Marine Spatial Planning

In 2022, we developed an Integrated Marine Management Strategy for the Nonsuch Bay area to protect the marine and coastal ecosystems that support the local blue economy, while exploring sustainable financing mechanisms to ensure adequate marine management and enforcement. Our strategy was informed by ecological surveys of coral reef, mangrove, and seagrass bed ecosystems as well as interviews with diverse stakeholders including fishers, tour operators, and coastal homeowners. EMC’s vision is in line with the Environmental Awareness Group’s (EAG) proposal for an Offshore Island Nature Reserve, which also aims to manage coastal and terrestrial resources within the Nonsuch Bay area.

In the coming year, we’ll be sharing this strategy with fellow stakeholders in order to gather feedback before working alongside the EAG to determine our next course of action. We welcome any feedback on the draft strategy available below.