3. Cross-cutting Conditions and Enabling Actions

3.1 Leadership

Strong leadership is key to achieving a successful transition to an SBE, especially for a twin-island nation such as Trinidad and Tobago, with a need to align activities and realise synergies while respecting different priorities. Leadership should come from the highest level possible to support and champion the development of an SBE transition strategy for Trinidad and Tobago, with a recognised mandate to advocate for developing an SBE agenda. High-level political buy-in for an SBE transition is needed across all GORTT, including THA departments, that intersect with the blue economy to facilitate a united and coherent drive for change.

Developing a unified vision for the SBE in Trinidad and Tobago around which decision-makers and key stakeholders can coalesce is critical to facilitating long-term leadership for the SBE agenda. This should be developed and agreed through consultation with all relevant government departments and non-governmental stakeholders.

A significant challenge for creating the necessary leadership and buy-in to support the development of an SBE transition agenda in the GORTT, including the THA, is one of awareness. Relevant actors across GORTT need a shared understanding of what an SBE transition means for Trinidad and Tobago and their role in delivering it. This will enable them to provide national leadership that also inspires and facilitates stewardship through other stakeholder coalitions across the SBE that drive progress towards a shared SBE vision.

Government leadership should complement and support leadership emerging within other groups, providing a strategic perspective with a clear overarching vision and facilitating co-ordinated actions through coalitions (see section 3.6 – stakeholder engagement and coalitions).

Trinidad

Challenges

• While there is support for the SBE concept in some areas of GORTT, there is no ministry nor department with a mandate or allocated resources to work across government and lead an SBE transition.
• The absence of a formal SBE mandate contributes to a lack of continuity and progress on the ocean sustainability agenda, exacerbated by a highly changeable political and administrative landscape within GORTT.
• There is some activity that is relevant to an SBE transition including legislative and policy development (pending cabinet and parliament approval) and supporting analysis by UNESCO, DOALOS and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) on the potential for an SBE in Trinidad and Tobago. However, ambitions and activities are not currently co-ordinated nor articulated as being part of an integrated approach to realise an SBE, leading to a lack of demonstrated support for or clearly defined commitment to an SBE transition within GORTT.
• Given the economic dependency on the oil and gas sector, and the need to tackle ongoing effects of the global pandemic, political appetite for an SBE transition is currently perceived as outweighed by the need to deliver immediate solutions and financial wins.

Opportunities

• The Minister of Planning and Development, Hon Pennelope Beckles-Robinson, has indicated support for developing an SBE agenda. The IMA has already played a key role in advocating for the potential of an SBE and supported delivery of this RRA pilot. Endowing the Ministry of Planning and Development (MoPD) with a formal mandate for delivering an SBE transition would send a strong message of commitment that would help to drive the prioritisation of activities relating to an SBE transition within other government departments, and help to provide some level of permanency amid shifts in government administration.
• Cross-governmental awareness-raising and advocacy could be taken up by representatives already engaged in SBE decision-making, including the MoPD, via the IMA, and the Ministry of Works and Transport (MoWT) via the Maritime Services Division, and other departments previously engaged with the ICZM committee that continues to advocate for this agenda, pending the committee’s reappointment.
• Reappointment of the Inter-ministerial ICZM Committee, currently under the consideration of the Minister for Planning and Development before being carried forward to cabinet, could provide a means of convening key actors from across the GORTT to support advocacy and awareness-raising and to steer the SBE transition.

Tobago

Challenges

• While the THA has made some co-ordinated progress towards planning an SBE transition, with a Tobago Blue Economy Roadmap currently in draft, there remains a lack of clarity over where the responsibility for its delivery will lie.
• A lack of awareness and understanding of the benefits of an SBE in Tobago is feeding perceptions that a drive for more sustainable practices in the marine space will negatively impact livelihoods.

Opportunities

• The Department of Marine Resources and Fisheries (DMRF) is responsible for managing the marine space and is well placed to be mandated to deliver the Tobago Blue Economy Roadmap (McCue 2022, in draft).
• The Coastal Zone Management Unit oversees SBE progress and could act as a champion for SBE awareness and advocacy within the THA, but as the Fisheries Unit is responsible for managing activities beyond the high-water mark, a co-ordinated advocacy and awareness-raising campaign involving both units would be beneficial. Activities should be supported by relevant departments across the Division for Food Security, Natural Resources, the Environment and Sustainable Development.
• Given the dominance of tourism in Tobago’s economy, a key focus of engagement and advocacy should be to elicit support for an SBE transition from the Division of Tourism, Culture, Antiquities and Transportation, specifically the Department of Tourism.

3.2 Institutional infrastructure and culture

With high competition for space, and the need to diversify economically and to accommodate the different priorities across the two islands, it will become increasingly important that management interventions in Trinidad and Tobago’s marine area are agreed upon collaboratively, to reconcile differing priorities and reduce conflict.

While there are some examples of inter-departmental and inter-agency co-operation and collaboration (e.g. the Inter-ministerial ICZM Committee), this is inconsistent. There is a recognised need to improve co-ordination within government, including the THA and between each island, but there is no clear co-ordinating group working across departments or agencies with responsibility for driving SBE progress within the GORTT, including the THA.

