LIVING MARINE RESOURCE GOVERNANCE IN THE WIDER

CARIBBEAN

Robin MahonCentre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies

University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, Barbados

UNU-FTP/CRFM/UWI Stock Assessment CourseAugust – September 2010

University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, Barbados

OvertureCaribbean context for LMR governance is very

complex

Putting appropriate arrangements in place will not be a straightforward matter of transferring an approach from some other region

In regional LMR governance we must invent our own way

– Look at approaches that are new

– Be prepared to try them

– Be prepared to learn and adapt as we go

Large Marine Ecosystems of the world

Caribbean

Gulf of MexicoSE US Continental shelf

North Brazil shelf

The Wider Caribbean Region – Context

The region is geographically and politically highly diverse and complex

Geopolitical– 26 countries

– 44 state entities

Cultural – ethnicity, language

Size

– smallest to largest

Development – poorest to most wealthy

Hypothetical EEZs

Issues of large scale and complexity in the Wider Caribbean

Lots of technical work has been done

Has had little impact on governance

Many local efforts at management

Uncoordinated and disconnected at regional level

Duplication of effort

4

Geopolitical components of LME complexity

Number of countries

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Caribb

ean S

ea

Med

iterra

nean

Guin

ea C

urre

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Arabi

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North

Sea

Baltic

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South

Chin

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Red S

ea

Bay o

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Canar

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Agulha

s Cur

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Black

Sea

Celtic

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helf

North

Bra

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helf

East C

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Gulf

of M

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Bengu

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Somali

Coa

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Yellow

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Humbo

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Indo

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Nu

mb

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Caribbean Sea

77

Geopolitical components of LME complexity

Maritime boundaries

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

0 5 10 15 20 25

Number of countries

Nu

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er

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Geopolitical components of LME complexity

Number of Small Island Developing States (SIDS)

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10121416

No

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outh

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Caribbean Sea

Natural resource scale

99

ShrimpsFlyingfish

Large pelagics

●

Reef fishes

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

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● ●

●

●

●

●

●

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1010

WECAFC ICCAT

CARICOM

Cuba

Guatemala

Colombia

Costa Rica

Mexico

Honduras

Nicaragua

Panama

Belize

JamaicaGuyana

BahamasTrinidad & Tobago

OECS

*Anguilla****

*Netherlands Antilles

*Montserrat****

Antigua & Barbuda

Dominica

Grenada

St. Kitts & Nevis

St. Lucia

St. Vincent & Grenadines

*British Virgin I.****

Dominican Republic

Haiti Suriname

*Aruba

*Cayman I.*Turks & Caicos I.

Barbados

CARIFORUM

ACS

USA Brazil Japan

WECAFC LAC

*USVI**

*Martinique****Guadeloupe***

Venezuela

*French Guiana***

*Puerto Rico**

*** in ICCAT as French Departments

* Associate States of ACS

Canada

France

Spain

Portugal

Morocco

USSR

Korea

Uruguay

Ghana

Senegal

Ivory Coast

Angola

Gabon

Benin

Cape Verde

Sao Tome & Principe

South Africa

Bolivia

El Salvador

Ecuador

Peru

OLDE-PESCA

OSPESCA

**in ICCAT as USA

Belize

**** in ICCAT as UK

Institutional Scale Overlapping and nested fisheries related organisations

What do we mean by governance?

“Governance is the whole of public as well as private interactions taken to solve societal problems and create societal opportunities. It includes the formulation and application of principles guiding those interactions and care for institutions that enable them.”

Bavinck et al 2005

What have other regions done?

For fisheries – Classical approach is a Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (RFMO) with a mandate to assess and manage fisheries

For integrated ecosystem management covering both exploited and non-exploited resources – Few relevant precedents

What’s different about Caribbean fisheries?

Primarily many small to medium-scale fisheries that do not generate cash revenues to support a regional management organization.

No large commercial revenue earning fishery to fund RFMO as in:

West Central Pacific Commission (tunas) SE Atlantic (SEAFO)(orange roughy) NW atlantic (NAFO) (groundfish)

So …. What may be the way forward in the Caribbean?

What’s different about Caribbean fisheries?

We propose that a networking approach that makes the best use of existing organisations?

