Award-winning Caribbean based conservationist Veta Wade, says if the ocean were a nation, it would rank as the seventh-largest economy in the world, and she wants to help islanders harness the full potential of their most powerful resource.
Caribbean countries are highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change and are investing in their ocean economies to give themselves the best chance of survival. Wade is hosting the virtual AQUA Caribbean Conference on November 14, 2020. It is the first conference of its kind to focus exclusively on Blue Economy action in the region.
Global experts will offer strategic, economic and developmental insights into emerging sectors of the Blue Economy. They will also highlight important social considerations that will ensure the growth of the Blue Economy is sustainable, equitable and inclusive. To encourage this shift in the Blue Economy, the inaugural Aqua Caribbean Conference will focus on:
Access to training and development opportunities
Raising the profile of minority conservationists
Equitable collaboration
Ocean-conscious innovative businesses
Ocean-impact innovations
The AQUA Caribbean Conference will have 3,000 global participants and a selection of regional and global thought leaders. Attendance is free for 15-25 year-olds and βBritainβs Got Talentβ finalist, βMagical Bonesβ will be providing entertainment. The Caribbean based ocean advocate is at the forefront of this charge and is recognized globally for the positive influences her NGO βFish and Finsβ have had on young people regionally. Her programs are focused on teaching a generation how to swim and reduce negative impacts on ocean resources.
Wade says she is working towards the Caribbean Blue Economy becoming profitable within a collaborative framework. βIn order to achieve these things, we must preserve the magnificence and wealth of our oceans by creating home-based sustainable solutions that make a measurable difference to the lives and livelihoods of Caribbean people. I want to expand our research capabilities, further develop our science, and build a platform that trains and supports ocean leaders now and in the future.β
Our esteemed conference ambassador is Peter Lurssen, CEO of the world’s foremost super yacht builder, Imperial Yachts. In line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, Aqua Caribbeanβs Blue Economy Conference reflects the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and the UN International Decade for People of African Descent.
