Montserrat to Benefit from OECS Plan to Reduce Marine Pollution Across Sub-Region
The Organization of Eastern Caribbean states has re-stated its plans to reduce marine pollution in member states including Montserrat.
The OECS Commission says this is one of its main priorities, which drives the Blue Economy agenda in the region.
It says the issue is being addressed through the implementation of one major project: the Building Resilience in the Eastern Caribbean through Reduction in Marine Litter (ReMLit) project.
According to the Commission, the OECS ranks among the highest in the Western Hemisphere for endemic marine species and concentration of biodiversity.
This economic arena supports an array of livelihoods, amounting to up to 30% of the labour force in some OECS Member States; the marine space supplies food, important goods and services, and contains untapped resources that can be extracted for commercial trade.
Susanna Debeauville-Scott, Project Manager, says marine litter threatens to derail efforts to transition to a blue economy in Montserrat and the rest of the OECS..
Susanna Debeauville-Scott.
The 3 million US dollar project is supporting six OECS Member States through project funding and technical advice that will address marine pollution in the Eastern Caribbean.
The countries expected to benefit are Antigua, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Lucia and St. Vincent.