Barbadian fishing boat Gracias Papa returning to shore with its crew aboard

Beryl Barbados Project

A comprehensive overview of the work being undertaken as part of the Beryl Emergency Response & Recovery Project, rebuilding the fishing sector, the Bridgetown Port and our coastline, and preparing Barbados for what comes next.

Fisher affected by Hurricane Beryl? Find out about the vessel replacement loan

Loan information & eligibility How to apply

Background

Recovering from Hurricane Beryl

Hurricane Beryl, a Category 4 system, struck the Caribbean between July 1 and 4, 2024, causing significant damage across the region. In Barbados, where the system landed on July 1, coastal damage was immense to the fishing and tourism industries especially, with impact as well to residential homes and businesses.

More than 200 fishing vessels were damaged or lost, with the majority being uninsured; 73 per cent of the hotel housing stock was damaged and about 40 homes also felt the brunt of Hurricane Beryl. Included in the devastation was disruption to services, utilities and especially livelihoods, as the tremendous shock to the fishing industry left many boat owners, fisherfolk and stakeholders in that sector reeling and/or without jobs.

The Beryl Emergency Response and Recovery Project (BERRP) is funded through a US$54 million loan from the World Bank Group, with technical support from the European Union. It is being implemented through the Ministry of Environment, National Beautification, Green and Blue Economy, and aims to help Barbados recover from the devastating impact of Hurricane Beryl while enabling the country to be better prepared for such eventualities in the future.

Fisherfolk landing a fresh catch beside colourful fishing boats at a Barbados jetty

Main objectives

Provide financial assistance for the recovery of the fishing sector and the repair and rehabilitation of the Port.
Rehabilitate and protect coastal and landing facilities.
Strengthen emergency management services and support the resilience of port and fisheries infrastructure.

Project scope

Four components focused on recovery, repair and resilience

Aerial view of the Bridgetown Fisheries breakwater which was repaired under the project.

Component 01

Immediate Recovery from Hurricane Beryl

Recovery of the Affected Sectors
$28.5M
Recovery efforts; vessel repair and replacement; rehabilitation of marina and landing facilities.
Repair and rehabilitation of the Bridgetown Port
$17.95M
Debris clearance, civil engineering works for the cruise terminal; repairs to the breakwaters to ensure structural integrity of facilities.
Coastal protection and climate resilience
$7.5M
Starts with coastal works at Six Men's and Paynes Bay sites to allow for recovery from and adaptation to climate-related hazards.

Component 02

Strengthening Resilience for Future Events

Strengthening the Emergency Management Services
$5.5M
Strengthening the preparedness and response capacity for the Department of Emergency Management.
Studies and Support for Port and Fisheries Infrastructure Resilience
$3.75M
Climate proofing and climate smart studies and designs for strengthening or upgrading infrastructure, plus feasibility studies and designs for the Fisheries port and Bridgetown Port development.

Component 03

Contingent Emergency Response Component (CERC)

Contingency financing
—
Contingency to finance eligible response and early recovery activities in the event of a disaster caused by natural hazards.

Component 04

Project Management

Project Execution and Coordinating Unit
$5M
Implementation of the components of the project, facilitated by the Ministry of Environment and National Beautification, through a Project Execution and Coordinating Unit.

What's happening

Stakeholder engagements, events and opportunities

Community members and project officers reviewing coastal plans at an outdoor meeting

Ongoing activity updates

Updates on the status of activities under the Beryl Barbados Project are published here as work progresses across the fisheries, port and coastal sites.

How you can get involved

As activities are planned there will be community engagements open to the public, especially the communities directly affected. Notices are posted for information and action.

Employment opportunities

All roles currently open with the Beryl Barbados (BERRP) Project.

View opportunities

News

Latest news and updates

Stories, milestones and updates from across the Beryl Emergency Response & Recovery Project.

Harvey sitting on the deck of the Lady Muriel II recalling his earlier days as a gourmet butcher.

