<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>EX-99.77Q3CERT
<SEQUENCE>3
<FILENAME>ex77q3cert-203.txt
<TEXT>
                                  EXHIBIT 77Q3

(i)  As of December 31, 2002, an evaluation was performed  under the supervision
     and with the  participation  of the  Herzfeld  Caribbean  Basin  Fund  (the
     "Trust's")  management,  including  the  principal  executive  officer  and
     principal  financial  officer,  of  the  effectiveness  of the  design  and
     operation of the Trust's disclosure controls and procedures.  Based on that
     evaluation,  the Trust's  management,  including  the  principal  executive
     officer and the principal  financial  officer,  concluded  that the Trust's
     disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of December 31, 2002.

(ii) There have been no  significant  changes in the  Herzfeld  Caribbean  Basin
     Fund's  internal  controls  or in other  factors  that could  significantly
     affect internal controls subsequent to December 31, 2002.

<PAGE>

                                 CERTIFICATIONS

I, Thomas J. Herzfeld, certify that:

1. I have  reviewed  this report on Form N-SAR of the Herzfeld  Caribbean  Basin
Fund, Inc.;

2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a
material fact or omit to state a material fact  necessary to make the statements
made, in light of the  circumstances  under which such statements were made, not
misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial information included in this report, and
the financial  statements on which the financial  information  is based,  fairly
present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations,
changes in net assets, and cash flows (if the financial  statements are required
to include a statement  of cash  flows) of the  registrant  as of, and for,  the
periods presented in this report;

4.  The  registrant's  other  certifying  officers  and  I are  responsible  for
establishing and maintaining  disclosure  controls and procedures (as defined in
rule 30a-2(c) under the Investment Company Act) for the registrant and have:

     a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that material
information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries,
is made known to us by others  within those  entities,  particularly  during the
period in which this report is being prepared;

     b) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's  disclosure controls and
procedures  as of a date  within 90 days prior to the filing date of this report
(the "Evaluation Date"); and

     c) Presented in this report our conclusions  about the effectiveness of the
disclosure  controls and procedures based on our evaluation as of the Evaluation
Date;

5. The registrant's other certifying officers and I have disclosed, based on our
most recent evaluation,  to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of
the  registrant's  board of  directors  (or persons  performing  the  equivalent
functions):

     a) All  significant  deficiencies  in the design or  operation  of internal
controls  which  could  adversely  affect  the  registrant's  ability to record,
process,  summarize,  and  report  financial  data and have  identified  for the
registrant's auditors any material weaknesses in internal controls; and

     b) Any fraud,  whether or not material,  that involves  management or other
employees who have a significant role in the registrant's internal controls; and

6. The  registrant's  other  certifying  officers  and I have  indicated in this
report whether or not there were significant  changes in internal controls or in
other factors that could  significantly  affect internal controls  subsequent to
the date of our most recent  evaluation,  including any corrective  actions with
regard to significant deficiencies and material weaknesses.


Date: February 14, 2003                           /s/ Thomas J. Herzfeld
      ---------------------                       -------------------------

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</DOCUMENT>
