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Engaging Civil Society in CLME+ Strategic Action Programme Implementation

Description of the project: Civil society organisations, fisherfolk organisations and community enterprises play important roles in conservation and sustainable use of the resources of the Caribbean Sea.  This needs to be factored into regional plans and programmes and support provided for their effective engagement as partners in governance and management of coastal and marine resources. In 2013, countries within the Caribbean and North Brazil Shelf Large Marine Ecosystems (CLME+) region adopted a 10-year Strategic Action Programme for the Sustainable Management of the Shared Living Marine Resources of the Caribbean and North Brazil Shelf Large Marine Ecosystems (CLME+ SAP).  The CLME+ SAP is aimed at contributing to the achievement of the long-term vision for the CLME+ region, which is “a healthy marine environment in the CLME+ that provides benefits and livelihoods for the well-being of the people of the region”. In developing the CLME+ SAP, efforts were made to consult with all relevant stakeholders. Despite these efforts, the CLME+ SAP mainly contains priority actions to be undertaken from a governmental perspective.  Successful governance of the region’s shared living marine resources, however, demands the involvement of other societal groups that have a direct stake in the management and use of these resources. To address this gap, CANARI, as a co-executing partner under the five-year (2015-2020) United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)/Global Environment Facility (GEF) project, Catalysing Implementation of the Strategic Action Programme for the Sustainable Management of shared Living Marine Resources in the Caribbean and North Brazil Shelf Large Marine Ecosystems (CLME + Project), implemented the action, Engaging Civil Society in CLME+ Strategic Action Programme Implementation.  The USD 350,000 UNDP GEF-funded action started in January 2017 and ended in August 2020. See the project summary here.   Highlights
  • The People Managing Oceans: Civil Society Action Programme for the Sustainable Management of the Shared Living Marine Resources of the Caribbean and North Brazil Shelf Large Marine Ecosystems (CLME+ C-SAP) has been developed (see booklet English, Spanish) and summary factsheet (English, Spanish).  This identifies key Strategies and Actions that will help to guide the work of CSOs, FFOs and community SMEs and the government agencies and donors that support them to engage in governance and management of the Caribbean Sea.  It has been formally endorsed by 51 organisations (37 CSOs, 6 FFOs and 8 SMEs) as of March 6, 2020.
  • Two small grants were provided to support the development of sustainable livelihoods based on farming of seamoss (a marine algae) in coastal waters of St. Kitts and Nevis. See the summaries of work done by the Indian Castle Fisherfolk Association and the Liamuiga Seamoss Group and the technical evaluation report here.
  • A Roadmap for development of a CLME+ Small Grant Coordination Mechanism was developed to support implementation of People Managing Oceans (CLME+ C-SAP). This Roadmap builds on work during the project which engaged sixteen donors and intermediaries to explore the feasibility of and to encourage donors to align their small grant funding support to CSOs, FFOs and SMEs to implement the Strategies and Actions under People Managing Oceans (CLME+ C-SAP).
  • The People Managing Oceans (CLME+ C-SAP) is featured as a page on the CLME+ Hub, which also includes projects implemented by CANARI and other civil society organisations as featured initiatives in its searchable online database.
Key results The objective was to promote broader participation of, and contributions from civil society in implementing the 10-year CLME+ SAP.  The project achieved this objective through the following specific outputs and activities:
  • Civil Society Action Programme (C-SAP):The People Managing Oceans (CLME+ C-SAP) was developed to strengthen the role, participation and ownership of civil society in the implementation of the CLME+ SAP and CLME+ Project to achieve the long-term vision of the CLME+ (see links to publications below). This document was developed through consultation with CSOs, FFOs and community SMEs, including at a regional workshop held January 16-19, 2018 in Trinidad & Tobago  (see report of the workshop PDF, PowerPoint Presentation) as well as regional webinars (see presentations in English and Spanish) and other outreach.
  • Small Grants Coordination Mechanism: Establishment of a Small Grants Coordination Mechanism to support the implementation of priority actions identified in the People Managing Oceans (CLME+ C-SAP) as well as to improve coordination among the different small grant programmes in the region was explored. A donor roundtable was held to input into designing the mechanism (see report of the meeting PDF, PowerPoint).  Information was submitted by donors on alignment of their work to the eight Strategies in the People Managing Oceans (CLME+ C-SAP).  Following this, an additional level of detail was submitted by seven of these donors, with their areas of work mapped also against the 90 Actions under the eight Strategies.  This showed areas of emphasis as well as gaps in small grant funding relative to the C-SAP strategies.  See the report on this work.
  • Small grants to support demonstration of the ecosystems approach to fisheries (EAF) and ecosystem-based management (EBM): CANARI implemented a US$70,000 small grant facility to support two initiatives in seamoss farming by the Indian Castle Fisherfolk Association (ICFFA) and the Liamuiga Seamoss Group in St. Kitts and Nevis. See the summaries of work done by the Indian Castle Fisherfolk Association and the Liamuiga Seamoss Group and the technical evaluation report here.
 Publications
  • People Managing Oceans: Civil Society Action Programme for the Sustainable Management of the Shared Living Marine Resources of the Caribbean and North Brazil Shelf Large Marine Ecosystems (CLME+ C-SAP) booklet English, Spanish and summary factsheet English,
  • Report on operationalisation of the CLME+ Small Grant Coordination Mechanism to support implementation of People Managing Oceans – the Civil Society Action Programme for Sustainable Management of the Shared Living Marine Resources of the Caribbean and North Brazil Shelf Large Marine Ecosystems (CLME+ C-SAP)
  • Roadmap for operationalisation of the CLME+ Small Grant Coordination Mechanism to support implementation of People Managing Oceans – the Civil Society Action Programme for Sustainable Management of the Shared Living Marine Resources of the Caribbean and North Brazil Shelf Large Marine Ecosystems (CLME+ C-SAP)
  • Summaries of the work done to enhance seamoss sustainable livelihoods by the Indian Castle Fisherfolk Association and the Liamuiga Seamoss Group
Recent news and blogs   For more information contact Nicole Leotaud, Executive Director at nicole@canari.org. See related work under CANARI’s Coastal and Marine Livelihoods and Governance programme.
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