St. Vincent and the Grenadines stands to benefit from a five year Caribbean Marine Biodiversity Program, as part of efforts to reduce threats to marine-coastal biodiversity in priority areas in the Caribbean.

On Friday, August 21, an official launch ceremony for the project, entitled, Grenadine Bank was held at the Multi-purpose Center in Carriacou.

A seven member delegation from St. Vincent and the Grenadines, led by Minister of Agriculture, Rural Transformation, Forestry, Fisheries and Industry, the Hon Saboto Caesar attended the launch.

The project is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), implemented by the Nature Conservancy and five local partners. It will carry out activities at the regional level and also specific interventions in four different seascapes distributed among five countries: Haiti, Jamaica, Grenada, Dominican Republic and St. Vincent & the Grenadines.

While Minister Caesar stressed on the awareness of different projects which involve the cooperation between St. Vincent, Grenada, Martinique and Carriacou which was addressed by USAID, he further pointed out the significant emphasis placed on the development of not only landscape but also the seascape of small islands and especially multi-island states.

Seascape level actions include interventions to improve management of marine protected areas and the promotion of sustainable fishing and other alternative livelihoods.

Caesar also commended Grenada’s thriving Fisheries Sector while also stating that St. Vincent and the Grenadines was moving towards the private sector, public sector joint venture enterprise to ensure that more exploration on marine resources can be achieved. He also cautioned that in the quest to develop a small multi-island state we must ensure not to take the word exploitation to illogical conclusions.

The Minister further assured that the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines would continue to support all the efforts as it pertains to conservation.

Meanwhile, Grenada’s Minister for Agriculture, Lands, Forestry & Fisheries and the Environment, the Hon Roland Bhola, said that if the Grenada Bank project is to be successful, there is need for continued coordination and corporation among our people, but more importantly, that the level of education is necessary.

Minister Bhola also stressed on the importance of the involvement of community groups as well, to ensure the effectiveness of the project.