On Thursday, 4 May 2017, the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to facilitate closer coordination and collaboration between the regional fisheries body and two sister CARICOM institutions: the CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ) and the Caribbean Agricultural Health and Food Safety Agency (CAHFSA).

The MoU covers "the planning and delivery of services to the Member States in areas of common interest, including but not limited to sanitary and phytosanitary systems, seafood safety, food security and trade in fish and seafood."

The MoU says that its objective is to facilitate cooperation and mutual assistance between CROSQ, CAHFSA and the CRFM in the discharge of their respective constitutive obligations in order to:

(a)    develop and implement the Regional Framework for agricultural and fisheries health, food and food safety in accordance with globally recognized standards and practices.

(b)   develop and implement other regional approaches and actions in support of SPS and TBT measures in the agriculture and fisheries sub-sectors, including related food and food safety issues;

(c)    enhance the action and operation of each party's contribution to the development and management of the agriculture and fisheries sub-sectors including related food and food safety issues; and

(d)   avoid unnecessary duplication of efforts by any party in delivery of their respective mandates.