Mandating a centralised committee to steer decision-making and provide leadership towards a shared SBE vision would increase accountability and transparency, help to embed SBE values across relevant policy areas, and improve collaboration. Upon reappointment, the Inter-ministerial ICZM Committee would be well placed to take on such a mandate, and should be supported with allocated resources necessary to co-ordinate and deliver an SBE transition.

For a twin-island state like Trinidad and Tobago, where there are major distinctions between the respective economies, a clearly defined, centralised structure for collaborative decision-making provides a range of opportunities to ensure coherence of management while respecting each island’s needs and priorities. Mandating a cross-GORTT committee to deliver an SBE transition, as well as a linked, cross-THA committee that serves the specific SBE priorities of Tobago, would help to realise synergies of cross-sectoral working including:

• promoting policy coherence and complementary marine management that accounts for transboundary considerations;
• overcoming competing priorities and improving decision-making on prioritisation and trade-offs in the highly competitive Trinidad and Tobago marine area;
• resource and cost efficiencies;
• knowledge and data sharing;
• capacity-building;
• research and innovation; and
• non-governmental stakeholder engagement, co-ordination and consultation.

For a government-level co-ordinating committee to be effective, it will require representation and commitment from all departments and key agencies relevant to the SBE (see Appendix 4). Strong engagement of all relevant stakeholders is essential to support ongoing adaptive management that is responsive to changing impacts, pressures, priorities and opportunities in Trinidad and Tobago’s marine space.

Trinidad

Challenges

• Lack of understanding and awareness of the SBE concept, and the role of different stakeholders and/or policy areas in delivering it, is hindering engagement that could support the development of an SBE agenda across GORTT.
• There is a lack of mandated, cross-departmental co-ordination to support transition to an SBE.
• Institutional change is slow within government, meaning co-ordination mechanisms are difficult to establish and activate. For example, groups including the Inter-ministerial ICZM Committee, the Green Fund Advisory Committee and the board of the Caribbean Fisheries Development and Training Institute are fixed term, but the change process can take many months or years from the end of one term to the appointment of new membership, leaving gaps in leadership and decision-making.

Opportunities

• The Inter-ministerial ICZM Committee brought together key stakeholders across marine decision-making to co-ordinate the development of the Draft ICZM Policy Framework 2020 which is currently pending cabinet approval. Expediting approval of that framework could catalyse the reappointment of the Inter-ministerial ICZM Committee, empowered with an expanded mandate for an SBE transition.
• Ensuring sufficient representation from THA would support coherence and deliver synergies while accommodating the two islands’ differing priorities and needs.

Tobago

Challenges

• Although a Blue Economy Roadmap for Tobago is in development,^[1] there remains a lack of shared understanding of what an SBE means for Tobago, and the role of different stakeholders and/or policy areas in delivering it. This hinders delivery.
• The Coastal Zone Management Unit is currently overseeing the delivery of the Tobago Blue Economy Roadmap, while the Fisheries Unit is responsible for the management of activities beyond the high-water mark. Tourism is the major economic driver for Tobago. This is creating some of the key pressures on the marine space. A lack of co-ordinated decision-making means that conflicts are not adequately resolved nor co-benefits realised. This creates inertia relating to an SBE transition.

Opportunities

• Given progress on the development of the Tobago Blue Economy Roadmap, an SBE co-ordinating committee, including relevant stakeholders from across the THA, could steer future decision-making and deliver SBE priorities that are specific to Tobago’s needs and priorities.
• Members of the SBE co-ordinating group should act as representatives on a national SBE taskforce to help align interests and optimise synergies and efficiencies. A THA representative could act as co-chair to demonstrate shared leadership across the two islands.

3.3 Laws and policies

There is no overarching national ocean policy nor a specific roadmap for the SBE for both Trinidad and Tobago, although a Tobago Blue Economy Roadmap is currently in development.^[2] Laws and policies are in place that contribute towards the sustainability agenda, including the Environmental Management Act (2000), National Environmental Policy (2018) and Vision 2030: National Development Strategy for  Trinidad and Tobago 2016-2030. However, key legislation is out of date and attempts to update the legislative framework are being hampered by slow progress through parliament (see Appendix 2 for existing laws and policies, as well as those pending adoption). The Draft ICZM Policy Framework 2020 and the draft National Maritime Policy and Strategy (NMPS) 2021 could help to improve policy coherence and support an SBE transition but, again, progress is hindered by slow cabinet approval, leaving critical gaps in governance. These delays in approval may be exacerbated by a lack of high-level political support. This risks continued inertia on SBE progress, as well as hindering effective, integrated marine management. Slow parliamentary processes have also delayed progress on the designation of protected natural areas (PNAs) and MPAs.

As is common in many countries, legislation and policies relating to the SBE in Trinidad and Tobago are fragmented, and there is a lack of a coherent, cross-sectoral approach to planning and management, critical for the delivery of an SBE. For example:

• New policy and legislative instruments do not provide a consistent definition of, nor vision for, SBE against which management activities and interventions can be effectively benchmarked at all levels. The Draft ICZM Policy Framework 2020 and the draft NMPS 2021 both refer to a blue economy, but do not provide a consistent vision for an SBE in Trinidad and Tobago.
• There is a lack of co-ordination between key instruments. Those that have recently been approved or are currently pending approval are not inter-referential, including the Draft ICZM Policy Framework 2020 and the National Protected Area Systems Plan (2019). This could impede effective, integrated management if not supported by enhanced institutional arrangements and effective co-ordination for implementation.

