Above: Dominica (CJ Photo)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Japan’s government and its Japan International Cooperation Agency is reportedly considering increasing its foreign aid to the region.

Japanese officials recently met with Caribbean fisheries ministers in St Lucia to discuss stepping up aid to the sector in the region, along with other marine resources.

Japan has already constructed three fisheries complexes on the island of Dominica.

“We’ve really seen the fisheries sector move on to the next level,” said Dominica Fisheries Minister Dr Kenneth Darroux. “They have financed even the basic training manual which is what the Fisheries Division uses right now to get fishermen registered. All this has been funded by JICA.”

The country is one of several Asian powers to step up its development work in the Caribbean, including both China and Taiwan.

Beyond support for fisheries, Japan has proposed a small-scale projects for capacity-building.

That is already due for approval by Caribbean finance ministers, according to Dominica’s government.

Japan’s private sector has also been increasing its engagement with the region of late.

Mitsubishi signed an agreement to establish a group of petrochemical plants in Trinidad.

And a Japanese company, Nippon Light Metal, is spearheading a project to extract rare earth metals in Jamaica.