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) 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 project (The UNDP/GEF CLME + Project (2015-2020), is implementing the action Engaging Civil Society in CLME+ Strategic Action Programme Implementation. The USD 350,000 UNDP GEF-funded action started in January 2017 and will end in August 2019. See the project summary here.
Highlights
- The 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 civil society organisations, fisherfolk organisations and community enterprises and the government agencies and donors that support them to engage in governance and management of the Caribbean Sea.
Key activities and results
The objective of the action is to promote broader participation of, and contributions from civil society in implementing the 10-year CLME+ SAP. The project will achieve this objective through the following specific outputs and activities:
- Civil Society Action Programme (C-SAP): A 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 booklet English, Spanish) and summary factsheet (English, Spanish). This document was developed through consultation with civil society organisations, fisherfolk organisations and community enterprises, including at a regional workshop held January 16-19, 2018 in Trinidad & Tobago (see report of the workshop PDF, PowerPoint Presentation). Also, see presentations from the April 2019 C-SAP webinars; English and Spanish.
- Small Grants Coordination Mechanism: A Small Grants Coordination Mechanism is being developed to support the implementation of priority actions identified in the C-SAP as well as to improve coordination among the different small grant programmes in the region. See the concept for the CLME+ Small Grants Coordinating Mechanism here. A donor roundtable was held to input into designing the mechanism (see report of the meeting PDF, PowerPoint).
- Small grants to support demonstration of the ecosystems approach to fisheries (EAF) and ecosystem-based management (EBM):
- At least two small grants will be provided to civil society organisations in the CLME+ region to implement actions under the C-SAP.
- At least one small grant will be provided to build the capacity of community micro-enterprises in St. Kitts and Nevis in sea moss farming, as a demonstration of an alternative livelihoods initiative within the concept of EBM (see concept). CANARI, in collaboration with the Department of Marine Resources, convened a national workshop to develop a strategy and action plan to build the capacity of fisherfolk and technical support agencies to cultivate sea moss and commercialise its production, in St. Kitts and Nevis, on July 11-12, 2017. The workshop report presents the main findings and an action plan for moving forward with sea moss culture. Following this, CANARI and the Department of Marine Resources convened two workshops in January 2018 to support community enterprises in St. Kitts and Nevis to develop their plans to cultivate sea moss and commercialise its production (see report). CANARI is working with the community enterprises to develop proposals for small grants to fund this work.
Recent news and blogs
- Statement calling for attention to enhancing and developing mechanisms for effective engagement of fisherfolk and other stakeholders in regional fisheries governance
- “People Managing Oceans” for economic development livelihoods and well-being
- Civil society sets priorities to support management of shared marine resources in the Caribbean and North Brazil Shelf Large Marine Ecosystems
For more information contact Nicole Leotaud, Executive Director at [email protected].
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