The cross-cutting role of the ocean is recognised and reflected across a broader range of legislation, policies and strategies. For example, the need to preserve and enhance key coastal and marine habitats for the purpose of climate change mitigation is noted in the National Climate Change Policy (2011). However, there is a recognised opportunity to enhance the integration of cross-cutting issues into forthcoming laws and policies pending approval, such as climate mitigation and adaptation, to deliver greater resilience to climate change-related impacts and other environmental or economic shocks, and to improve the integration of social sustainability considerations to aid community resilience. These actions would help to provide a more coherent policy framework for an SBE, and support delivery of UN SDGs.

Insufficient implementation and enforcement of policy and management for an SBE across Trinidad and Tobago is of primary concern. Key stakeholders within the GORTT, including the THA, identified the need for a rapid uplift in financial, human and technical capacity in order to effectively implement and enforce existing legislative and policy commitments, such as fisheries catch monitoring or enforcement within MPAs. Elsewhere, outdated legislation was reported as impeding the provision of sufficient regulation and enforcement. As such, there is a need to examine the current system of marine management in Trinidad and Tobago in detail (across regulation, enforcement, monitoring and evaluation) to identify and address gaps in funding, staffing, training and technology, as well as to accelerate the passage of pending laws and policies through the GORTT, including the THA on devolved matters.

In addition, the aspiration for economic diversification may drive a need for further laws and policies to deliver sustainable management of emerging sectors, such as mariculture and renewable energy, or potential growth sectors, such as the expansion of ports and shipping activities, yachting and ecotourism.^[3]

To fully support an SBE transition, key relevant laws and policies should be reviewed to identify and address any critical gaps, conflicts or overlaps, and to ensure policy coherence. This includes those relevant to climate mitigation and adaptation in Trinidad and Tobago, to ensure that climate resilience is fully integrated into future marine management as a key principle of the SBE.

Trinidad

Challenges

• There is a lack of legislative and policy coherence towards an SBE transition at national level. Emerging and existing laws and policies are not unified by a consistent vision for an SBE that complements and progresses ambitions for sustainable management of marine resources already established in developmental policies such as Vision 2030, leading to a lack of co-ordination and complementarity between instruments.
• Slow progress of draft laws and policies through parliament is hindering the SBE transition. This includes the Fisheries Bill, the Shipping Bill, the Draft ICZM Policy Framework 2020, and the draft NMPS 2021. This will also affect new laws and policies that will need to be created to regulate emerging sectors.
• A lack of human, financial and technical capacity means there are gaps in implementation, regulation, enforcement and monitoring aligned with GORTT priorities.

Opportunities

• Expediting the approval of pending laws and policies is fundamental to progress towards an SBE transition, particularly the Draft ICZM Policy Framework 2020 and draft NMPS 2021.
• Creation of a shared SBE vision for Trinidad and Tobago that complements the Tobago Blue Economy Roadmap and any subsequent SBE plans for Tobago will help to identify and address gaps or conflicting priorities, and guide progress towards a coherent governance framework.
• Building on the DOALAS report, and previous analysis conducted in 2013,^[4] a gap analysis of existing laws and policies is needed to identify opportunities to improve coherence towards to a unified SBE transition and to better integrate socioeconomic considerations and efforts to enhance resilience to climate change.
• Given that pending laws and policies would provide a strong foundational framework for SBE delivery, developing appropriate principles and guidance to support their implementation could help to address remaining gaps while avoiding further delays resulting from new laws and policies that would require cabinet or parliamentary approval.
• The creation of an ‘SBE Omnibus Bill’ that packages together SBE-relevant legislation and policies (both approved and pending approval) could provide the foundation for SBE delivery, presenting an opportunity to enshrine Trinidad and Tobago’s SBE definition and unified vision, and provide an SBE mandate for the Inter-ministerial ICZM Committee, as described in section 3.2.
• New principles and guidance should be developed to ensure that emerging marine sectors such as offshore renewable energy and mariculture are sustainably managed.

Tobago

Challenges

• Although the Tobago Blue Economy Roadmap provides the first step towards a more formalised SBE approach, there is a need for wider consultation to develop an SBE vision for Tobago that reflects Tobago’s priorities and goals and complements a national-level vision for Trinidad and Tobago.

Opportunities

• The Tobago Blue Economy Roadmap provides a foundation on which to build a coherent vision for SBE in Tobago. But it would benefit from wider consultation to engender buy-in of the full range of stakeholders.
• A review of existing laws and policies applicable in Tobago will identify gaps that need to be addressed to deliver the Blue Economy Roadmap, or future SBE action plans, particularly in relation to emerging ocean-based sectors. This will also be critical for ensuring that Tobago’s SBE law and policy requirements can be articulated and integrated at national level, and reflect the unique pressures and priorities of the island.
• Although some capacity-building (financial, human and technical) priorities will differ between Trinidad and Tobago, it is likely that there are also many common priorities that would benefit from a co-ordinated approach. Developing a national financial and capacity-building strategy would optimise synergies and efficiencies across both islands, enhance knowledge sharing and reduce the financial burden for marine management implementation.

