National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 2020.

The National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan is a national policy covering the period between 2020 and 2035. This policy lays down priority targets for biodiversity conservation in Barbados as follows: (I) awareness-raising on the values of biodiversity and its conservation and sustainable use by 2030, (II) taking steps by the Government, businesses and stakeholders at all levels to achieve and implement plans for sustainable production and consumption and utilization of natural resources within safe ecological limits by 2030, (III) decreasing the rate of loss of natural habitats, including forests, by 2035, (IV) sustainable management of areas under agriculture, aquaculture and forestry by 2030, (V) bringing pollution, including from excess nutrients, to levels that are not detrimental to ecosystem function and biodiversity by 2030, (VI) management of priority established species and taking measures to prevent the introduction and establishment of new invasive alien species by 2030, (VII) identifying and minimizing the effects of the sources of endogenous anthropogenic pressures on coral reefs by 2030, (VIII) designation of areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem services as protected areas and development of plans for effective area-based conservation measures by 2030, (IX) identifying and mitigating the pressures on known threatened species and improving their conservation status by 2030, (X) maintaining the genetic diversity of cultivated plants and farmed and domesticated animals and of wild relatives, including other socio-economically as well as culturally valuable species, and developing strategies for minimizing genetic erosion and safeguarding their genetic diversity by 2030, (XI) documentation, equitable sharing, transfer of all traditional and scientific knowledge and technology relating to biodiversity by 2030, and (XII) increasing financial resources to conduct projects and research in the area of biodiversity by 2025.
Public awareness will be raised on matters related to biodiversity conservation and management at the national level. Education and awareness activities will be carried out in response to new developments and /or occurrences in biodiversity matters. Sustainable production and consumption and utilization of natural resources within safe ecological limits will be ensured in accordance with the national goal of building a Green Economy and the objective of promoting the sustainable use of renewable resources and the wise management of non-renewable natural resources. Species-specific management plans will be developed for the identified species to ensure their continued regeneration, and management plans will be developed to control alien and other predatory species and, where possible, ecological factors which negatively impact on the identified species. Furthermore, natural habitats will be protected by effectively implementing the land use policies pertaining to natural heritage conservation, identifying species of fauna and flora requiring ex-situ conservation measures, and developing a national register of biological resources for ex situ conservation.
Sustainable practices will be promoted for active members of the agricultural, aquacultural, and forestry sectors to conserve biodiversity. Specific programs will be developed to minimize the impacts of agriculture and aquaculture activities on biodiversity, such as National Integrated Pest Management Programme and National Programme for Organic Farming, including training and certification. In addition, indigenous knowledge and innovations on environmentally-sound and biologically-diverse farming practices will be disseminated. The use of herbicides and pesticides will be regulated and restricted to prevent biodiversity loss. Moreover, pollution control will be strengthened by establishing a formal reporting mechanism for sharing information on sources and levels of pollution and recorded impacts on all aspects of biodiversity. The Marine Pollution Control Act and the Solid Waste Management Act will be enforced, particularly on the matters regarding illegal dumping and waste disposal. Measures will be taken to minimize the impacts of invasive alien species of flora and fauna on local biodiversity. Monitoring programs will be established, in collaboration with key agencies, to track populations of priority invasive species and their impact on biodiversity. Coral reefs and other coastal ecosystems will be protected against the impacts of global climate change and ocean acidification.
Management action plans will be developed for zones of protection for important biodiversity and ecosystem services. Threatened species of flora and fauna will be identified and new monitoring programs will be initiated to assess threats to and status of native biodiversity. Genetic diversity of socio-economically and culturally important species of cultivated plants and animals and their wild relatives will be protected and a national register of genetically significant breeds will be established. All traditional and scientific knowledge and technology relating to biodiversity will be shared in an equitable manner in line with the national project related to provisions of the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing. Financial resources will be provided to conduct national projects and research in the field of biodiversity. A National Biodiversity Unit will be established to deal with the implementation of the NBSAP and other matters related to biodiversity conservation, sustainable use and overall management.