VHF-DSC Radio Training Workshop for Small-Scale Fisherfolk

In Dec 2021, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU) and the Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT) launched the Smart Seas Toolkit for Disaster Resilience Project. This Project set out to preserve the lives of highly vulnerable small-scale fisherfolk through ICTs, with emphasis on the enabling environment.
A recently-proposed component of the Project is to conduct a free three-day digital skills training workshop for small-scale fishers in Trinidad and Tobago, focusing on one of the critical ICT devices used at sea: the VHF-DSC radio. These radios are of tremendous value to fisherfolk and all mariners, and have the potential to save lives and support livelihoods. Small-scale fishers, in particular, are highly vulnerable to a number of disasters out at sea, from piracy to averse weather conditions which continue to be exacerbated by climate change; this has resulted in fishing being considered as one of the world’s most dangerous jobs, with thousands of lives being lost in the sector, annually.
Through a partnership with the recently-elected IEEE Young Professionals Trinidad and Tobago executive, this Workshop provides the opportunity for the local IEEE OUs to actively collaborate with, and support existing initiatives, to support the digital skills development of highly vulnerable communities.
Co-sponsored by: International Telecommunication Union
TBD, Trinidad & Tobago, Trinidad & Tobago