 Staff of the Department of Fisheries as well as other government officials gathered for the momentous opening ceremony of the data training program for Calypso, a cutting-edge prototype fisheries database. The database training, held in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization FAO, marks a significant step towards utilizing data-driven tools for sustainable fisheries management in the region. Over the course of two weeks, the comprehensive training program for Calypso will equip fisheries officers and stakeholders with practical skills in utilizing the database for data collection, analysis, and reporting. Participants will learn how to input data, generate reports, and interpret results with the aim of enhancing their capacity to make evidence-based decisions in fisheries management. Data management officer the Department of Fisheries, Petution Meida, emphasised the importance of harnessing data and technology to ensure long-term sustainability of St. Lucia's fisheries resources. The first week of our training will involve fisheries statistics and during the second week we will see hands-on practical aspect of the training where we'll be using our tablets to capture real-time data on fisher, vessel, fish landing, and aquaculture data. We look forward to these two weeks of training. I anticipate that the outcome of this training would be better placed to provide us with the opportunity to provide relevant data in an era of data-driven decision-making. Project coordinator touched to the FAO Dr. Marie Louise Felix, acknowledging the constraints of the previous system, encourages individuals to capitalise on the unique opportunity. The database on its own is not going to achieve miracles, is understanding the statistics behind it and then how to use the database to get the most out of it is what is going to make a difference. And what we would like to see, because under this project where we are building resilience in the fishery sector to climate change, is for us to be able to have a greater command on what is our stocks are like out at sea, what are our fishermen bringing in, what can we, therefore what fish stocks can we maybe exploit some more, and which ones do we need to slow down our level of exploitation in order to avoid complete depletion of the stocks. So there's so much that we could do with the database, but in order to do it you need to fully understand the statistics behind it and you need to fully understand how to use it. The Department of Fisheries Initiative to utilise Calypso reflects its commitment to utilising innovative tools to enhance fisheries management and promote sustainability in St. Lucia's coastal waters. With Calypso's advanced capabilities and the training provided to stakeholders, it is hoped that the database will contribute to informed decision making, effective resource management and the preservation of St. Lucia's rich marine biodiversity for future generations. From the Communications Unit of the Ministry of Agriculture, I am Anicia Anton reporting.