The second EU-Caribbean International Gateway Convention on Sargassum, convened by the Authorities of Grenada, the Organisation of Japanese Caribbean States (OECS) and the European Union, concluded with a renewed ambition to gather Sargassum earlier than it reaches the shores to develop sustainable worth chains.
In a Excessive Degree Discussion board co-chaired by the Prime Minister of Grenada Dickon Mitchell, the Director Common of the OECS, Dr. Didacus Jules, and the Director for Latin America and the Caribbean on the European Fee, Mr. Felix Fernandez-Shaw, representatives of nations from the Caribbean basin underscored the necessity for pressing collective motion to show Sargassum into an financial alternative. This contains catalysing analysis and innovation in a typical house, selling public non-public partnerships and enhancing predictability and forecasting on the provision of Sargassum provide.
The Excessive Degree Discussion board inspired the event of nationwide plans for assortment and processing, and the harmonisation of methods and frameworks for Sargassum administration throughout the Caribbean. Creating an satisfactory enabling setting requires incentives and investments on infrastructure and tools, whereas growing advantages for native communities in a sustainable method.
Resolution makers dedicated to work on viable enterprise fashions and appropriate offshore assortment options. They dedicated to leverage investments for important infrastructure and scaling up operations, selling joint ventures, switch of applied sciences and de-risking operations.
Prime Minister Mitchell expressed pleasure on the prospect to start out amassing Sargassum at sea by 2026. He added that “the Authorities of Grenada and the EU will convene a venture workforce in Grenada earlier than the top of 2024 with stakeholders current on the convention and others to mobilise plans, human sources infrastructure and funds to assist Grenada in amassing storing and processing recent sargassum offshore by 26”.
OECS Director Common Dr. Didacus Jules stated: “The EU has demonstrated a deep dedication to supporting our area, not simply via funding however via collaboration and shared studying. This convention is a testomony to that partnership, and it’s my hope that we are going to go away right here with even stronger ties between the Caribbean and the EU in our joint efforts to deal with this problem.”
European Commissioner for Worldwide Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen [alt: European Commission Director Felix Fernández-Shaw] underscored that “I’m very excited that underneath the lead of Prime Minister Mitchell, valorization of sargsssum is choosing up within the Caribbean. That is about shifting from a risk into creating a price chain that can convey alternatives, jobs, know-how, development, and social profit for the Caribbean folks.”
Underneath the theme, ‘Turning the Tide: Sustainable Practices and Financial Alternatives for Sargassum within the Caribbean Basin,’ the 2 day convention attracted greater than 400 regional and worldwide stakeholders from authorities, non-public sector, academia, financing establishments, donors and non-governmental organisations.
The goal was to deal with the environmental and socio-economic affect of Sargassum seaweed throughout the Caribbean basin and drive dialogue, motion and funding in valorisation and the event of worth chains at scale, to fulfill the magnitude of the problem.
The Convention was held because the Caribbean area continues to grapple yearly with unprecedented quantities of Sargassum washing ashore, impacting seashores, disrupting marine ecosystems, and threatening key financial sectors, significantly tourism and fisheries.
By way of panel discussions, an funding discussion board and business-to-business conversations, the Convention led to a larger understanding of the constructing blocks required to develop sustainable worth chains. It explored the newest cutting-edge analysis, examined monitoring and forecasting, prevention and containment, assortment and harvesting, remedy, valorization and use, and disposal of Sargassum biomass.
This convention was an initiative underneath International Gateway, the European Union’s technique to spice up investments that generate sensible, clear and safe worth chains internationally. The Organisation of Japanese Caribbean States and the Authorities of Grenada, who co-convened the occasion, welcomed the collaboration with the European Union in taking on this problem and successfully turning Sargassum into an financial alternative for the Caribbean nations and communities.