DATA AND INFORM-ATION

ANALYSIS AND ADVICE

REVIEW AND EVALUATION

IMPLEMENT-ATION

DECISION MAKING

We believe this can be approached through a governance framework using the conventional

policy cycle -- Like this one.

A networking approach that makes the best use of existing organisations?

Local

National

Global

Regional

Building a multi-level policy-cycle based governance framework

Diversity

Complete

Linked laterally

Linked vertically

DATA AND INFORM-ATION

ANALYSIS AND ADVICE

REVIEW AND EVALUATION

IMPLEMENT-ATION

DECISION MAKING

The LME governance framework

Long-term goal

fully-functional policy cycles at all appropriate levels with

the appropriate vertical and lateral linkages.

Framework building

Can be approached incrementally with interventions

Specifically targeted at:

Establishing or completing policy cycles

Building or enhancing linkages

Building the CLME Governance Framework“Learning by doing”

CLME and CSI - Monitoring and reporting for fisheries

UNGA – CSDCOFI?

ACS – CSI/CSC

WECAFC?CARICOM/CRFM?SICA/OSPESCA?OECS/ESDU?

OECS?WECAFC FFWG?

CRFM?

OSPESCA?WECAFC WG?

Lobster cycle

Pelagics cycle

Flyingfish cycle

Regional/subregional fisheries policy cycle

Global marine policy cycle

Caribbean Sea regional policy cycle

Global

Regional

National

Local

FISHERIES SUB-FRAMEWORK

A wide variety of technical entities with expertise in relevant areas

ACS Caribbean Sea Commission reviews advice provided in response to specific requests to appropriate agencies

ACS Council

Primarily national and local agencies

Caribbean Sea Commission and technical agencies

ACS policy cycle for living marine resources

DATA AND INFORM-ATION

ANALYSISAND

ADVICE

REVIEW AND

EVALUATION

IMPLEMENT-ATION

DECISION MAKING

CSI - Monitoring and reporting

UNGA – CSDCOFI?

ACS– CSI/CSC

There will be a sub-framework for

each of several sectors topical

areas

Global marine policy cycle

Caribbean Sea regional policy cycle

Global

Regional

National

Local

Tourism

Trans-portation

Land-based

pollution

FisheriesBiodiv-ersity

CLME and CSI - Monitoring and reporting

UNGA – CSDCOFI?

ACS– CSI/CSC

Global marine policy cycle

Caribbean Sea regional policy cycle

Global

Regional

National

Local

Tourism

Trans-portation

Land-based

pollution

FisheriesBiodiv-ersity

Dialogue on types of indicators that would be of interest in regular monitoring and useful in shaping policy.

Specific requests for information and advice.

Feedback on information provided

Dialogue on types of indicators that would be of interest in regular monitoring and useful in shaping policy.

Regular reports on agreed indicators.

Responses to specific requests

ACS and partners have been pursuing the CSI since 1998

Mainly through promotion of the UN Resolution ‘Towards the sustainable development of the Caribbean Sea for present and future generations’ at the UN General Assembly.First adopted in 1999 (Res 54.225)Reported upon, revised and readopted in 2000, 2002,

2004, 2006, 2008 (Res 55.203, Res 61.197, 63.214))Upcoming report in 2010

Caribbean Sea Initiative (CSI)

In the resolution the UNGA:

‘Recognizes that the Caribbean Sea is an area of unique biodiversity and a highly fragile ecosystem that requires relevant regional and international development partners to work together to develop and implement regional initiatives to promote the sustainable conservation and management of coastal and marine resources, including, inter alia, the consideration of the concept of the Caribbean Sea as a special area in the context of sustainable development, including its designation as such without prejudice to relevant international law’.

Caribbean Sea Initiative (CSI)

The UNGA resolution also: Takes note of the efforts of the Caribbean States and the work undertaken

by the CSC of the ACS... Welcomes the plan of action adopted by the CSC... Recognizes the efforts of Caribbean countries to create conditions leading

to sustainable development ... Calls upon the UN system and the international community to assist [...]

Caribbean countries and their regional organizations [...] to ensure the protection of the Caribbean Sea...

