Barbados has perhaps become the first country to have a Ministry of Maritime Affairs and the Blue Economy. The ministry is currently defining the Blue Economy strategy. Some initiatives have already been carried out, such as the restoration of reefs on the island West coast, using a Jamaican technology.
The Caribbean Development Bank invests in the economic and social development of its Borrowing Member Countries. These investments, geared towards poverty reduction, span sectors such as agriculture and rural development, energy, and water and sanitation. It is committed to helping Borrowing Member Countries reduce inequality and halve the incidence of extreme poverty by the end of 2025, through supporting inclusive and sustainable growth and promoting good governance.
The Economist Group's World Ocean Initiative imagines an ocean in robust health, and with a vital economy. Year-round and at our flagship World Ocean Summit, we foster a global conversation on the greatest challenges facing the seas, inspiring bold thinking, new partnerships and the most effective action to build a sustainable ocean economy.
Supporting island territories in their pursuit of sustainability through an innovative development pathway. Islands and their residents face a series of challenges that limit their chances of sustainable development and make them highly vulnerable to climate change. Despite these challenges, the vast oceans surrounding islands open up potentially large development approaches from which a new economy can emerge–including those that incorporate aspects of the Blue and Circular Economies. As these concepts are relatively new and complex, we developed the Sustainable Islands Platform to highlight practical examples of global innovations in this space and post opportunities for project financing assistance. This ultimate goal of this platform is to serve as a resource for those re-thinking development approaches while creating an online community for those committed to creating more sustainable islands around the world.
The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) is an International Inter-governmental Organisation dedicated to regional integration in the Eastern Caribbean.
The OECS is now an eleven-member grouping comprising of Antigua and Barbuda, Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. These members are part of the Economic Union and received the full benefits of Economic Union like free movement of people and goods, with the British Virgin Islands, Anguilla, Martinique and Guadeloupe as associate members of the OECS.
The OECS, guided by its six strategic objectives, works across its programmatic areas and in all Member States to consolidate the single economic space for enhanced economic growth, social inclusion and environmental protection.
CANARI’s geographic focus is all islands of the Caribbean – the independent countries as well as the overseas dependencies and territories of the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands and the United States. CANARI works with the full range of stakeholders in the islands of the Caribbean who have rights to, interests in, or formal or informal responsibilities for all natural resources. These include people in rural communities; community-based organisations (CBOs); local, regional and international nongovernmental organisations (NGOs); media; academic institutions; donors and technical assistance organisations; government and intergovernmental agencies; and the private sector.
It is an inter-governmental organization with its mission being to “To promote and facilitate the responsible utilization of the region's fisheries and other aquatic resources for the economic and social benefits of the current and future population of the region”. The CRFM consist of three bodies – the Ministerial Council; the Caribbean Fisheries Forum; and the CRFM Secretariat.
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is a grouping of twenty countries: fifteen Member States and five Associate Members and it is home to approximately sixteen million citizens. It comprises states that are considered developing countries, and except for Belize, in Central America and Guyana and Suriname in South America, all Members and Associate Members are island states.
CARICOM rests on four main pillars: economic integration; foreign policy coordination;human and social development; and security. These pillars underpin the stated objectives of the Community, such as: to improve standards of living and work; the full employment of labor and other factors of production; accelerated, coordinated and sustained economic development and convergence; expansion of trade and economic relations with Third States; enhanced levels of international competitiveness; organization for increased production and productivity; etc.
The Commonwealth of Nations has published the Commonwealth Blue Economy Series in which presents a synthesis of information and practical advice to Commonwealth governments relating to the potential deployment of a range of policy options for different sectors and opportunities for the road ahead. The series aim to support the development of the blue economy in Commonwealth countries by providing a high-level assessment of the opportunities available for economic diversification and sustainable growth.
