Twenty+ Turks Islanders will become the country’s first endorsed and regionally-recognised flats-fishing guides and Train-The-Trainers under the new partnership — part of a programme designed to secure a local stake in the Caribbean’s multi-million-dollar sport-fishing economy.

PROVIDENCIALES — Twenty+ young Turks Islanders are about to become the country’s first nationally-certified flats-fishing guides and instructors. Their training — and the industry it anchors — began this week with the signing of a landmark partnership agreement.

On Wednesday, the Turks and Caicos Fly Fishing Association (TCFFA) and the Turks and Caicos Islands Community College (TCICC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to deliver the country’s first endorsed and regionally-recognised Sustainable Fly Fishing curriculum. The programme is funded by the UK Government through the Darwin Plus Local initiative, delivered through TCICC’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Blue Economy programme, and built on a proven Bahamian model developed with the Bahamas Fly Fishing Industry Association.

The first cohort will certify Twenty+ Turks Islanders as Flats-Fishing Guides and Train-The-Trainers — drawn from Providenciales, North Caicos, South Caicos, Middle Caicos and Grand Turk, and supported by Invest Turks and Caicos Islands through its MSME Programme’s Technical Assistance.

The stakes are not theoretical. Next door in the Bahamas, recreational fisheries contribute over US $500 million annually to the national economy and employ more than 18,000 Bahamians (FAO, 2016). The flats fishing sector alone generates approximately US $169 million a year, supported by more than 250 certified guides and the equivalent of 7,800 full-time jobs across lodging, meals, transport and retail (Fedler, 2019, Bonefish & Tarpon Trust). Guided anglers spend roughly three times more per trip than other visitors, and more than 90 percent say they would not travel to the destination if the fishery were unavailable.

Turks and Caicos has the same flats, the same bonefish, and one small but meaningful edge of its own: waters that run a touch warmer through the winter months, when cold fronts can slow fishing elsewhere in the Caribbean. With this MOU in place, the country now has the institutional foundation to match.

For TCFFA, the programme is more than a training initiative. It is a monumental milestone in building livelihoods around nature and nature-guiding — an approach the Association considers the way forward for Turks and Caicos tourism. It is a direct expression of the country’s own national promise: Beautiful by Nature.

“This MOU is more than a document. It is the foundation of a national industry. For the first time, Turks Islander fly fishing guides have an endorsed and regionally-recognised, locally-delivered pathway into a profession that has long been built on their knowledge but not always on their terms. We are building an industry where the value of our flats stays with our people.”

— Levardo Talbot, President, Turks and Caicos Fly Fishing Association

The programme has been formally endorsed by senior education, tourism and government leaders, who underscore its national significance:

“This partnership represents the future of education in action. At TCICC, we are intentional about designing programmes that are not only academically sound but also economically relevant and globally competitive. Through this Sustainable Fly Fishing curriculum, we are transforming indigenous knowledge into a structured, internationally recognised profession. This is how we build capacity, create opportunity, and ensure that Turks and Caicos Islanders are not just participants in our tourism economy, but leaders within it.”

— Dr. Candice Williams, President & CEO, Turks and Caicos Islands Community College

“This initiative exemplifies the kind of forward-thinking, industry-aligned education that we are committed to advancing across the Turks and Caicos Islands. It reflects our national priority to equip our people with skills that are both relevant and transformative. By embedding certification, sustainability, and entrepreneurship into this programme, we are empowering our young people to access new pathways for meaningful employment and to contribute to sectors that are critical to our economic future. This is education with purpose, and education that delivers impact.”

— Hon. Rachel Taylor, Minister of Education

“This partnership signals a defining moment in the evolution of our tourism product. Sustainable fly fishing represents a high-value, low-impact niche that aligns seamlessly with the Turks and Caicos Islands brand and our broader vision for sustainable tourism development.

By investing in the certification and development of local guides, we are not only strengthening the authenticity of our tourism offering, but also creating a new entrepreneurial pathway for Turks and Caicos Islanders within the blue economy. This initiative ensures that more of the economic benefits generated from this growing global market are retained within our communities while empowering Islanders to build businesses around their knowledge, skills, and natural environment.

At the same time, this partnership positions the Turks and Caicos Islands to compete in a lucrative international niche while safeguarding the very natural assets that make our destination unique.”

— Hon. Zhavargo Jolly, Minister of Tourism, Environment, Fisheries and Marine Affairs

ENDORSEMENTS AND SUPPORTERS

Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands. The Hon. Rachel Taylor, Minister of Education; The Hon. Zhavargo Jolly, Minister of Tourism, Environment, Fisheries and Marine Affairs; the Department of Tourism Regulations; the Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources Management; the Department of Environment and Coastal Resources; and the Department of Maritime and Shipping.

National industry and investment partners. Turks and Caicos Islands Community College (TCICC/TVET); Invest Turks and Caicos Islands; Experience Turks and Caicos; and the Bahamas Fly Fishing Industry Association.