Calls upon the international community, the UN system and the multilateral financial institutions, and invites the GEF [...] to support [...] activities of the Caribbean States towards [...] the sustainable management of coastal and marine resources;

Urges the UN system and the international community to continue to provide aid and assistance to the countries of the Caribbean region [for] disaster prevention, preparedness, mitigation, management, relief and recovery

Caribbean Sea Initiative (CSI)

As part of the CSI the CSC was established in 2008 to promote and oversee the sustainable use of the Caribbean Sea.The Commission shall comprise: National delegations of Members and Associate MembersThe Secretary General of the Association Organisations

The Economic Commission of Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) The Latin American Economic System (CELA) The Central American Integration System (SICA) The Permanent Secretariat for the General Agreement on Central American

Economic Integration (SIECA) The Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO)

Three experts appointed by the Secretary General in consultation with Members and Associate Members

Operating Statute and Rules of Procedure of the CSC, January 2009

Caribbean Sea Commission (CSC)

The Caribbean Sea Commission comprises:The Caribbean Sea Commission comprises: A Bureau comprising the Chair, the two Vice-chairs, and the A Bureau comprising the Chair, the two Vice-chairs, and the

Secretariat;Secretariat; A Legal Sub-Commission;A Legal Sub-Commission; A Scientific and Technical Sub-Commission;A Scientific and Technical Sub-Commission; A Governance, Public Information and Outreach Sub-Commission;A Governance, Public Information and Outreach Sub-Commission; A Budget CommitteeA Budget Committee

Caribbean Sea Commission Caribbean Sea Commission (CSC)(CSC)

Scientific and Technical Subcommission Scientific and Technical Subcommission Cochairs Cochairs Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies, Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies,

University of the West Indies, Barbados and University of the West Indies, Barbados and Centro de Investigaciones Marinas, Universidad de la Habana, Centro de Investigaciones Marinas, Universidad de la Habana,

Cuba;Cuba; Governance, Outreach and Public Information Governance, Outreach and Public Information

Subcommission cochairs Subcommission cochairs CARICOMCARICOM SICASICA

Legal Subcommission cochairsLegal Subcommission cochairs Mr. Oscar Monge Castro, Attorney-at-Law, Costa Rica Mr. Oscar Monge Castro, Attorney-at-Law, Costa Rica Mr Derrick Oderson Attorney-at-Law, Barbados.Mr Derrick Oderson Attorney-at-Law, Barbados.

CSC SubcommissionsCSC Subcommissions

The Sub-Commissions will support the mandate of the The Sub-Commissions will support the mandate of the CSC by:CSC by:

Clarifying information that the CSC needs to meet its mandate to Clarifying information that the CSC needs to meet its mandate to provide advice to the ACS council;provide advice to the ACS council;

Identifying individuals, organizations or projects that can provide Identifying individuals, organizations or projects that can provide the expertise and information needed;the expertise and information needed;

Coordinating the acquisition, review and synthesis of the Coordinating the acquisition, review and synthesis of the information needed;information needed;

Formulating or overseeing the formulation of draft advisory Formulating or overseeing the formulation of draft advisory documents for consideration by the CSC;documents for consideration by the CSC;

Obtaining and providing clarification as requested by the CSC on Obtaining and providing clarification as requested by the CSC on any submitted draft advisory documents in a timely manner.any submitted draft advisory documents in a timely manner.

CSC SubcommissionsCSC Subcommissions

CSC adopted the LME Governance Framework as its working model for regional ocean governance arrangements

CSC will focus first on living marine resources which are the basis for livelihoods in fisheries, tourism and domestic recreation, as well as providing many other ecosystem services

Based on partnership with CLME Project with focus on transboundary living marine resources in the Wider Caribbean Region

CSC role in regional ocean governance

This contribution has been developed through:

The MarGov ProjectMarine Resource Governance in the Eastern Caribbean (MarGov Project)

A Project at CERMES supported by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC, Canada

And

The PROGOVNET Project‘Strengthening Principled Ocean Governance Networks -

Transferring Lessons from the Caribbean to the Wider Ocean Governance Community’

A joint project of Dalhousie University, the International Ocean Institute, Canada and CERMES, UWISupported by

The Nippon Foundation

Thanks