CARIBBEAN ECO -NEWS

Small Island States Tally Climate Change Costs

An annual allocation of $2 trillion is required for developing countries to respond to the effects of climate change, says professor Avinash Persaud, special envoy to the prime minister (Barbados) for investment and financial services, in an address to a forum on the Bridgetown Initiative at The University of the West Indies (UWI).

The Bridgetown Initiative was devised by a group led by Persaud and Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley to address the issue of mobilizing climate finance for small island developing states.

UWI Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Hilary Beckles compared the Bridgetown Initiative to the 1944 United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, which provided the spark that gave birth to the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Beckles argued that same conditions occur today, with the same need for “economic justice for the people of this region and all of those who have suffered the exploitative journey of colonialism."

Persaud said that the figure “is bigger than any developing country’s balance sheet. It’s beyond all the philanthropists. Bridgetown is a system of finance that gets us to $2 trillion a year.”

Other participants included Ambassador Malgorzata Wasilewska, head, European Union Delegation to Barbados, the OECS and CARICOM/CARIFORUM; Kerrie Symmonds, minister of foreign affairs and foreign trade, Barbados, who represented Mottley; and Kevin Bender, The Nature Conservancy.

Jamaican Moratorium on Deep Sea Mining

Deep sea mining continues to be a growing concern (see Eco-News, Compass April 2023) as Jamaican environmental advocates are urging the government to back a moratorium until conditions around environmental harm and good governance can be met.

The deep sea, they argue, is a vital and virtually unstudied ecosystem, the largest on the planet, which is already under stress from pollutants, microplastics and climate related impacts. It stands between humans and the worst impacts of the climate breakdown by absorbing the greenhouse gases and excess heat produced by human activity.

The increased concern stems from the fact that deep sea mining is expected to go ahead in July 2023 because of a “two-year rule” that was triggered in June 2021. These regulations, the advocates argue, are being discussed in spite of the significant environmental risks and high degree of scientific uncertainty.

The protests have not fallen on deaf ears. Kamina Johnson Smith, minister of foreign affairs and foreign trade, stated that the government will not allow deep sea mining until the relevant regulatory framework, which includes protection of the marine environment, is created.

“We appreciate the clarification from Minister Johnson Smith regarding deep seabed mining,” said Robyn Young, projects and administrative coordinator for Jamaica at Sustainable Ocean Alliance Caribbean. “This is wonderful news and a step in the right direction to ensure the protection of all countries whose marine ecosystems will inevitably be affected should regulations remain undefined.”

“I commend the minister for her dedication to see regulations be put in place before deep sea mining can begin,” said Dahvia Hylton, youth advocate with the Jamaica Climate Change Youth Council. “I, however, urge delegates of the ISA to take the conversation a lot further and question what kinds of regulations can come about within such hurried timelines and without enough scientific data on the Deep Sea. The fair stance is to join the call for a moratorium on deep sea mining. There can be no proper regulations without more data.”

Caribbean Hub for Solar Energy Training Launched

The first regional hub for solar energy training and development throughout the Caribbean region, including the US Virgin Islands, has been established.

The North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners Caribbean (NABCEP) is a milestone that will raise the standard for solar installations and maintenance, and increase employability opportunities for talented, qualified Caribbean nationals in one of the fastest growing industries, regionally and worldwide, says Dr. Wayne E. Archibald, executive director, Green Solutions International.

To sign up for NABCEP programs in the Caribbean, visit www.greensolutionsskn.com or email training@greensolutionsskn.com.

NOAA Grant for Vieques

A four-year ecological restoration project will target the coastal marine habitats within Puerto Mosquito, also known as the Bioluminescent Bay of Vieques, off Puerto Rico. Located within the Vieques Bioluminescent Bay Nature Reserve, the project seeks to restore mangrove forest, seagrass beds and coral reefs.

Groups behind the effort include the Vieques Conservation and Historical Trust and the Society for the Marine Environment, two Puerto Rican community organizations, along with The Ocean Foundation and Merello Marine Consulting. The effort is made possible by a grant from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Turtles in Trouble

Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire reports receiving multiple notifications of turtles in trouble, due to the die-off of the sharpnose pufferfish. Juvenile green turtles are ingesting the weak and dead pufferfish floating at the surface and suffering neurological damage. STCB has been working hard at rescuing and rehabbing the turtles, and they ask all divers and snorkelers to please call the hotline: +599 780 0433 if they see a turtle in trouble. Please do not touch the turtle. The conservation group will come to collect it.