3.4 Planning and management

Given the significant competition for marine space between sectors, and the dependence of Trinidad and Tobago’s economic, social and environmental wellbeing on marine ecosystem services and resources, coherent, integrated marine management is essential for an SBE transition.

There is no integrated marine management framework in Trinidad and Tobago, although the Draft ICZM Policy Framework 2020 and draft NMPS 2021, along with the National Protected Areas Policy (2011) (NPAP) provide the foundation for MSP for Trinidad and Tobago’s EEZ. Progress is needed in both implementation of MSP and ICZM. Adopting the Draft ICZM Policy Framework 2020 would be a significant step forward, with clearly defined actions to promote a ‘ridge-to-reef’ delivery approach, and guidelines or principles that can be adopted by terrestrial and marine stakeholders to alleviate land-based pressures affecting the coastal and marine environment.

There are currently over 20 separate pieces of legislation that intersect with coastal zone management. This is driving a lack of legislative coherence, inadequate implementation and issues with enforceability.^[5] There are also as many as 29 institutions that have a legal and/or policy role in aspects of coastal management. Co-ordination is needed to address issues such as habitat damage and loss from development or unsustainable practices, unplanned and unregulated development, and others identified via the stakeholder consultation undertaken as part of the Draft ICZM Policy Framework 2020 development (see Appendix 3 for a complete list of issues). A clear and robust regulatory framework is also less vulnerable to the prioritisation of economic interests over social and environmental impacts, can address inequalities in access and benefits, and reduce the influence of the ‘parallel economy’ based on illegal and/or unregulated activities.

There has been limited success in the protection of wetland areas or designation of MPAs in Trinidad and Tobago. Although the National Policy and Programmes on Wetland Conservation for Trinidad and Tobago (2001) commits to ‘no net loss of wetlands and values and functions on publicly owned lands and waters’, wetland areas continue to be subject to pressures including reclamation for development, pollution from land-based sources and development related to privately-owned land.

In addition, although the NPAP was published in 2011, there is currently only one designated MPA in Trinidad and Tobago: Buccoo Reef in Tobago. Tobago’s North-East region was also declared a biosphere reserve by the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme in 2020. In 2019, GORTT approved the National Protected Area Systems Plan (NPASP), which proposed designating new MPAs covering 1,414.6 hectares for Trinidad and increasing MPA coverage to 56,917 hectares for Tobago. Offshore MPAs were also proposed, totalling 15,622 hectares, to reduce conflict with the oil and gas industry. This scale of designation could bring huge dividends for the protection and conservation of marine ecosystems. However, it is contingent on developing coherent management plans (including relevant conservation and restoration interventions) for each site, along with the financial, human and technical capacity to implement them. Specific MPA management plans would be required for Tobago to consider locally relevant demands and pressures.

The Environmental Management Act provides the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) with powers for the management of biodiversity. However, most of the organisation’s personnel remain focused on the administration of the certificates of environmental clearance process and the enforcement and compliance associated with this function. As such, the EMA has very limited capacity for managing PNAs or MPAs.^[6] In the event that the Draft ICZM Policy Framework 2020 and draft NMPS 2021 are approved, there is the need to develop a financial plan that supports the provision of the requisite resources, training and equipment needed to implement them for both islands. This should also extend to the designation of new MPAs (see section 3.5 for opportunities related to sustainable finance).

Trinidad

Challenges

• The lack of approval for the Draft ICZM Policy Framework 2020 is leaving a critical gap in Trinidad and Tobago’s policy provision for integrated marine management. The current lack of a clear co-ordinating body or coherent policy framework makes the coastal zone vulnerable to the effects of inadequate implementation of regulation and enforcement measures.
• There is a lack of sufficient funding, training and personnel for implementing existing interventions.
• There are concerns that regulatory processes for decision-making are often over-ridden or bypassed in favour of economic interest, private sector influence (particularly the oil and gas sector) or short-term gains without consideration for long-term sustainability impacts.

Opportunities

• Swift approval of the Draft ICZM Policy Framework 2020 will provide a platform to deliver ICZM and MSP. The framework would benefit from a review alongside other relevant policies to support a co-ordinated approach to the SBE transition.
• Developing a public expenditure and sustainable finance plan to support the implementation of SBE laws and policies (including planning, regulation, enforcement, monitoring and reporting) will be essential to ensure the necessary training, personnel and technical capacity to deliver an SBE in Trinidad and Tobago over the long-term. This should be developed jointly between relevant departments across the GORTT, including the THA, to take advantage of the efficiencies and synergies that can be achieved from collaborative approaches.
• The IDB has recently approved a technical co-operation initiative that will conduct a diagnosis of ICZM governance and provide recommendations for its strengthening. It will also engage in pilot activities to achieve better governance of the coastal zone.
• Improving socioeconomic valuation of ocean-based sectors and the associated ecosystem benefits of a healthy marine environment would help to better articulate their value, and may stimulate greater compliance with regulation and more informed decision-making in managing the marine environment.

