ABSTRACT

This chapter discusses the application of the precautionary principle in the courts of the States of the Caribbean region and the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), in particular how the precautionary principle has affected fisheries management and law in the Caribbean region. It explains the development of fisheries management through international instruments, national policy and case law. The chapter analyses the precautionary approach as it relates to fisheries management. It discusses Caribbean regional approach to fisheries management and how their categorisation as Small Island Developing States (SIDS) impacts their approach to fisheries management. The traditional approach to fisheries management was to be reactive to management problems after they reached crisis levels. The chapter argues for the aggressive application of the precautionary principle to fisheries management in order to safeguard the economic future of the Caribbean region. The emergence of the precautionary principle within international environmental law is a salient development for sustainable development and environmental protection.