5. Recommendations

The recommendations set out in Table 5.1 present immediate steps which can be taken to create the necessary enabling conditions for an SBE transition in Trinidad and Tobago, with some notes on the specific actions to advance each recommendation.

Stakeholders, in addition to those engaged in the RRA process, will need to be identified and consulted.

 

5.1 Recommendations

Table 5.1: Recommendations and specific actions to enable readiness for an SBE transition in Trinidad and Tobago

Recommendations Specific actions

Appoint ministry/department to lead SBE agenda

  • Clarify leadership within GORTT, including the THA, to provide strategic steer and drive progress towards an SBE transition.
  • The lead ministry or department requires a clear mandate, terms of reference and standard operating procedure (linked to an operations manual) that enables it to:
  • steer the SBE agenda and co-ordinate across relevant stakeholders and sectors, possibly through a secretariat role to the MoPD;
  • channel resources to areas where they are most needed, building capacities, and facilitating co-ordinated actions by supporting collaborative action; and
  • ensure allocation of sufficient human and financial resource required for SBE agenda co-ordination and leadership.

Awareness-raising across government

  • The ministry/department appointed to lead the SBE agenda should undertake activities to advocate across the government to raise awareness and ensure participation of relevant departments.
  • In the interim, this could be taken up by representatives already engaged in SBE decision-making, such as IMA and the Maritime Services Division in GORTT, and the Coastal Zone Management Unit in THA.
  • Detailed analysis is needed to understand and articulate:
    • the scope of the SBE in Trinidad and Tobago;
    • the full range of sectors and policy areas that intersect with the SBE and their role within decision-making; and
    • the long-term benefits and opportunities that an SBE can deliver for the economy, the environment and society in Trinidad and Tobago.
  • Advocacy should also include political engagement to secure SBE champions at the highest decision-making levels.

Reappoint the Inter-ministerial ICZM Committee

  • Reappoint the Inter-ministerial ICZM Committee with representation from all key government ministries/departments that intersect with the SBE (including relevant representation from the THA) to co-ordinate the development and delivery of the SBE agenda in Trinidad and Tobago.
  • An equivalent committee should be established to take ownership of the SBE agenda in Tobago but with a clear relationship to the national ICZM Committee.
  • Both committees should have a cabinet/THA-approved mandate and terms of reference that enables them to:
    • steer the SBE agenda and co-ordinate across relevant stakeholders and sectors; and
    • channel resources to areas where they are most needed, building capacity and facilitating co-ordinated actions through stakeholder coalitions.

Agree on SBE definition and vision

  • Undertake workshops and consultation to develop a shared vision which sets out the aspiration for an SBE and guides SBE planning and decision-making.
  • This activity should be led by the Inter-ministerial ICZM Committee and developed in consultation with representatives of non-governmental organisations.
  • This process should form part of a wider campaign of awareness-raising, engagement and advocacy for an SBE transition with stakeholders across Trinidad and Tobago.

Accelerate cabinet approval of relevant legislation, possibly through creation of a ‘SBE Omnibus Bill’

  • There are several laws and policies relevant to the SBE that require urgent approval to improve policy coherence and facilitate implementation:
    • draft National Maritime Policy and Strategy (NMPS) (2021)
    • Shipping Bill (2019)
    • Fisheries Management Bill (2020)
    • Draft ICZM Policy Framework (2020)
    • Shipping (Marine Pollution) Bill (in draft)
  • Packaging these instruments together as an ‘Omnibus Bill for SBE’ would create a clear mandate for the SBE in Trinidad and Tobago.
  • An SBE Omnibus Bill could:
    • include a preamble that explains how the instruments relate to the SBE and each other;
    • enshrine an agreed SBE definition and vision; and
    • expand the mandate of the Inter-ministerial ICZM Committee to include co-ordination and delivery of an SBE transition.

Stakeholder engagement

  • Co-ordinated advocacy and awareness-raising on the SBE agenda activities are needed with key stakeholders to improve understanding of what an SBE means for Trinidad and Tobago, and the benefits of a transition and their role within it, and to encourage ongoing participation, support and stewardship.
  • Once approved, adopting participatory processes to implement the ICZM Policy Framework would demonstrate action and may help assuage stakeholder fatigue.
  • The GORTT, including the THA, should work with key non-governmental actors, such as CANARI and Environment Tobago, to support stakeholder coalition building and ensure inclusive and equitable processes and outcomes.

Develop an SBE strategic action plan/SBE roadmap for Trinidad and Tobago

  • The respective committees mandated to deliver an SBE transition should co-ordinate the development and delivery of an SBE roadmap for Trinidad and Tobago and associated strategic action plan (informed by the draft Tobago Blue Economy Roadmap), including appropriate stakeholder engagement.
  • Working groups could be established by the Inter-ministerial ICZM Committee to lead on key deliverables and cross-cutting priorities such as overseeing the delivery of MSP.
  • The action plan should detail a prioritised list of necessary steps over the short-, medium- and long-term, detailing the accountable agency or department in Trinidad and Tobago and the resources required. An accompanying monitoring and evaluation plan should be developed to ensure progress, with a financial plan and strategy for capacity-building as required.

Improving access to existing finance

  • Improve accessibility of existing funding streams, inter alia:
    • streamline the application process and expand eligibility for the Green Fund;
    • promote project funding calls across key stakeholder groups; and
    • enhance capacity-building for funding applications.

5.2 Other priorities for consideration

The RRA process identified several priorities that actions relevant to an SBE transition could help to address. These are listed below for consideration as part of the development of an SBE strategic action plan or as standalone activities:

  • sustainable economic diversification: e.g. developing integrated sectoral plans aligned to SBE priorities; developing new regulatory frameworks for emerging sectors; public awareness campaigns to shift consumer preferences and practices (e.g. fisheries market);
  • mobilising funding for implementation: e.g. developing a public expenditure and sustainable finance plan to support the implementation of SBE laws and policies across Trinidad and Tobago;
  • better integration of social outcomes: e.g. review existing and draft policy frameworks to identify opportunities to enhance social sustainability, such as job creation and poverty alleviation;
  • improved valuation of sectors and ecosystem benefits: e.g. development of key indicators and increasing monitoring and data related to socioeconomic factors and ecosystem valuation to improve political buy-in and support redirection of investment to sustainable initiatives and emerging sectors;
  • development of a capacity-building strategy: e.g. training and education to develop capacity within Trinidad and Tobago to support the development and delivery of new and emerging ocean-based sectors, contributing to sustainable livelihoods and supporting economic diversification; and
  • investment in technical capacity: e.g. tools and systems that support automation and digitisation, such as drones for monitoring and data gathering, digitised platforms for tourism (marketing and booking), and automated infrastructure at ports.

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