At the opening ceremony of the Exhibition “Montserrat Natural Treasures” on June 8th 2018, the Montserrat National Trust and the Waitt Institute officially launched the opening of the Montserrat Ocean Fund.

On this occasion, His Excellency the Governor and the Director of the Environment Department underlined once again the importance of the conservation of the environment.

What is the Montserrat Ocean Fund?

The Montserrat Ocean Fund is a dedicated fund to finance ocean management on Montserrat. It serves as a vehicle to collect and allocate funds for activities intended to protect and restore ocean resources and is housed within the Montserrat National Trust.  The Fund is open to receive financial resources from public and private sources. This may include but is not limited to:

(a) allocations from Montserrat’s national budget;

(b) funds collected through specific fees on Montserrat;

(c) donations from individuals or organizations in Montserrat or elsewhere.

What is the purpose of the Montserrat Ocean Fund? 

Healthy oceans and seas are essential for island communities to provide environmental, social, and economic benefits. Recognizing that long-term financing is critical for effective ocean management, the Government of Montserrat committed to establish a dedicated fund to finance ocean management. The Fund aims to provide stable, adequate, secure, and sustainable funding to finance ocean management activities in Montserrat. 

What kind of activities will be funded?

The Fund will support a broad range of activities intended to protect and restore ocean resources. These activities include but are not limited to (a) the establishment and management of protected areas; (b) research to support environmental monitoring and science-based decision-making; (c) environmental education and awareness projects and programs; (d) professional, technical, or other training programs for government, NGO, or community members.

What are the revenue sources?

The Fund may receive financial resources from public and private sources. This may include but is not limited to (a) allocations from Montserrat’s national budget; (b) funds collected through specific fees on Montserrat; (c) donations from individuals or organizations in Montserrat or elsewhere.

How is the Fund administered and governed?

The Fund was approved by the Council of the Montserrat National Trust General Membership meeting, where it will be housed and managed. The Montserrat Ocean Fund will be governed by a special committee, the Montserrat Ocean Committee. This committee will include members from the Fisheries Department, Environment Department, Finance Department, Fishers Sector, Diving Sector, Port Authority, and Council of the Montserrat National Trust, a local NGO, and an international NGO.

The exhibition will be open to the general public until the end of August and we are appealing to all to support the Montserrat Ocean Fund by donating to the cause of protecting the Ocean around Montserrat.