Veta Wade, Founder and Director of Fish ’N Fins Inc., a leading Caribbean marine conservation grassroots NGO, and Finalist in the 2020 Global Ocean Awards, will be launching “A Framework for an Equitable Caribbean Blue Economy,” whitepaper at the inaugural Aqua Caribbean Blue Economy Conference on Saturday November 14, 2020 at 12:30 pm – 4:30 pm ECT.
According to a statement from organisers, the conference provides an opportunity to engage diverse stakeholders who want to make a difference by supporting the development of the next generation and protecting our oceans. The
whitepaper offers readers five recommendations for ‘blue’ collaborative efforts in the Caribbean, which could be adopted by any small island developing state or territory around the world.
“The intended objective of this framework is to create a pathway that further informs the Caribbean Blue Economy through a wider set of values and visions, especially those of the most often excluded groups, when planning for a sustainable ocean economy for the Caribbean’s future generation,” said Wade.
“The framework recognizes that more can be achieved in partnership and that impact can be multiplied through collaboration. With the recommendations below, this framework aims to put native people in charge of their futures by empowering our local communities to support transformational change in equitable collaboration with international NGOs, academia, and the business sector.”
Wade says she coined the term the Equitable Caribbean Blue Economy (ECBE) as a model for community-led governance that supports justice and sustainable development for all. She explains the ECBE as a pathway to building, “more diverse and inclusive relationships to contribute to the solutions for the future of our ocean economy.”
Over the past six years, under Wade’s leadership of Fish ‘N Fins Inc. has formed long-term partnerships with major organizations and institutions such as the Waitt Institute, Brown University, and Google’s Moonshot Factory, helping Fish ‘N Fins Inc. achieve their mission to empower and unite Caribbean youth in creating and sharing solutions that will safeguard the future of ‘our ocean’, grow an equitable blue economy, and build climate resilience.
The whitepaper which is free to registered delegates of the conference provides five key recommendations:
1. Provide access to the ocean and ocean opportunities through education
2. Make social impact a strategic business priority of funders and industry
3. Modernize the academic science research model and invest in local science talent
4. Empower local nonprofits and strengthen collaboration at the organizational level
5. Create legacy projects
This white paper is also the inspiration behind this year’s inaugural AQUA Caribbean Blue Economy Conference, taking place this Saturday, November 14th between 12 noon and 4:30 pm, ECT.
All delegates will receive a free copy of the white paper.
About Fish ‘N Fins Inc.
Fish ‘N Fins Inc. serves as the kids’ ocean club based on the Caribbean island of Montserrat, and is on a mission to “teach children to swim, snorkel and protect our ocean through ed-venture, citizen science and leadership programs.” They work with kids from kindergarten to 6th grade teaching them about ocean creatures and ecosystems, and nurturing passionate future ocean conservation leaders. In 2019, they launched the Ocean Leadership program to empower and unite Caribbean youth in creating and sharing solutions that will safeguard the future of ‘our ocean’, grow our blue economy, and build climate resilience.