Tobago

Challenges

• There is a lack of sufficient funding, training and personnel for implementing existing planning and management.
• The dominant sectors of tourism and artisanal fisheries put considerable pressure on marine and coastal ecosystems, but are also highly reliant on a healthy coastal zone, both for economic success but also ecosystem services including coastal protection from climate-related impacts and fish nursery grounds. There is a need to improve public awareness of the importance and benefits of sustainable management practices, particularly those operating in these sectors.

Opportunities

• The THA Budget Expenditure Report Fiscal – 2023 (published in 2022), commits to establishing a ‘Living with the SEA’ working group, tasked with developing a comprehensive coastal resilience plan for areas affected by the effects of climate and environmental change. This plan should be developed to complement the Draft ICZM Policy Framework 2020 and take into account the implications of key sectors, primarily tourism (including cruise ships) and fisheries.
• The THA has the capacity to legislate for the protection of biodiversity and natural areas locally. This offers the opportunity to develop a locally relevant ICZM framework that considers the specific pressures and demands on the marine resources of Tobago.
• Upon approval of the Draft ICZM Policy Framework 2020, THA may wish to develop public awareness tools aligned to Tobago’s marine management needs that demonstrate the need for integrated management and the benefits this will bring, and provide guidelines on the key principles and how they apply sectorally.

3.5 Sustainable finance

Sustainable and thriving economic activity, enabled by strategic governance and cross-sector innovation, is a fundamental goal of an SBE. As such, it is necessary to understand the current levels of economic activity in the marine space, the incentives which drive current activities, as well as gaps in investment or funding that may hinder implementation of sustainable practices or initiatives. In Trinidad and Tobago, sustainable finance and investment to support the transition to an SBE can be divided across three key areas:

• long-term finance to enable the implementation of laws and policies (both existing and emerging), particularly those related to integrated marine management, including regulation, enforcement, monitoring and reporting;
• investment in current and emerging ocean-based sectors to support sustainable economic diversification; and
• finance for the implementation of conservation and restoration of coastal and marine ecosystems.

Implementation of laws and policies

In a country that possesses a marine area 15 times larger than its land mass, and with the majority of its natural assets, economic activity and population situated within the coastal and marine area, prioritisation of funding for coastal and marine management and related interventions, aligned with a clear SBE strategy, will provide significant sustainability benefits. However, as highlighted in sections 3.3 and 3.4, there is currently a shortfall in funding for training and staffing to deliver regulation, enforcement, research, monitoring and reporting of existing activities in the marine space. Funding needs will increase significantly if the Draft ICZM Policy Framework 2020 and the draft NMPS 2021 are approved, and/or additional MPAs are designated across Trinidad and Tobago.

Sustainable economic diversification

Economic dominance by the oil and gas sector (driving Trinidad and Tobago’s export trade imbalance) has contributed to the de-prioritisation of investment in other sectors which, despite lower contributions to GDP, provide proportionately higher levels of employment (e.g. tourism, ports and shipping, fisheries). While there is planned investment in offshore renewable energy infrastructure^[7] to support diversification in the energy sector, there is a recognised need to redirect investment to other industries with significant growth potential to enhance their economic, social and environmental sustainability and to support economic diversification across an SBE. To successfully realise economic diversification, there will be a need for training related to new and emerging sectors/subsectors to ensure the requisite expertise and capacity exist to support their development and delivery.

A range of investment areas to improve sustainability are outlined in plans such as the draft NMPS 2021 and the Draft ICZM Policy Framework 2021 (both pending approval), as well as Vision 2030 and the National Tourism Policy (2020). Broader evaluation of other (non-oil and gas) ocean-related sectors across a range of socioeconomic indicators could help guide political decision-making to direct investment into sectors that can deliver sustainable economic growth and diversification.

There are no financial incentives or subsidies to encourage the transition to sustainable practices in ocean-based sectors. Tax incentives are proposed in the Trinidad and Tobago 2023 budget for expansion of extractive practices, including an increase in Investment Tax Credit for energy companies from 25 per cent to 30 per cent to stimulate exploration and development-related investments.^[8] These must be reviewed to ensure alignment with sustainability principles.

Funding conservation and restoration

The Trinidad and Tobago Green Fund, introduced in 2001 and funded by a 0.3 per cent levy on gross sales or receipts, represents a significant source of potential funding for conservation and restoration activities in coastal and marine areas. This includes delivering MPA management measures and supporting vital capacity-building and awareness initiatives in communities to promote sustainable livelihoods and poverty reduction. The fund has already contributed over TT$40 million to support environmental and capacity-building projects, although the amount that has been allocated to marine-based projects is unclear. With a financial reserve estimated in the order of billions of TT$, the fund represents a potentially significant source of project finance.

However, accessing the fund is reportedly very challenging, with a slow and highly bureaucratic application process. High-level agreement regarding legitimate use of the fund for SBE transition could streamline and simplify the application process. Expanding existing training for bid writing and financial capacity-building among non-governmental actors could also help to improve access to funds.

Although Trinidad and Tobago is not eligible for official development assistance (ODA) originating from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) donor countries, it is eligible for international funding mechanisms, including the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and PROBLUE (an umbrella multi-donor trust fund, administered by the World Bank). In 2021, Trinidad and Tobago was one of eight countries announced to benefit from over US$13.6 million awarded by GEF to deliver four FAO-led projects that aim to address environmental challenges, including biodiversity loss and unsustainable fishing.

