Published 12 June 2025
Buckie Got It
St. Kitts and Nevis News Source
CFBC Press Release
Thursday 12th June 2025| For Immediate Release
ST. KITTS & NEVIS LAUNCHES NATIONAL DIALOGUE ON MARINE LITTER PREVENTION AND CIRCULAR ECONOMY SOLUTIONS UNDER PROMAR INITIATIVE
Basseterre, St. Kitts: Stakeholders from government, civil society, academia, and the private sector gathered at the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College (CFBC) on 11th June 2025 for the launch of the project and a two-day national workshop focused on marine litter prevention, exploring strategies for reducing plastic pollution, promoting circular economy solutions and strengthening waste management systems.
The two-day workshop, which ends on 12th June, is a key component of the national dialogue under the Prevention of Marine Litter in the Caribbean Sea (PROMAR), which is a regional initiative aimed at tackling the growing issue of marine litter, particularly plastic waste, in the Caribbean.
Speaking at the Launch, Dr. Leighton Naraine, Research Manager at the CFBC and St. Kitts and Nevis PROMAR Project Lead, emphasised the urgent need for coordinated national action to address marine litter and plastic pollution.
Quoting statistics from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in 2020, he said “twenty-three (23) percent of waste generated in St. Kitts and Nevis is plastic waste, which is approximately 20 tons per day. Of this, 3, 675 tons are estimated to enter the marine environment each year.” According to these sobering statistics from the JICA 2020 report, St. Kitts and Nevis ranks among the highest waste producers per capita in the world.
He underscored the role of the CFBC as a technical partner in the PROMAR initiative, supporting research, education, and policy development.
Additionally, Mr. Eavin Parry, Senior Environment Officer in the Ministry of Environment, said that the project was conceptualized in 2021 and that he was pleased to see it being brought to fruition with the CFBC as the main implementing partner. He reaffirmed the government’s dedication to addressing marine litter and plastic pollution, aligning with broader environmental and sustainability goals, while highlighting the importance of strengthening policy frameworks and regulatory mechanisms to support effective waste management and marine protection.
Mr. Parry also stressed the need for inclusive dialogue and cooperation among government agencies, civil society, and the private sector to develop practical, community-driven solutions and acknowledged the role of regional partnerships and international support, particularly through the PROMAR project, in enhancing national capacity to combat marine pollution.
“This journey, spanning over four years, has reflected the very essence of partnerships, persistence and vision. From those early brainstorming sessions to regional planning meetings and now the roll-out of tangible activities within our federation, it is encouraging to witness how collaboration among local institutions, regional experts and international sponsors can bring to life an initiative that addresses a pressing environmental challenge—marine litter and plastic pollution,” Mr. Parry said.
Furthermore, Ms. Thema Ward, Senior Environmental Officer on Nevis, delivered remarks that focused on the importance of involving local communities in the fight against marine litter. She highlighted how plastic pollution affects marine life, noting the negative impact it has on sea turtles, among other species.
Ms. Ward also called for transboundary collaboration, noting that improper disposal of garbage in one island ends up in another island because of the ocean currents.
“I was amazed at how much garbage we can pick up from along our beaches (but) some of the garbage is not ours. I know our numbers are high, but we’ve managed to actually investigate where some of the garbage is coming from (and) it’s from our neighbours…we also have to have a conversation with our neighbours,” she said.
Also, Interim President of the CFBC, Dr. Moyia Rowtham, emphasized CFBC’s role as the national implementing partner in the PROMAR initiative, highlighting the college’s commitment to research, education, and capacity-building in environmental management.
“Our waters have long shaped the soul of this federation. They carried our ancestors, sustained industries and inspired our people. Yet today, they face mounting threats from plastic pollution, much of it originating on land,” Dr. Rowtham said.
She added that CFBC as the national implementing partner “brings to this task more than academic credibility—we bring institutional networks that span ministries, private enterprises, civil society and local communities. We bring capacity for convening, for coordinating and for translating policy into action. From stakeholder consultations and science-based activities to policy drafting and community action, the activities envisioned under this project speak to a vision of environmental stewardship that is evidence-based, encompassing and enduring.”
Moreover, Ms. Taylor Clayton, Regional Project Manager, PROMAR, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Cartagena Convention Secretariat, delivered a presentation that focused on the regional and strategic dimensions of the PROMAR initiative. She emphasised the importance of regional collaboration among Caribbean nations to tackle marine litter and plastic pollution and highlighted PROMAR project’s goal of supporting countries in transitioning to a circular economy for plastics, reducing reliance on single-use plastics and promoting sustainable alternatives.
Clayton also outlined how the project provides technical assistance, policy guidance, and institutional strengthening to help countries meet their obligations under the Cartagena Convention and global environmental agreements.
Finally, Ms. Joyce Chang from the Taiwan International Cooperation Development Fund (ICDF) shared on partnerships for recycling using the example of the ICDF recycling project in St. Kitts and Nevis. She outlined that the recycling project has several objectives including establishing recycling models and mechanisms, improving garbage sorting and recycling efficiency and promoting public awareness and education on recycling and waste reduction—all of which are well aligned with the PROMAR project’s initiative. She noted that the project has already completed key milestones such as designing recycling bin types, surveying public recycling point locations and conducting educational outreach and stakeholder engagement.
Ms. Chang illustrated to workshop participants t-shirts made from recycled plastics.
The PROMAR project is led by adelphi, a leading German think tank and public policy consultancy focused on climate, environment, and development issues and funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN). The project is implemented through the United Nations Environment Programme’s Cartagena Convention Secretariat and in partnership with the St. Kitts and Nevis Department of Environment.
St. Kitts and Nevis is one of several countries participating in the project, alongside the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Colombia, the British Virgin Islands, Guyana, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.
