GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) — The 15-member Caribbean Community (Caricom) grouping, Tuesday observed World Oceans Day indicating that harmony with ocean life and livelihoods is the only way to achieve climate safety, healthy and wholesome societies and sustainable economies for generations.

In a message to mark the occasion, the Guyana-based Caricom Secretariat noted that recognition of World Oceans Day coming on the heels of World Biodiversity and Environment days is an exclamation point for small island and low-lying coastal developing States.

“Our dependence on the natural environment for life and livelihoods is actualised in our coastal communities, industries and productive sectors.

“Caricom is committed to promoting the protection and sustainable use of ocean life.  This is enshrined in the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas where member states acknowledged the Caribbean Sea and its resources as a key factor in supporting the long-term vision of the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME)” that allows for the free movement of goods, skills, labour and skills across the region.

It said resilience of human life too is a central development strategy of the community, by necessity, not luxury.

“The threat of sea level rise and coastal hazards from extreme events causes the community to give priority to improving its relationship with the sea and its critical coastal habitats.”

The secretariat noted that through the plethora of challenges the Caribbean faces from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and ever-intensifying annual extreme events, the tremendous potential of ocean-based economic growth as a recovery-engine is more and more apparent.

“It is recognised that achieving green recovery for SIDS without blue growth will be hard-pressed.  We therefore continue efforts to promote good governance of our oceans through spatial planning, ocean science, inclusivity and integration of key sectors.”

Meanwhile, the sub-regional Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) said it is implementing the project “Building Resilience in the Eastern Caribbean through a Reduction in Marine Litter (ReMLit)” as part of the activities to mark World Oceans Day.

ReMLit is implementing a number of priority actions under the Eastern Caribbean Regional Ocean Policy (ECROP), an OECS-wide framework for regional coordination of sustainable development, management and conservation of ocean resources.

The St Lucia-based OECS Commission said that these actions encompass harmonisation of policy and legislation related to waste management, public education, funding and technical support to member states to undertake concrete projects to reduce and control marine litter at the country level.

It said the scope of activities and interventions of ReMLit support the OECS member

States blue economy agenda and that being an area of priority focus, the blue economy agenda offers an ocean of opportunity for journalistic research and storytelling.

In that regard, the sub-regional grouping Tuesday launched OECS Journalist Challenge — Clean Oceans and the OECS Tag-An-Artiste Challenge.

It said the activities seek to enlist and mobilise journalists and artistes to leverage their considerable platforms to educate OECS nationals about ocean pollution and ocean governance, the circular economy model and its implications for waste management in the OECS and to be aware of ReMLit Project interventions at the country level and how they facilitate the Blue Economy and Sustainable Development aims of the region.