Tobago is particularly dependent on external sources, with RRA participants observing that revenues generated by the island’s tourism-based economy are insufficient to support investment levels needed for a transition to an SBE. Again, however, application processes are burdensome, and require capacity and resources that are currently insufficient to meet national needs within GORTT. Stakeholders have identified finding the human resource to administrate and deliver projects, if funding is received, as an additional challenge.

Existing sources of finance or financial mechanisms in Trinidad and Tobago (included those proposed in current policies) that may be used to support future SBE transition and initiatives include:

• establishment of a Green Infrastructure Fund (GIF), proposed in Vision 2030, to provide investment in areas including research infrastructure, solar, water and wastewater facilities, climate resilient infrastructure and social infrastructure;
• Trinidad and Tobago’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) Implementation Plan which sets out a climate finance plan to realise NDC commitments – this could create funds for climate change mitigation-related activities in the marine space;
• private sector funding for blue initiatives, such as BP International’s investment in coral restoration and blue bond development – this presents a potentially significant financial resource to support future marine conservation, restoration and innovation in sustainable technologies and solutions;
• Tobago Blue Economy Ideas Competition, supported by the IDB – aims to support innovative concept ideas for projects that will support blue economy sectors.^[9] The first few grant awards have already been made to provide a degree of traction on SBE delivery;
• satellite office launched by USAID in Trinidad and Tobago in September 2022 – the US Embassy states that the focus will be on financing for sustainable development, building resilience in areas such as adaptation to climate change and food security, and empowering youth through citizen security and education, to advance a safe, prosperous, and resilient Eastern Caribbean region;^[10] and
• Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF) of which Trinidad and Tobago is already a member – provides parametric insurance facilities to unlock short-term finance in the event of extreme events and natural disasters.

There are other financial mechanisms that Trinidad and Tobago could consider to support the transition to an SBE including the development of:

• an endowment fund, using money from the Green Fund, to provide for conservation, restoration and management activities in MPAs (also suggested in the NPASP);
• a national development bank, akin to the Agricultural Development Bank of Trinidad and Tobago, focused on initiatives supporting an SBE transition;
• a user levy, such as licences for travel and recreation operators, or access permits (for example, for divers or day-boat tourists) – particularly relevant for Tobago in relation to Buccoo Reef MPA and the North-East Tobago UNESCO Biosphere site; and
• a blue carbon or biodiversity credit system as a form of payment for ecosystem services.

Trinidad and Tobago could also look to other regional examples of innovative financing. For example, the IDB approved a US$100 million guarantee for Barbados, enabling the creation of a long-term financial instrument to fund measures related to sustainability and marine protection.^[11]

Trinidad and Tobago

Challenges

• There is currently insufficient investment or financing to support an SBE transition in Trinidad and Tobago including: the shift to more sustainable practices across ocean-based sectors that would facilitate sustainable economic diversification; the funding for staff, training and technical capacity required to implement existing marine management measures; and the delivery of conservation and restoration projects in the marine and coastal zone.
• Some ocean-based sectors are likely to be significantly undervalued in terms of GDP, employment and subsistence due to a lack of funding directed towards consistent socioeconomic monitoring and reporting.
• Access to environmental and social sustainability funds is hampered by a lack of capacity and resource as well as burdensome and complex application processes.

Opportunities

• Developing a cross-sectoral investment strategy and action plan aligned with an agreed SBE vision should include all such existing and draft policies, and be developed via stakeholder consultation to represent the widest range of ocean stakeholder interests and deliver an equitable distribution of benefits.
• A public expenditure and sustainable finance plan is needed to support the implementation of SBE laws and policies (see opportunities in section 3.3).
• Provisions for integrated management, particularly enforcement and monitoring, through inter-departmental co-operation and collaboration across GORTT, including the THA, could provide cost savings, as well as more co-ordinated decision-making.
• Improving socioeconomic evaluation of ocean-based sectors key to an SBE transition (particularly fisheries and tourism) to demonstrate their potential contribution could mobilise investment in sustainable economic diversification.
• Reviewing and streamlining application processes and eligibility for existing funding mechanisms, such as the Green Fund, would help to improve access to finance for projects and activities that could support SBE principles.
• There is a range of innovative financial mechanisms that Trinidad and Tobago could explore. This must be approached strategically based on understanding what the financial gaps and priorities are, and how existing financial resources could be better used.

3.6 Stakeholder engagement and coalitions

Understanding how SBE stakeholders engage with each other is key to identifying opportunities to ensure an inclusive and participatory transition to an SBE that is fair and equitable. Coalitions of actors operating across the governance system can also catalyse positive change through working together, and sharing knowledge and capacity to use available opportunities.

A wide range of non-governmental stakeholder coalitions and organisations across Trinidad and Tobago can support co-ordination and implementation across the private sector, NGOs, civil society organisations (CSOs) and other communities. CANARI is already supporting successful initiatives in local communities, such as the Turtle Village Trust and the Experience Nariva project, and could be a powerful SBE leader including facilitating engagement between GORTT, including the THA, and other ocean stakeholders. Environment Tobago could play a similar role.

