THE protection of marine and coastal resources in Guyana and Suriname will be boosted significantly with a grant from the European Union (EU) to the tune of EUR 1.25 million.The agreement, initiating the multi-million dollar project, was signed on Monday by the EU Ambassador for Guyana and Suriname, Jernej Videti? and WWF Guianas’ Representative, Laurens Gomes at the Regency Suites.

The project, “Promoting Integrated and Participatory Ocean Governance in Guyana and Suriname: the Eastern Gate to the Caribbean” was birthed out of a series of coordinated regional project planning and design efforts amongst WWF Guianas, Protected Areas Commission (Guyana), the Nature Conservation Service of the Ministry of ROGB (Suriname), and the Green Heritage Fund Suriname (GHFS).

Its primary goal is to increase protection of marine and coastal resources in Guyana and Suriname through participatory spatial planning, inclusive of defining priorities for marine protection and wise use.

Speaking in the presence of WWF Country Manager, Aiesha Williams; Protected Areas Commission (PAC) Commissioner, Denise Fraser; and Head of the Department of Environment, Ndibi Schwiers, among other stakeholders, Ambassador Videti? said significant benefits are to be derived from the project.

“Roughly 1.1 million people will directly and indirectly benefit from the project as it aims at addressing the challenges deriving from climate change, fisheries, and carbon storage and thus contributes to decreasing the vulnerability of this part of the region,” the EU Ambassador explained.

“It will significantly enhance the protection of marine and coastal resources of Guyana and Suriname,” he further emphasised.

WWF Country Manager, in explaining components of the project, said that the ocean and coastal resources are vital to human development and sustainability of the environment. “Oceans and coastal ecosystems support important fisheries, major nursery grounds, spawning grounds, and a rich diversity of marine species of local, regional and global significance,” Williams explained.
The economic benefits deriving from the oceans and coastal resources are tremendous, she further pointed out while alluding to the Fishing Industry, and the Oil and Gas Sector.

Notwithstanding these facts, the WWF Country Manager said the “over exploitation” of green resources in the Guianas and the entire Caribbean cannot be underscored.

As such, the project will enable stakeholders to understand the impacts of exploitation on the oceans and coastal resources with primary intention of coming up with plausible solutions on how to govern and protect the environment.

On the issue of exploitation, the WWF Guianas Representative said although the ocean is one of the greatest gifts to mankind capturing, more Carbon Dioxide than all the forest in the world, there are worrying signs of overfishing, not only in Guyana but Suriname as well.

As such, through the project, Gomes said another study will be launched to garner additional information on the issue of overfishing. Additionally, he said the project will also enable the key stakeholders to effectively plan for the emerging oil and gas sector in Guyana with focus on the oceans and coastal resources.

Whilst existing pressures are recognized, such as overfishing and increased hydrocarbon exploration, there are significant data gaps, which hamper efforts to sustainably manage the marine environment in an informed manner.

It was explained that the project will fill critical information gaps by developing comprehensive and visually appealing spatial data (a GIS atlas and 3-D ocean maps) collated through participatory processes, enabling informed decision-making regarding marine protection and management.

More specifically, the project will contribute a substantive positive impact towards achieving 10 per cent of Suriname/Guyana EEZ designated as Marine Protected Areas, which is a commitment each country has made on the Aichi Biodiversity Targets of the Convention on Biological Diversity. Additionally, Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) processes will enhance an ecosystem-based framework for managing activities in the marine environment.

Full engagement and empowerment of key ocean users – including key national agencies adopting leading roles with this project – will ensure a stakeholder led results. It is envisioned that increased marine protection and strengthened governance will safeguard marine and coastal biodiversity and economic development in Guyana and Suriname.