Caribbean Review: Unlocking the Blue Economy in the British Virgin Islands

Maremagnum

The Blue Economy, both a masterstroke and an impediment for the strategic interests of the Caribbean is the current approach being employed by the British Virgin Islands (BVI) in both a local and regional attempt to revolutionize the mindset of Caribbean people. By adopting a “big ocean nation” versus “small island nation” outlook, BVI hopes to leverage its greatest asset: its ocean territory.

For the British Virgin Islands, the government adopted  “The Strategic Blue Economy Roadmap” in 2020 with hopes of prioritizing ocean-based sustainable development to fit in with international paradigms and to also capitalize on vast oceanic resources, of which have been severely underused. Yet, with the Roadmap and projected for 2025, the question remains: What progress has been made in creating the Blue Economy? 

What is the Strategic Blue Economy Roadmap?

The Strategic Blue Economy Roadmap for the British Virgin Islands (BVI) drafted in concert with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 2020 represents the nation’s commitment to utilize its vast oceanic resources in a way that builds resilience and bolsters growth. The roadmap focuses on six thematic areas that include: Enabling Conditions, Maritime Tourism, Fisheries, Aquaculture, Marine Information and Science Needs, and New Emerging Opportunities. The hope is to provide the BVI government with the strategy in order to employ a more integrated approach across government to increase economic growth. 

While there have been significant obstacles that have prevented the maximum progress and implementation of the Roadmap, the initiative has been warmly welcomed by the government. In the words of Deputy Premier Julian Fraser the blue economy aims to enable, “economic growth, environmental sustainability, and social inclusion work… for a territory like ours.” As a “big ocean nation” of 30,000 square miles of ocean versus 200 square miles of land, the blue economy seems like an obvious choice for a government looking to expand its economy. 

Following the guidance outlined in the Roadmap, intergovernmental collaborations—such as the partnership among the Ministry of Natural Resources and Labor, the Virgin Islands Recovery and Development Agency, and the United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office to provide marine equipment to the BVI—are especially significant. With specific technology to investigate the geospatial details located in the BVI’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), the BVI government can tailor present strategies within the Roadmap to produce a safer and more secure environment for development.

Yet, efforts to implement a blue economy in BVI and other states within the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) under the Caribbean Regional Oceanscape Project (CROP) in partnership with the World Bank have somewhat faltered. Under CROP, the main goal pointed to a few vague policy ambitions including strengthening capacity for ocean governance and collective geospatial planning. 

According to the World Bank, the initiative in its policy ambitions did well to meet two of the three objectives by developing training initiatives and including more stakeholders from relevant sectors within decision-making processes. However, for Objective 3, the report could not provide a representative rating only stating that CROP did well in, “strengthening the capacity and role of the OECS Commission in the blue economy space.” 

Environment as Means to Develop

At the forefront of the push for a Blue Economy has been the public campaign to intertwine environmental objectives with the sustainable development of the economy in the BVI. Days ago on January 10th, Governor Daniel Pruce released a statement regarding the new legislative agenda, in particular, addressing the “Environment, Marine Estate and Coastal Zone Management” bill. In the statement the Governor affirmed that the protection and preservation of the environment, “is extremely critical to the sustainable development of the Territory,” which is addressed in the bill. The Governor’s words align with that of the Blue Economy Strategic Roadmap, CROP Project, OECS Commission and many other stakeholders involved in the “blue-ification” of the BVI. Yet substantial progress seems to be stifled by the constant threat of hurricanes and national disasters. 

Obstacles for Blue economy

Like much of the Caribbean, economic success hinges on the progress made after recovery efforts. Officials within the Ministry of Natural Resources and Labor contend that the BVI is especially equipped for a Blue Economy to succeed. Unique from the rest of the Caribbean, The Virgin Islands Recovery and Development Agency (RDA) is the only institutionalized agency dedicated to fulfilling development projects in response to damage caused by hurricanes and torrential weather within the Caribbean. Having this tool as an asset in responding to the frequent threat of hurricanes has both made governmental response more streamlined and has emboldened the the BVI legislature to adopt an agenda themed, “Legislative Blocks of Success: Building a Sustainable Nation.” 

By theming their legislative agenda, “Building a Sustainable Nation” it signals a strong interest from the legislature to  keep the key objectives of the Strategic Roadmap alive and continuing. Yet, the paramount obstacle in establishing a Blue Economy, as highlighted by the Caribbean Development Bank, is often not the establishment of industry but the integration of industries under one policy umbrella that is all-encompassing and conducive to national advantages. 

While international initiatives like those originating from UNDP and the World Bank serve the BVI well in improving communication systems, enhancing ocean governance and aiding in technology sharing for geospatial planning in their Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) there are significant pitfalls in funding. Infrastructure needed to attract business investment and modus operandi for expanded security measures into the EEZ are just some of the amenities required to facilitate a burgeoning blue sector to which the BVI, like other Caribbean nations, are severely lacking. 

Conclusion

Overall, the Strategic Roadmap devised in collaboration with the UNDP in 2020 has benefited the BVI’s progress towards the future of its Blue Economy yet it only seems to set the stage for progress but fails to contribute actual financial resources needed to succeed. The Governor and Legislature both seem eager to delve into policy priorities that enhance the mission of the Roadmap by supporting blue sectors like fisheries, aquaculture and marine tourism but also by forwarding conservation priorities like coral reef and biodiversity protections. While there is not necessarily a roadmap to follow in the BVI for the next five years, path to a blue economy has been paved.