MARIGOT: On Monday, November 7, at 8:30 am, the conference room of the Grand Case Beach Club hosted the first Assises de l’économie bleue de Saint-Martin, organized by the Collectivité, which aims to establish a strategy for sustainable growth in the marine and maritime sectors with the help of the various local participants.
The opening of the conference was given by the first vice-president of the COM in charge of economic development, Alain Richardson, and Vincent Berton, delegated prefect of the Northern Islands, who fully supports the project advocating, among other things, a structuring of the sectors and a regularization of the fishing sector. Both are unanimous on the importance of developing a common and shared strategy, integrating in a transversal way all the issues of the blue economy.
About forty people participated whose afternoon was devoted to workshops of discussions and exchanges. Workshops were divided into 8 groups under the following themes: fishing and marine farming, tourism and ecotourism, shipyard, yachting and water sports, port and passenger transport, environment and ecology, training and finally, governance and monitoring of the strategic plan. Based on the diagnosis and the state of play concerning the challenges and needs for the blue economy of Saint-Martin established by the firm BRL Ingénierie, specialized in the fields of Water, Environment and Territorial Development, the participants of the blue economy have established work tracks according to their group theme, tracks that will be submitted to the territorial elected officials who will have the mission to decide on the main lines of the strategy of the blue economy of Saint-Martin.
These tracks include the creation of a landing dock for fishermen and a St. Martin label, the rehabilitation of the marinas of Oyster Pond and Fort Louis, the establishment of a maritime shuttle, an extension to the port of Galisbay, the concentration of nautical activities in a single location (Galion), an awareness campaign for St. Martin’s children on the sea, etc. The ideas were numerous. A report containing all of them will be written by BRL Ingénierie, which will conduct further interviews with the parties concerned within the month. “The objective of this consulting service is to accompany the Collectivité and to mobilize the unexploited potential of this part of the economy, in favor of employment and growth of the territory”, said Alain Richardson.
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