Caribbean Regional Oceanscape Project (CROP)

The SESA will also facilitate the incorporation of priority environmental and social considerations into CROP outputs and outcomes particularly as related to indigenous Kalinago community in Dominica and to concerns associated with natural habitats, especially mangroves, coral reefs and seagrass beds and their associated biodiversity at a regional level. It is, therefore, a requirement that an Indigenous People’s Planning Framework (IPPF) is embedded into the SESA.

The principles guiding the work of the CROP include:

• Equitable – should be demonstrated in the transparency and fairness practised when making decisions on user access to marine space;
  
  
• Adaptive– the MSP process should be adaptive so that it can meet the changing needs of marine space use. As data and information are available, plans should be revised to capture this new information. Thus, it is expected that the length of the planning cycles will get shorter over time as the decisions made are tested and there is less new information that needs to be considered and incorporated;
  
  
• Holistic– the MSP should cover all the potential uses of ocean space including ecological, economic, cultural, aesthetic, social etc.;
  
  
• Transparent– the decisions made under the MSP must be done in such a way that stakeholders understand how the decision came about, how resources are allocated, and how it will affect their livelihoods. This is critical to ensure buy-in from all stakeholders for the process and for adherence to the eventual rules and regulations;
  
  
• Knowledge-driven– the MSP should use the best available science as the foundation for decision-making. As new information becomes available about the natural, social and economic processes that affect the marine environment, the plan should be modified to reflect these changes. MSP decision-making should use quality, comprehensive data and information, at the appropriate scales;
  
  
• Public and political buy-in and accountability– for success the MSP must have the support of all stakeholders. The buy-in will ensure the stakeholders are advocates for the process and ensure it is done properly. Thus, MSP should be guided by a bottom-up approach. With public buy-in, the political buy-in should follow since politicians tend to follow the will of the people. Buy-in also ensures voluntary compliance resulting in less expenditure on enforcement;
  
  
• Sustainability – sustainability can be defined as the need to consider environmental, economic, social, and cultural values in meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Thus, during MSP, the quality and health of the environment should not be destroyed for economic returns - the environment and economy must go together in MSP decision-making;
  
  
• Ecosystem-based management– fundamental to the management of the ocean is consideration of the diversity, health and productivity of marine ecosystems. The marine environment must be treated as a complete indivisible systems and the interrelationship between marine users and ecosystems should be recognized. Doing this will ensure ecosystem processes and resilience are safeguarded when decisions are taken;
  
  
• Precautionary principle– this principle states that “in the face of uncertainty about potentially irreversible environmental impacts, marine management efforts must err on the side of caution, adopting a risk-averse and precautionary approach to decision making”;
  
  
• Integrated management– for MSP success there is a need to move away from traditional sectoral and species-based management approaches to a more all-encompassing approach that addresses the interrelationships among issues and sectors and between nature and development;
  
  
• Duty of care and accountability– stakeholders should act with due care to avoid negative impacts of the decision made on the marine environment and when decisions are made, persons should be held accountable for them;
  
  
• Multi-stakeholder participation– full stakeholder participation is critical so that credible, accepted rules are identified that assign responsibilities appropriately. This helps ensure stakeholder buy-in and acceptance of the rules and regulations;
  
  
• User pays and other economic instruments– If the marine environment is damaged, the persons responsible for this damage should be responsible for remedial measures; and
  
  
• Simplicity- MSP plans should be as simple as possible so that they are easily understood by users resulting in high levels of compliance.

CROP Involuntary Resettlement Policy Framework (IRPF) is an Involuntary Resettlement Policy Framework (IRPF) was prepared for the CROP. The purpose of the IRPF is to establish resettlement objectives, principles, organizational arrangements, the overall design of the resettlement programme, and funding mechanisms for any resettlement operation that may be required during the implementation of the coastal and marine spatial plans post-CROP.  The IRPF defines what constitutes resettlement, identifies resettlement impacts on displaced persons and other adversely affected groups, and outlines a viable pathway for the delivery of compensation or other resettlement assistance.