18/06/2026
As we continue to navigate Shell-Ann's (Cox) recent passing, we would like to share some personal tributes from those in CERMES who worked closely with her over the years. Our Professor Emerita Hazel Oxenford, shares the following:
Dr Shelly-Ann Cox is one of our most outstanding alumni, and treasured member ‘the CERMES family’. She was a truly remarkable woman and meant so much to so many people across the Barbados fishing community and far, far beyond. I am so lucky to be among those who can claim that Shelly was a very special friend, but I am also now heartbroken, numb and in disbelief that she has been taken from us at such a young age. We bonded years ago through a shared passion for the sea, and our friendship continued to grow as we worked together, laughed together, sometimes struggled but always achieved together on so many projects. Over many ‘coffee and cheesecake’ sessions, sea baths and rum punches we shared our hopes and dreams, and one of Shelly’s was to one day be the Chief Fishery Officer in Barbados.
She was extraordinarily bright, bringing scholarship, kindness, determination, pride and hope to every challenge she faced. I have never known anyone to possess the qualities she had to befriend, to help, to empathise, to lead, and to multi-task without ever dropping the ball. When she took up her dream position in January 2023 at the helm of the Fisheries Division, it was these qualities and her commitment to a daring vision for a modernised, profitable, sustainable, fishing industry that inspired all who met her. In just three short years, as the Chief Fishery Officer in Barbados she has transformed the Division with her transparent and inclusive management style. Not only does it look so different with its fresh white paint and bright turquoise and blue (Shelly’s favourite colours) accents and new logo, but inside it is now bristling with bright young staff, happily engaged in a range of important tasks and collaborative projects with enthusiasm and a sense of purpose and pride.
Having worked on many projects before joining the Division she has brought that knowledge to bear. With experience and training in ecology, fisheries governance, climate change, gender equity, disaster risk management, as well as circular and blue economies she understod the bigger picture – she ‘got it’, and developed a strong and supportive network of colleagues across the region.
Thanks to Shelly, the Division now has a vibrant social media presence, a brand-new Fisheries Policy, a new Fisheries Act and a daring vision. Over and above the day-to-day administrative duties, Shelly reinvigorated staff and fisherfolk cohesiveness and pride through the support and attention given to special events honouring fishing heritage such as the Oistins Fish Festival over Easter and Barbados Fisherfolk Festival at the many landing sites around the island. She highlighted the science and shared the results across marine stakeholders by hosting an annual Research Frontiers Symposium. With the unyielding support of fishers, she introduced digital monitoring technology on fishing vessels, introduced new hooks to reduce bycatch and comply with international standards. She believed in evidence-based management and was collaborating with international partners to gather critical information, including supporting a dolphinfish tagging programme, a conch genetics study and so much more. She was determined to make the industry attractive to the youth and paid special attention to honouring the contribution of women fisherfolk.
She has earned the utmost respect and love from all involved in the fishing industry, a remarkable feat for someone so young in this leadership position. This allowed her to steer the fishing industry with a firm but fair hand through the devastation wrought by Hurricane Beryl, bringing fast relief and a remarkable rebuilding effort within less than a year. Her work ethic, her fairness and firmness, humility, passion and unbridled enthusiasm, and her attention to the empowerment of women and youth has been an inspiration across the region. The out-pouring of grief and love and the tributes from so many people and organisations across the region and far beyond over the last few days is testament to the reach and impact of a remarkable and much-loved young woman. May she rest in peace, knowing that her legacy lives on.
