OECS workshop trains St Vincent sea moss farmers to meet international standards

KINGSTOWN, St Vincent. The OECS Commission, the government of St Vincent and the Grenadines and the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund have completed a three-day workshop aimed at strengthening the local sea moss industry and expanding its role in the blue economy.

Held from 21 to 23 July on Union Island, the workshop trained farmers, entrepreneurs and officials to improve production and meet international food safety and business standards.

“Sea moss globally is a billion-dollar industry. Our focus has to be quality with efficiency,” said Minister of Fisheries Conroy Huggins.

He said the government was amending the Fisheries Act to strengthen the sea moss sector while supporting food security and community resilience.

Training

The initiative is aligned with the OECS FAST Strategy, helping producers improve output, meet international standards and compete in regional and global markets.

Training covered food safety, HACCP and sanitation practices, along with business management, financial planning and record-keeping.

One participant said the session was “very useful and timely as I’m in the process of creating SOPS, HACCP, and good manufacturing practices for my business”.

Participants said the training encouraged them to view sea moss farming as a serious business capable of reaching international markets. The initiative also focused on youth involvement.

Regional push

The Union Island workshop is part of a wider OECS effort to standardise the sea moss industry across member states, following training in Grenada and Dominica earlier this year.

The goal is to improve quality and business standards and position Caribbean sea moss as a premium product in global markets.