed actions and the knowledge of communities, we can strengthen our ability to protect lives, livelihoods and resilience.”
The ABRCS expressed sincere appreciation to Chairman John Mussington and the Barbuda Council, along with Secretary Shari Cannigeter and Anessa Hopkins for their endorsement and support of the initiative.
ABRCS also recognised the fisherfolk of Barbuda for their active participation and willingness to share their knowledge, experiences and recommendations. Their insights will play an important role in ensuring that the EAP reflects the realities of Barbuda’s fishing community and contributes to strengthening resilience ahead of future hazards.
Through initiatives such as the 3 Oceans Project and the development of the Early Action Protocol, the Society is helping to advance a more proactive approach to disaster risk management – one that combines science, forecasting, humanitarian expertise and community knowledge to enable earlier and more effective action.
The ABRCS remains committed to building safer, more resilient communities across Antigua and Barbuda, with local voices at the centre of preparedness and early action planning.