National and international conservation partners. The Bahamas Fly Fishing Association, The Turks and Caicos National Trust; the Turks and Caicos Reef Fund; the Environmental Defense Fund; the Marine Conservation Society; the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds; and BirdsCaribbean.

PHOTO CAPTIONS:

HEADER – Members of the Turks and Caicos Fly Fishing Association Ltd. (TCFFA) following the official Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremony with the Turks and Caicos Islands Community College (TCICC).

INSERT – Dr. Candice Williams, President and CEO of TCICC, and Mr. Lavardo Talbot, President of TCFFA, during the official signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the two organisations.

Turks and Caicos, May 19, 2026 – Jamaica’s Prime Minister Dr. the Most Honourable Andrew Holness used his weekend visit to Turks and Caicos to spotlight a security partnership now being credited with helping to drive down murders and major crime across the islands.

Holness was in Providenciales for the official opening celebrations of Sandals Resorts International’s US$150 million Treasure Beach Village at Beaches Turks and Caicos, where he joined regional dignitaries, including Her Excellency the Governor Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam and Premier Hon. Charles Washington Misick.

But beyond the tourism headlines, Holness also met with the Jamaica Constabulary Force contingent currently deployed in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

“I am in Turks and Caicos Islands, where I am meeting with a contingent from the Jamaica Constabulary Force,” Holness posted. “These officers have been instrumental in helping to reduce crime here in the islands.”

The Jamaican Prime Minister said the officers’ work reflected the strength of their training and added that the TCI Government was pleased with their service under Commissioner Fitz Bailey.

The deployment began formally on May 20, 2025, when the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force welcomed 30 JCF officers, who took oaths of office during a swearing-in ceremony. Police said at the time the deployment was part of a strategic move to strengthen operational and tactical capacity.

Current reporting from The Gleaner describes the Jamaican team as a 28-member contingent now stationed in TCI. Premier Misick told the newspaper the officers have had a “tremendous and positive” impact. He said murders fell from 47 in 2024 to 27 in 2025, with no murders recorded from September to mid-May, while major crimes declined by roughly 50 to 60 percent.

Local media in the Turks and Caicos Islands have reported similar historical context, listing TCI murders at 48 in 2024 and 27 in 2025, after years of fluctuating but worsening violent crime.

Governor Daniel-Selvaratnam described the partnership as one that is “building capability, delivering tangible results and helping to keep our communities safe.” Her office said Holness, the Governor and Premier Misick met the Jamaican tactical officers to thank them for their service and discuss transnational threats, social drivers of crime and sustainable growth.

The partnership has also expanded into training. In March, officers from the JCF, RTCIPF and TCI Regiment completed joint Level Two tactical training in Jamaica, with 31 law enforcement officers participating, including 20 from TCI and 11 from Jamaica.

Holness praised the officers as ambassadors for Jamaica, saying their work showed the JCF’s ability to operate regionally and internationally.

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Turks and Caicos, May 19, 2026 – Someone is believed to have deliberately set the fire at the Grand Turk landfill, which triggered heavy smoke, disrupted schools and businesses and prompted a full government investigation into the environmental hazard now affecting the capital island community.

The blaze erupted Tuesday morning at the Grand Turk dumpsite, where officials say scrap metal, derelict vehicles and discarded mechanical components fueled a fast-moving and difficult-to-control fire.

In a statement, the Environmental Health Department confirmed that “initial observations suggest the possibility of deliberate ignition,” while stressing that a full investigation has now been launched to determine the exact cause.

Health Minister Kyle Knowles also confirmed the probe remains active, saying authorities are assessing whether the fire was intentionally set while emergency crews continue containment and monitoring operations.

The smoke emergency forced precautionary evacuations near the landfill site and disrupted classes and businesses in surrounding communities, particularly North Back Salina.

Leader of the Opposition Edwin Astwood, who lives in the affected community and formerly served as Minister of Health, said explosions from the blaze were heard throughout the area as the fire rapidly intensified.

Astwood warned residents have now endured more than 30 hours of smoke exposure, raising fears about possible health impacts from unknown airborne chemicals linked to burning metals, electrical components and vehicle parts.

He said students lost two days of productive learning while families and businesses remained engulfed in smoke conditions.

Government health officials have advised residents living nearby to keep windows and doors closed and urged persons with respiratory illnesses, children and the elderly to take extra precautions.

Minister Knowles said while there is currently no evidence of long-term public health impacts, the incident exposed vulnerabilities in landfill fire suppression capabilities and reinforced the need for stronger environmental management systems.

Government has now outlined plans to strengthen fire prevention measures at landfill sites, including the installation of two 100-foot groundwater wells to improve emergency water access and a more robust scrap metal and derelict vehicle management programme.

Officials say fires involving metals are particularly dangerous because they retain heat, conceal ignition points and can continue smouldering long after visible flames disappear.

The Grand Turk Landfill fire is being described as the first major incident of its kind in many years.

Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.