Jamaica Champions Blue Economy, Ocean Resilience at Island States Summit

Minister of Water, Environment and Climate Change, the Hon. Matthew Samuda, in his address at the inaugural Island States Ocean Summit (ISOS) in Tokyo to highlight both the country’s ocean governance progress and the urgent vulnerabilities facing Small Island Developing States. 

 

The two-day summit which is currently underway, brings together heads of state, ministers, and technical experts under the theme Sustainable Ocean Action for Resilient Islands – co-hosted by The Nippon Foundation, a private non-profit philanthropic organisation based in Tokyo, Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and IOC/UNESCO.

 

Highlighting threats facing small island nations, Samuda spoke to the impact of Hurricane Melissa on lives, livelihoods and the nation’s post-hurricane recovery which caused damages estimated at approximately US$12.2 billion, roughly 56.7% of the country’s 2024 GDP.

 

Samuda pointed to the blue economy’s outsized role in Jamaica’s development, contributing an estimated 20% of GDP and supporting over 500,000 jobs. 

 

 

He also outlined recent governance milestones including Jamaica’s 2025 ratification of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement, the expansion of marine protected areas to 14.47% of archipelagic waters, and plans to finalise a national Sustainable Ocean Plan and Blue Economy Strategy by 2027 and 2028, respectively.

 

Minister Samuda closed with a call for increased international financing, technology transfer and capacity building to help SIDS develop resilient blue economies, including through greater participation in global blue carbon markets.