Montserrat officially joined the UK Government’s acclaimed Blue Belt Programme today, marking a major milestone for Caribbean marine conservation on World Ocean Day. 

The partnership, announced today as the conservation initiative celebrates its 10th anniversary, makes Montserrat the fourth Caribbean UK Overseas Territory to enter the program.

Known as the “Emerald Isle of the Caribbean,” Montserrat is home to an incredibly diverse array of marine ecosystems that have been shaped by volcanic activity over the past 30 years. 

Its waters provide critical habitats for giant barrel sponge, often called the “redwoods of the ocean”, and critically endangered hawksbill turtles.

This new partnership means the Government of Montserrat has committed to protecting at least 20% of its maritime zone. 

The Blue Belt Programme will provide the island with leading scientific expertise and technical resources to establish robust Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and design science-based fisheries management frameworks. This support will be vital for protecting local fish stocks, creating sustainable livelihoods, and updating marine legislation to meet international standards.

The initiative comes at a critical time for the island, which faces severe climate change threats, including rising sea levels, ocean warming, and increasingly fierce hurricanes.

Montserrat’s Premier and Minister of Finance, the Honourable Reuben T Meade, welcomed the partnership as an investment in both nature and people.

“As a small island developing state, we understand intimately the value of our marine environment,” Meade said. “This initiative represents more than environmental stewardship; it is an investment in the resilience and prosperity of our people.”

UK Minister of State, Stephen Doughty also celebrated the expansion, noting that ocean health directly underpins global food and water security.

Over the last decade, the Blue Belt Programme has grown to safeguard more than 4 million square kilometres of ocean globally – an area roughly the size of the European Union. 

By aligning with global “30×30” targets to protect 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030, the program has successfully driven marine data collection, tracking over 100,000 marine animals across the globe.

With Montserrat joining fellow Caribbean territories Anguilla, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and the Cayman Islands, the region is now better positioned to build a resilient, sustainable, and equitable ocean economy for future generations.

Honourable John P Osborne, Minister of Agriculture, Lands, Housing, Environment, Youth Affairs and Sports for Montserrat said, “By working together to preserve our marine ecosystems, we are strengthening the resilience of our oceans and ensuring that future generations inherit healthy seas and sustainable opportunities.”

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