There are successful examples of stakeholder consultation in Trinidad and Tobago including the development of the Draft ICZM Policy Framework 2020, delivered by the ICZM Steering Committee. Stakeholders including government agencies, the media, the energy sector, the business sector and coastal communities across Trinidad and Tobago were invited to participate in 19 consultations to determine stakeholders’ priority issues and preferred interventions to address them. However, RRA participants reported that there is a need to improve inclusivity and representation across decision-making to support an SBE transition.

In Tobago, there is a clear appetite for enhancing engagement with non-governmental actors across government departments and the THA. In 2019, the Tobago Partnership Conference brought together local and national stakeholders from government, NGOs, CSOs and the private sector to consider sustainability opportunities and action in the green and blue economies. However, there remains a need for follow-up action, for example, developing co-operative joint-projects and, in some cases, formalising government engagement through MoUs and private-public partnerships.

Trinidad and Tobago

Challenges

• A general lack of awareness and understanding of what an SBE means limits engagement. Many stakeholders do not identify as playing a role in an SBE agenda, and therefore do not engage.
• There is limited private sector engagement in consultation processes and stakeholder forums (particularly the oil and gas sector) constraining open dialogue and conflict resolution in relation to Trinidad and Tobago’s competitive marine space.
• A sense of process fatigue exists among some stakeholders, with long consultation periods then a perceived lack of action or outcomes. For example, development of the Draft ICZM Policy Framework 2020 started in 2012 but is still pending approval.
• A lack of transparency and equity in decision-making in relation to marine management may lead to the displacement of some sectors, such as artisanal fishers. This fuels concerns over accountability, which deters engagement.
• Trinidad and Tobago has not enshrined a mandate for equitable sharing of benefits derived from genetic resources in legislation.
• The cost of engagement can be a deterrent, particularly for self-employed stakeholders such as fisherfolk, who are often not compensated for loss of earnings or travel and subsistence costs related to participation.

Opportunities

• Development of a unified SBE vision for Trinidad and Tobago (previously mentioned in sections 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3) will provide a shared ambition around which stakeholders can coalesce.
• Active organisations could provide leadership for the SBE transition at all levels such as CANARI and Environment Tobago.
• Cabinet approval of the Draft ICZM Policy Framework 2020 would provide a mandate for co-ordinated stakeholder engagement on marine management decision-making across Trinidad and Tobago.^[12]
• Efforts have begun to support a thorough stakeholders’ analysis and engagement plan to support the Tobago Blue Economy Roadmap.

3.7 Data and monitoring

Transitioning to an SBE requires governments to take an adaptive management approach to planning and implementing their policies and management actions to ensure ongoing progress.

Environmental monitoring is undertaken. For example, the IMA undertakes periodic monitoring of beaches and bays, coral reefs, seagrass and mangroves. There is an IMA-supported research station at Buccoo Reef in the planning and development stage. The IMA plays a key role in co-ordinating environmental reporting including producing the 2016, 2018 and 2020 (in draft) State of the Marine Environment reports.^[13] The IDB and UWI have signed a technical co-operation agreement for the implementation of a regional monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) system for mangroves in Trinidad and Tobago.

However, there are recognised gaps in socioeconomic datasets and accounting systems. These present a key challenge, with monitoring and reporting activities taking place in a poorly co-ordinated way, and with no agreed framework of indicators for reporting (for example indicators related to SDG14: Life Below Water and other key SDGs). There is consensus among stakeholders, however, that gaps in data should not be an excuse for inaction, but that precautionary approaches should be applied while data needs are being addressed.

Investment in technical innovations could reduce the financial and resource burden of monitoring. Trinidad and Tobago has already established a voluntary vessel monitoring system (VMS) to monitor both artisanal and non-artisanal fisheries, pending approval of the draft NMPS 2021 to create a mandate for its implementation. Funding for remote monitoring, such as drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) offer an innovative solution to data gathering, as well as detecting IUU activities in the marine space.^[14]

Environmental data relating to biodiversity are currently centralised via the Trinidad and Tobago Biodiversity Information System (TTBIS),^[15] but there is no centralised hub for all SBE data, with access and sharing subject to the discretion of the agency or department that holds it. This is problematic as data relevant to the SBE are held across multiple departments and ministries across GORTT and the THA. In Tobago, participants also reported that data generated by international researchers are often not made available to support the island’s development. The IMA is currently operationalising the new Marine Data Hub.^[16] This could serve as a centralised repository for relevant SBE data from across GORTT if its scope is expanded to include relevant socioeconomic data and associated data gathering is delivered.

The development of an accessible and centralised data platform to inform MSP in Trinidad and Tobago has been identified as a key SBE priority by UNESCO.^[17] This recommendation is supported here, with associated quality control to ensure data are collected consistently and to the international standards required for MRV. The Central Statistics Office (currently being restructured as the independent National Statistical Institute) could provide a focal point for collating and centralising existing data, and lead the independent data collection and interpretation to inform SBE priorities and goals.

In July 2022, a two-year Joint SDG Fund project was announced to improve the quantity, quality and pace of disaggregated data to facilitate more robust monitoring of Trinidad and Tobago’s progress on all 17 SDGs,^[18] including SDG 14: Life Below Water. This provides an ideal opportunity to identify, prioritise and meet data needs relevant to the SBE.