UN Environment established the Caribbean Environment Programme (CEP) in 1981 as one of its Regional Seas Programmes in recognition of the importance and value of the Wider Caribbean Region’s fragile and vulnerable coastal and marine ecosystems including endemic plants and animals. Countries of the region then adopted an Action Plan also in 1981 that led to the development and adoption of the Cartagena Convention on 24 March 1983. The Cartagena Convention promotes the protection and development of the marine environment of the Region and provides the legal framework for the Caribbean Environment Programme. It is supported by three technical agreements or protocols on oil spills, specially protected areas and wildlife and land-based sources of marine pollution. The Caribbean Regional Co-ordinating Unit (CAR/RCU) was established in 1986 in Kingston, Jamaica and is the Secretariat for the Cartagena Convention and the Caribbean Environment Programme.
Defined as the government’s marine and freshwater science experts. With the mission of help keep seas, oceans and rivers healthy and productive and seafood safe and sustainable by providing data and advice to the UK Government and overseas partners. The focus of their work is to help tackle the serious global problems of climate change, marine litter, over-fishing and pollution in support of the UK’s commitments to a better future (for example the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Defra’s 25 year Environment Plan) through innovation and science.
The BGI is an FAO flagship initiative that aims at supporting more productive, responsible and sustainable fisheries and aquaculture sectors by improving the governance and management of the aquatic ecosystems, by conserving biodiversity and habitats, and by empowering communities. The BGI is the sustainable growth and development emanating from economic activities in the oceans, wetlands and coastal zones that minimize environmental degradation, biodiversity loss and unsustainable use of living aquatic resources, and maximize economic and social benefits.
The National Institute for Environment and Development initiates the development of a National Legal Framework for environmental policy and management in the interest of sustainable development. An autonomous government foundation and work arm of the NMR (National Environment Council) that is an advisory body to the Government of the Republic of Surinam, with the aim of preparing environmental policy and exercising control over its implementation.
The main objectives of NIMOS are: i) enabling national environmental legislation to be implemented in the broadest sense of the word, ii) prepare and enforce environmental protection regulations, iii) coordination and verification of compliance.
The Suriname Drydock and Shipbuilding Company S.A. (SDSM S.A.) is located in Suriname, South America. The SDSM S.A. was founded in February 1959 and has since then grown out to a well equipped shipyard with activities and experience in carrying out major ship repairs and new buildings of different type of vessels.
The World Ocean Council (WOC) is a global, cross-sectoral ocean industry leadership alliance committed to “Corporate Ocean Responsibility”, developed by and for the private sector, with a unique and multi-sectoral approach to address cross-cutting issues affecting ocean sustainable development, science and stewardship of the seas. The WOC engages and brings together leaders from the various ocean industries, including shipping, oil and gas, fisheries, aquaculture, tourism, renewable energy (wind, wave, tidal), ports, dredging, cables, as well as the maritime legal, financial and insurance communities, and others to collaborate on responsible use of the seas. We ensure that the Ocean Business Community’s role in ocean sustainable development is understood by all relevant stakeholders (decision makers, policy makers, intergovernmental bodies etc.).
The Guyana Marine Conservation Society (GMCS) was established in 2000 with the primary mission of ensuring the future existence and population recovery of all the four species of marine turtles known to nest in Guyana, while addressing the needs of the communities. Engagement of the indigenous communities in alternative income projects to reduce their dependency on harvesting of sea turtle meat and eggs was an integral element in the successful launch and continued existence of North West Organic line of products which can be found in the leading supermarkets today.
Ocean Unite was founded in 2015 to unify and mobilize impactful voices at key moments that matter to drive positive Ocean conservation action. The organization is an expert group of leaders, thinkers, and strategists, a movement accelerator at the forefront of driving positive change for people and the planet. It supports key global events, build and create new business relationships, engage a growing global audience, and disrupt the status quo when necessary. Through our Ocean Unite Network of global influencers, the organization amplifies crucial Ocean messages to decision-makers in support of highly protecting at least 30 per cent of the ocean by 2030 and building ocean resilience.