EU-Caribbean workshop on marine scientific cooperation

Registration and participant check-in

(on-site and online)

Welcome

Hon. Davidson I. Ishmael, M.P. Minister of Industry, Innovation, Science and Technology (MIST)

Opening Address

Ms Maria Cristina Russo, Director, Global Approach and International Cooperation in R&I, European Commission

Message

Ms Fenny Steenks, Deputy Head of the EU Mission to Barbados

Welcome

Prof. R. Clive Landis, PhD, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of the West Indies

Keynote speech
Marine regional research priorities and capacity building needs

Mr Milton O. Haughton Executive Director, Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism

Keynote speech
The Oceans programme, Healthy Oceans & Seas

Ms Szilvia Nemeth, B4 Ocean Unit, European Commission

Group photo & coffee break

Presentation of the meeting agenda

Mr Luis Samaniego-Moffre, Directorate for Global Approach and International Cooperation in R&I, European Commission

Bridging marine research in the Caribbean with global policy and targets - perspectives from the BIOPAMA programme

Mr Stephen Peedell and Ms Cristina Lázaro, Joint Research Centre, European Commission

Pitches from projects and initiatives (EU and CAR), 5 minutes each (tbc)

• Marine projects in UWI Jamaica, Dr Julian Walcott, Technical Officer, Caribbean Protected Areas Gateway, UWI-CERMES
• BlueMissionAA - “The Coordination Hub of the Atlantic & Arctic Lighthouse”, Mr José Moutinho, Chief Business & Networking Officer, AIR Centre, Portugal
• Blue Economy Research Agenda, Allena Joseph, Technical Specialist, Ocean Governance & Fisheries Unit, Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS)
• Marine Protected Areas Europe, Horizon Europe project, Mr Thanos Smanis, Project Partner
• Sustainable Development & Coastal zone management - Ms Karima Degia, Deputy Director at the Barbados´ Prime Minister Office
• Coastal Restoration with Nature and People: The A-AAGORA project living lab concept, Ms Ana Lillebø, A-AAGORA Scientific Coordinator, CESAM, University of Aveiro, Portugal
• “Priorities in Research Related with Environmental Quality of Cuban Bays and Coastal Areas”, Ms Marlen Pérez Hernández, Deputy Director, Center for Research and Environmental Management of Transport
• Marine Research Infrastructure Towards Sustainable Ocean Partnerships, Mr Rubén Marrero Gomez, PLOCAN, Spain
• Blue Economy Research Needs for Caribbean SIDS, Mrs Arlene Young, Director of the Belize Coastal Management Authority & Institute
• Mr John Crowley, President of Produire Mieux Consommer Moins (PHGD), social aspects related to CC, blue economy, social and digital inequalities, ocean literacy and others

Q&A

Presentation on preliminary study results and of questions for discussion

Ms Juliana Chaves-Chaparro, Team leader EC action

• What are the research capacities, priorities and capacity building needs to inform policy stakeholders about?
• In which topics Civil Society Organisations (CSO) and Indigenous and Local Knowledge (ILK) holders shall be more deeply involved?
• What about policy makers? Industry?
• How to foster intra-regional cooperation? And international-EU linkages?
• How can SIDS participate and benefit better from research outputs?

Presentation of moderators and division into thematic working groups:

Group 1) Community resilience and climate change, i.a.:

• How to build resilience and opportunities for communities facing climate change and natural disaster, especially women and vulnerable groups?
• How to co-produce the necessary knowledge and ocean literacy to address new upcoming challenges i.e. Sargassum?
• What are the best ways to improve the dialogue between academic and ILK to address the social and environmental challenges of the Caribbean region?

Moderator: Mr. Dewdath BHAGGOE, Deputy Director, Meteorological Service Suriname

Group 2) Healthy ecosystems for SDG 14, i.a:

• What knowledge is needed to implement international agreements and address national challenges for the restauration of coral reefs, mangroves, sea grass beds?
• For the management of marine protected areas?
• The BBNJ agreement in promoting research cooperation on common challenges: liquid and solid pollution, Sargassum, health, etc.

Moderator: Dr Julian Walcott, Technical Officer, Caribbean Protected Areas Gateway, UWI-CERMES

Group 3) Fostering societal reliance on oceans:

• How to foster sustainable and fair blue economy in the Caribbean?
• What is the desirable contribution of tourism, biodiversity and ecosystem services (including fisheries and aquaculture), algae, blue bonds, transport and others to it?
• How to promote sustainable use of marine resources by all stakeholders (including vulnerable groups and SIDS) in the framework of the BBNJ implementation?
• How to leverage social innovation, arts and culture to enhance it?

Moderator: Hamish Asmath, Marin project, restoration seagrass and coral reefs, Institute of Marine Affairs, Trinidad & Tobago

Group 4) Ocean observation for governance:

• How can it help in the ocean and coastal spatial planning, disaster risks prevention, data, and infrastructure access?
• How to enhance intra- and interregional cooperation and compliance, i.a. to the BBNJ?
• New insights to promote the science-policy interface.

Moderator: Dr Arlene Young, Director of the Belize Coastal Management Authority & Institute

Lunch

Thematic group discussions part 1

Coffee break

Thematic group discussions part 2

Preliminary conclusions of thematic groups

(10 minutes each)

Q&A Conclusions and final remarks

• Mr Luis Samaniego-Moffre, Directorate for Global Approach and International Cooperation in R&I, European Commission

Closing remarks

• Mrs Shelly Ann Cox, Chief Fisheries Officer, Ministry of Environment and National Beautification, Barbados

Mix and match cocktail (bus shuttle)