Working with CARPHA on developing public-private sector partnership to reduce marine waste from pleasure vessels

The tri-island Eastern Caribbean destination of Grenada, Carriacou, and Petite Martinique is taking important steps to further protect its marine environment for future generations while creating opportunities for the sector.

The tri-island nation, which is marketed as Pure Grenada, the Spice of the Caribbean is working with the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) on a public-private sector partnership to reduce marine waste coming from pleasure vessels such as yachts.

The project, dubbed ‘Integrating Water, Land and Ecosystem Management in the Caribbean for Small Island Developing States’, will examine Grenada and Carriacou’s current capacity and create research-based solutions dealing with waste in an eco-friendly way.

POLICY AIMED AT SETTING UP MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR MARINE WASTE

Additionally, Grenada is set to implement a Marine Waste Management policy with amendments to the existing legislation and the introduction of accompanying regulations. This policy is aimed at setting up a management system for marine waste, including monitoring, funding, penalties and cost structures.

The tri-island destination of Grenada, Carriacou, and Petite Martinique is located in the eastern Caribbean just south of Barbados. The Pure Grenada experience amplified by the ‘Pure Safe Travel’ initiative, beckons visitors to its 40 white sandy beaches including the world-famous Grand Anse Beach, 15 breathtaking waterfalls, five chocolate factories, three rum distilleries, and more than 30 unforgettable dive sites, including the largest shipwreck in the Caribbean ‘Bianca C’ and the world’s first Underwater Sculpture Park.

Confident that this is a positive action to manage Grenada’s fisheries sustainably, Michael Stephen, acting permanent secretary for fisheries and co-operatives in Grenada’s Ministry of Sports, Culture and the Arts, Fisheries & Co-operatives, promised that Grenada, as an International Maritime Organization (IMO) member, will comply with measures to improve the safety and security of international shipping and to prevent marine pollution from ships.

The Grenada Ports Authority (GPA) is the country’s focal point for international maritime matters falling under the auspices of the IMO.

GPA General Manager Carlyle Felix gave the authority’s support for the proposed policy and looks forward to a timely adoption of the IMO’s Caribbean Small Commercial Vessels Code.

“We are convinced that its adoption will promote cleaner seas, which is one of the pillars of an ocean-based economy,” Felix said.

Regarding these important steps being taken in the area of marine waste management, Desiree Stephen, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Civil aviation, Climate resilience and the Environment, remarked that, “Grenada is a geo-tourism destination in which the marine environment is significant to the livelihoods of many Grenadians, for fishing, diving, Tourism and recreation.

She added: “Taking these important steps now will ensure that future generations will be able to reap economic and other benefits.”

To support these and other activities in the local yachting sector, including destination marketing, is the newly formed Grenada Tourism Authority (GTA) sub-committee on yachting. The members are Karen Stiell, representing the Marine and Yachting Association of Grenada; Nicholas George, representing Sportfishing; Charlotte Fairhead representing Camper & Nicholson Port Louis Marina and Nikoyan Roberts, manager at GTA Nautical Development.