New GEF-Funded Multi-country Blue Economy Initiative Gets Underway in the Caribbean

BELIZE CITY, 4 MARCH 2020
(CRFM)—A new US$46 million initiative to promote Blue Economic
priorities in the Caribbean, in support of the sustainable use and
conservation of the region’s vast and diverse marine ecosystems and
resources, gets underway with a two-day inception workshop on 5-6
March at the Best Western Plus Belize Biltmore Plaza Hotel in Belize
City.

Marine ecosystems account
for over 80 percent of CARICOM States and territories, supporting not
just fisheries, but also tourism, ocean transportation, energy, and
other economic pillars. They are also critical to the sustainable
livelihoods of coastal communities and food security for markets even
beyond their borders. Despite threats that confront the region—not
the least of which are climate change, ocean acidification, marine
pollution and irresponsible fishing—the Blue Economy model still
holds great promise.

The current initiative,
entitled “Blue Economy (BE): Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem Plus
(CLME+): Promoting National Blue Economy Priorities through Marine
Spatial Planning in the Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem Plus,” is
a 4-year project funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) with
a grant of US$6.2 million and co-financing of US$40.1 million. The
Development Bank of Latin America (CAF) will be the lead implementing
agency while FAO will be a co-implementing agency. The Caribbean
Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) will be the project executing
agency. The GEF-funded “BE-CLME+ Project” will promote blue
economy development in the Caribbean region through marine spatial
planning and marine protected areas, the ecosystem approach to
fisheries, and development of sustainable fisheries value chains.

The expected results of the project include focused climate-smart investments into national and regional marine spatial planning (MSP) efforts that inform development and implementation of national blue economy strategies. The multi-country project will also focus on extending or strengthening marine protected areas to preserve marine ecosystems and ensure sustainable livelihoods to coastal and fishery communities. The project is also expected to result in the establishment of a regional MSP for ecosystem-based fisheries, inclusive sustainable fisheries value chains, and new or expanded marine protected areas in at least five Caribbean countries. It will also support improvements in knowledge management, monitoring and evaluation, based upon knowledge and experiences from the project and experiences with climate-resilient blue economies from other regions and other Global Environment Facility (GEF) International Waters projects, in partnership with IW: LEARN (the GEF’s International Waters Learning Exchange and Resource Network).

The Inception Workshop,
to be held on 5-6 March, will be attended by representatives of the
six participating countries: Barbados, Belize, Guyana, Jamaica,
Panama and Saint Lucia, as well as partner agencies, including the
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the
Development Bank of Latin America, SICA/OSPESCA, UWI-CERMES, JICA,
UNDP-GEF CLME+ Project and the Caribbean Network of Fisherfolk
Organisation (CNFO). Officials from the CRFM, CAF, FAO/WECAFC and the
Belize Ministry of Fisheries, Forestry, the Environment and
Sustainable Development will address participants at the opening
ceremony, to be convened at 9:00 a.m. on 5 March.

It is expected that at
the conclusion of the workshop, the participating States and partners
will have agreed on the main activities, milestones and timeline to
develop the detailed project document and workplan for submission to
the GEF for consideration by November 2020.