Trinidad and Tobago has also been awarded over US$1 million from the GEF Trust Fund for a project designed to help meet its reporting requirements under the Enhanced Transparency Framework of the Paris Agreement. It is unclear if this will include reporting under the IPCC Wetlands Guidance for blue carbon habitats – mangroves, seagrass and saltmarsh.

As in most countries, no framework yet exists to value ecosystem benefits and resources as part of a natural capital approach needed to support decision-making, prioritisation and adaptive management for long-term delivery of an SBE. Comprehensive valuation of marine resources and benefits would support the political buy-in needed to catalyse the shift away from the central focus on the oil and gas sector in Trinidad and Tobago towards an SBE transition.

Trinidad and Tobago

Challenges

• There is no centralised system for collating SBE-related data from across GORTT, including the THA, or relevant agencies to support SBE decision-making.
• The lack of sufficient socioeconomic data is likely to be driving an under-valuation of non-energy sectors, hindering the redirection of investment needed to shift an economic focus away from the oil and gas sector in Trinidad and Tobago towards an SBE transition (see also section 3.5).
• There are currently no standardised MRV frameworks or indicators to report progress on SDGs, including SDG14.

Opportunities

• The IMA is a key asset in understanding environmental change. The State of the Marine Environment Report (2020), currently in draft, would provide a revised overview of the current environmental baseline to inform the SBE transition.
• Funding allocations to develop data gathering and MRV against NDC and SDG commitments will help to fill critical data gaps that could help to inform decision-making. But SBE data needs must be considered as part of the development process for those systems.
• The Marine Data Hub being developed by the IMA could act as a repository for SBE-related data, but its scope would need to be widened to include relevant socioeconomic data.
• Investment in technical solutions, such as drones and UAVs, could help to alleviate the burden on resources required for monitoring and data collection.
• Regional data collaborations, such as the Caribbean Marine Atlas and the Caribbean Coastal Data Centre at UWI, or international partnerships such as the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network, could be explored for the potential to fill current gaps in environmental datasets.

Footnotes

^{[1]          Ibid.}

^{[2]          Ibid.}

^{[3]          Ecotourism and community tourism policies are currently being drafted by GORTT.}

^{[4]          Hassanali, K. (2013). Examining the Ocean and Coastal Governance Framework in Trinidad and Tobago: Transitioning Towards Integrated Coastal Zone Management. United Nations–Nippon Foundation of Japan Fellowship Programme. https://www.un.org/depts/los/nippon/unnff_programme_home/fellows_pages/fellows_papers/Hassanali_1314_T&T.pdf}

^{[5]          Draft ICZM Policy Framework (2020).}

^{[6]          Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) (2018). National Protected Area Systems Plan for Trinidad and Tobago. (GORTT approved, 2019)}

^{[7]          Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (GORTT) (2016). Vision 2030: The National Development Strategy of Trinidad and Tobago 2016–2030. www.planning.gov.tt/sites/default/files/Vision%202030-%20The%20National%20Development%20Strategy%20of%20Trinidad%20and%20Tobago%202016-2030.pdf} 

^{[8]          Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (GORTT) (2022). Budget Statement 2023: Tenacity and Stability in the Face of Global Challenges. https://www.finance.gov.tt/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Budget-Statement-2023-E-Version.pdf}

^{[9]          See https://tobagoblueeconomy.com/blue-economy-challenge/}

^{[10]        US Embassy, Trinidad and Tobago (2022, September 8). ‘USAID Establishes Permanent Presence In Trinidad and Tobago’. Press release. https://tt.usembassy.gov/usaid-establishes-permanent-presence-in-trinidad-and-tobago}

^{[11]        Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) (2022, August 4), ‘Barbados to Promote Environmental Sustainability with Innovative IDB Solution’. Press release. www.iadb.org/en/news/barbados-promote-environmental-sustainability-innovative-idb-solution}

^{[12]        Objective 9 of the Draft ICZM Policy Framework 2020 is ‘To ensure continual meaningful public participation and to promote partnerships between the State (national and local government), the private sector and civil society in order to foster co-responsibility in coastal management’.}

^{[13]        See for example IMA (2016). State of the Marine Environment: Trinidad & Tobago – 2016. https://planning.gov.tt/content/state-marine-environment-report-2016}

^{[14]        Peters, S. (2021, May 22). ‘Technology to protect Buccoo Reef’. Wild Tobago. http://wildtobago.blogspot.com/2021/05/technology-to-protect-buccoo-reef.html}

^{[15]        https://ttbis.planning.gov.tt/ttbis/}

^{[16]        https://mdh.ima.gov.tt/portal/apps/sites/#/datahub}

^{[17]        UNESCO-IOC, IMA, (2021). A sustainable blue economy for Trinidad and Tobago. UNESCO (IOC Technical Series 166/ICAM Dossier no 16).}

^{[18]        Pan American Health Organization (2022). Modernising Trinidad and Tobago’s Statistical Ecosystem through Enhanced SDG Data Development. https://www.paho.org/en/trinidad-and-tobago/modernising-trinidad-and-tobagos-statistical-ecosystem-through-enhanced-sdg}