August 27, 2026

From Butcher to Fisher to Recovery

Harvey Corbin’s story of surviving Hurricane Beryl’s destruction — from gourmet butcher to fisherman, and now rebuilding the Lady Muriel II with support from the Beryl Barbados Project Vessel Replacement Programme.

Read the story

All news

Vessel Replacement Programme

Frequently asked questions

Clear guidance for prospective applicants of the Vessel Replacement Programme, consolidated from the questions raised during and after the December 2025 preparatory workshop and the January 2026 workshop. The Programme is administered through the Enterprise Growth Fund Limited (EGFL) as a financing instrument of the Government of Barbados, via a World Bank loan. This information is updated periodically as the programme continues.

View all FAQs Download the full FAQ document (PDF)

What is the overall structure of the financial assistance?

This assistance programme is generally structured as a combination package consisting of a 75% loan and a 25% grant on the cost of the vessel. Other costs such as insurance, first trip expenses and legal fees are added to the 75% to arrive at the final loan amount. The loan component carries an interest rate of 4%, with indicative repayment terms ranging from 10 to 25 years. There is a maximum grant of $150,000 on a total financing package of $600,000.

Who is this programme intended to help?

The programme is specifically intended to help fisherfolk replace vessels lost during Hurricane Beryl in July 2024.

Can I receive only a grant without a loan?

The programme is generally designed as a combined loan-and-grant package. However, a grant-only arrangement is possible in certain circumstances, including where the applicant can show that the remaining financing is already in place, or where a vessel is already in the process of being rebuilt and the applicant is seeking the grant component only to complete it, subject to the programme limit of $150,000.

Working together

Key stakeholders and implementing partners

Ministry of Finance, Economic Affairs and Investment
Ministry of Environment, National Beautification and Fisheries
Barbados Fisheries Division
Barbados Port Inc.
Coastal Zone Management Unit
Department of Emergency Management
World Bank Group

Accountability

Feedback and grievance mechanism

A stakeholder engagement session with fisherfolk in Barbados.

The Beryl Barbados Project is committed to transparency, accountability and community engagement. To ensure that concerns and complaints related to project activities are addressed fairly and in a timely manner, a formal grievance mechanism has been established.

This process is open to all stakeholders — community members, project beneficiaries and partners — and provides a safe, accessible way to voice concerns, seek clarification or request resolution of issues arising from project implementation.

Grievance boxes are located at various sites where activities or construction is taking place, for confidential queries, suggestions or grievances where digital options are not available.

The World Bank also operates its own Grievance Redress Service which can be used directly in relation to this project.

BERRP Grievance Form (PDF, 109 KB)

1
Submit your concern by email, at a grievance box or on the BERRP Grievance Form.
2
The grievance is logged, acknowledged and assigned to the responsible officer.
3
The issue is reviewed and investigated with the relevant project partners.
4
A resolution is communicated back to you, with escalation available if unresolved.

Documents

Resources

The BERRP Project Brief

A snapshot of what the Beryl Emergency Response & Recovery Project is about.

PDF · 137 KB

The BERRP Labour Management Procedure (LMP)

The essential guidelines and strategies to ensure the smooth and efficient management of labour for this project.

PDF · 1 MB

Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS)

Identifies, assesses, manages and monitors the environmental and social risks and impacts of sub-loans on an ongoing basis under the BERRP.

PDF · 815 KB

Fisheries Breakwater Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP)

Documents existing environmental and social conditions at the Fisheries Harbour Breakwater, identifying potential risks, impacts and mitigation measures.

PDF · 1 MB

Stakeholder Engagement Plan (Updated Jan 2026)

Outlines how the project team communicates with stakeholders, including how people can raise concerns, provide feedback or make complaints.

PDF · 842 KB

The BERRP FAQs (Updated Jan 2026)

Answers to the questions most often asked about the project.

PDF · 1017 KB

BERRP Vessel Replacement Programme FAQs

Answers to questions about the project's Vessel Replacement Programme

PDF · 737 KB

Have a question about the project?

General queries, requests for clarification and community engagement enquiries can be sent to the project team.

berrpbarbados@gmail.com