Examining Institutional Arrangements toward Coordinated Regional Ocean Governance and Blue Economy Policy Development in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM)

Figures & data

Figure 1. CARICOM Member States and the ocean areas under their jurisdiction.

Table 1. Sectoral policy provisions in the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas with relevance to regional ocean governance and blue economy development for CARICOM.

Article	Focus area	Instructive excerpts with Blue Economy and Regional Ocean Governance relevance	Additional comments including with respect to the integration dimensions
55	Sustainable Tourism Development	1. The Community shall, in collaboration with competent international organizations, formulate proposals for sustainable tourism development. These proposals shall recognize the importance of the tourism sub-sector to the economic development of the Region, and the need to conserve its cultural and natural resources and to maintain a balance between a healthy ecology and economic development.	Coastal and water dependent tourism is a major part of the CARICOM’s blue economy (Clegg et al. 2020a). Article 55 speaks to developing tourism in a coordinated manner that respects cultural identity and preserves the environment. The interlinkage between sustainable tourism and other sectors is also acknowledged with a view to ensuring these considerations are taken into account in the Community’s tourism development.
58	Natural Resource Management	The Community shall adopt effective measures to assist the Member States in the management of their natural resources in support of the transformation and sustainable development of the agricultural sector. Without prejudice to the generality of paragraph 1 and to obligations of Member States under existing international agreements, the Community shall adopt measures for: the effective management of the soil, air and all water resources, the exclusive economic zone and all other maritime areas under the national jurisdiction of the Member States; and the conservation of biological diversity and the sustainable use of biological resources of the Member States, especially those of important medicinal and traditional value.	Article 58 addresses a collaborative, intergovernmental approach toward effective management of the EEZ and all maritime areas under national jurisdiction of Member States. It also has relevance with regard to marine bioprospecting activities, a key emerging sector of the blue economy (Patil et al. 2016).
60	Fisheries Management and Development	The Community, in collaboration with competent national, regional and international agencies and organizations, shall promote the development, management and conservation of the fisheries resources in and among the Member States on a sustainable basis.	Fisheries is a major constituent of CARICOM’s blue economy (Oxenford and McConney 2020). Article 60 is expansive. In the Revised Treaty it encourages transboundary collaboration and therefore spatial integration. It goes on to speak to, among other things: Enhancing institutional capabilities of Member States Collaborative delimitation of maritime boundaries and management of straddling fish stocks Implementing measures for protection of critical habitat Establishing development programs for aquaculture which has been identified as Blue Economy sector with emerging potential in the Caribbean Strengthening research capacity Ensuring effective representation at international fora
65	Environmental Protection	The policies of the Community shall be implemented in a manner that ensures the prudent and rational management of the resources of the Member States. In particular, the Community shall promote measures to ensure: the preservation, protection and improvement of the quality of the environment; the protection of the life and health of humans, animals and plants; and the adoption of initiatives at the Community level to address regional environmental problems.	Environmental preservation is one of the key considerations in blue economy development. Although the environment is broadly referred to in Article 65, it necessarily encompasses the marine environment and its constituents. This Article goes on to make reference science-based decision making and several guiding principles of international environmental law including the precautionary principle, the polluter pays principle and the principle of preventative action. It also reiterates the need to balance industrial development and the protection and preservation of the environment.
140	Development of Maritime Transport Services	The Member States shall co-operate in the development of maritime transport services in the Community. In particular, the Member States shall co-operate in: enhancing flag and port State control activities in the Region; developing and providing expertise in the shipping industry, including the necessary services and infrastructure necessary for the growth of the shipping sector; protecting the marine environment from the effects of vessel source pollution and in combating the effects of such pollution; and taking any other action necessary for the sustainable development of the shipping sector.	The Caribbean Sea is a heavily trafficked region and the maritime sector is a key blue economy constituent (Jean-Marie 2020). Article 140 calls for regular interchange among maritime administrators in the region. It also speaks to cooperating in implementing international maritime instruments and enhancing training of Community nationals to participate effectively develop the range of activities of the maritime industry including ancillary services. In addition, this article references the interlinkage between the maritime sector and cruise tourism sector.
141	Special status of the Caribbean Sea	The Member States shall co-operate in achieving international recognition for the Caribbean Sea as a Special Area requiring protection from the potentially harmful effects of the transit of nuclear and other hazardous wastes, dumping, pollution by oil or by any other substance carried by sea or wastes generated through the conduct of ship operations.	In May 2011 the Wider Caribbean Region became a special area under MARPOL Annex V “Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Garbage from Ships” thereby generally prohibiting the discharge of any garbage into the sea.

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