Saint Lucia’s National Ocean Policy and Strategic Action Plan (NOP SAP) 2020–2035.

This National Ocean Policy (NOP) establishes a framework for integrated marine planning and management of Saint Lucia’s marine space and the activities from 2020 until 2035, in order to ensure sustainable development of marine areas, protection of the marine environment for the present and the future generation and the transition towards an ecosystem-based approach for the marine space, and pursue a Blue Economy through the effective coordination of all public bodies with responsibility for maritime and ocean affairs. The vision of the Policy aims at achieving a coastal and marine resources sustainably managed to optimise the benefits of the Blue Economy, ensure resilience to climate impacts, protect and restore Saint Lucia’s natural capital and valuable marine ecosystems, and nurture the country's natural and cultural heritage for the benefit of current and future generations. The Policy is inspired by the following principles: island systems management, as a multidisciplinary, integrated approach to address conflict in resource use and provide necessary policy orientation to control the impacts of human intervention; ecosystem based management; environmental stewardship; sustainable development; public-private participation; use of best practices; precautionary approach; access and benefit sharing, considering that access to common ocean resources for private profit should be priced to give a fair and equitable rate of return for national and local benefit, and governance of access to ocean resources should reflect the national and community interest; environmental liability; trans-boundary cooperation; gender equality and inclusivity; good governance.
The Policy describes the following eight outcomes and related goals: 1) access and rights to utilise marine resources; 2) monitoring, control and respond to human activity at sea; 3) improving ecosystem integrity; 4) enhancing sustainable socio-economic development; 5) adoption of marine spatial planning and integrated management of marine and coastal resources; 6) increasing ocean stewardship, awareness, participation; 7) strengthening resilience to reduce the risks of climate related hazards; 8) improving research and technical capability and capacity. Concerning the goals, the Policy focuses on: maintaining maritime boundaries, in order to secure, exercise and protect their rights and jurisdiction over marine areas and resources; exercising and protecting rights and jurisdiction over marine areas and resources; implementing a national enabling legislative framework to allow for statutory delivery of international obligations regarding safety at sea and marine pollution; enhancing capacity-building and training of marine professionals and seafarers, in line with international standards; protecting the overall quality of the marine environment by managing the impact of human activity on ecosystem goods and services; conservation and enhancement of the marine environment including sensitive and important species and habitats, through a network of Marine Protected Areas; mainstreaming the sustainable use of marine resources, marine fisheries, marine aquaculture within national policies and planning frameworks, to support long term socio-economic development; implementing a strategic plan for developing and delivering the skills needed to support the Blue Economy; enabling an integrated approach to planning and management of marine and coastal resources.