‘Game-changer’ for small states

The blue economy can be a game-changer for Barbados, but not without action against harmful fisheries subsidies and overall fairer global cooperation facilitated by the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

That was the submission last Thursday of Matthew Wilson, Barbados’ Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, WTO and other international organisations in Geneva, Switzerland.

“The blue economy, which is not something that we necessarily discuss in the WTO in a very concrete way, is a real game-changer for small island developing states, if we do it properly, if small island developing states (SIDS) are in the driver’s seat,” the diplomat said during a WTO Public Forum 2024 session on The Big Blue Agenda: Can SIDS Triumph In A Re-globalised World?

“Far too often, SIDS and [other] small states have been regulatory-takers rather than regulatorymakers. And here, when it comes to the blue economy, we have got to be at the forefront of developing how this unfolds, and I believe that here in the WTO, we have a shared responsibility to do that.” Wilson noted that “a lot of people call us big ocean states, because clearly, our ocean space is much, much bigger than our land space”. However, he was unsure how he felt about this designation considering the several challenges Barbados and other SIDS had in relation to exploiting the full potential of their ocean spaces.

“That designation . . . creates this illusion of ownership over our oceans and the vast potential within it. It makes it seem that we’re able to survey and leverage these incredible resources, that we have the right financing, that we have the right technology to exploit the potential in the global commons.

“The fact is that we simply do not. We are like landlords gifted acres and acres of land that we simply cannot use.”

The ambassador argued that in these circumstances, SIDS like Barbados “will need to rely on fair global cooperation to sustainably manage our blue economy and our green economy in ways that can contribute to addressing some of the global problems that we’re facing.

“And the WTO has a crucial role to play there by giving us a voice, by making sure that there is a discussion here in the WTO on the relationship between trade policy and the climate crisis, and to come up with concrete solutions for us to be able to improve our extremely vulnerable state,” he advised.

Wilson also highlighted the importance of resolving fisheries subsidies issues at the WTO in the context of SIDS accessing the riches in their marine environment. This included solving the problem of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

“I can tell you, along the shores of Barbados, I have seen with my own eyes machinery and waste from foreign IUU fishing vessels washing up on our beaches. So IUU fishing is real and it has disastrous consequences. I simply have one request – ratify Fish 1 [the WTO agreement] on harmful fishery subsidies,” he urged.

“We have to really work on harnessing the incredible potential of the ocean. That means encouraging investment in marine renewable energy sources, offshore wind farms, wave and tidal energy. All of this will reduce reliance on fossil fuels.” (SC)

Barbados’ Ambassador in Geneva, Switzerland, Matthew Wilson, speaking during the World Trade Organisation’s Public

Forum 2024. (GP)