Our Bay, Our Future takes center stage as Grenada seeks to advance its marine protection initiatives. The project was officially launched last month at the Woburn Bay Jetty by the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund in collaboration with the Grenada Sustainable Development Trust Fund and with the financial support of Global Affairs Canada. 

As one of Grenada’s key marine protected areas, the Woburn Bay Jetty is home to the country’s largest intact mangrove ecosystem, providing essential habitat for birds and fish while protecting the coastline. It is a critically managed marine area that also safeguards coral reefs and seagrass beds, serving as a demonstration site for the Fisheries Division under the Caribbean Challenge Initiative and supporting both biodiversity and sustainable local livelihoods.

Our Bay, Our Future project focuses on enhancing marine protection and monitoring, restoring degraded habitats, and supporting sustainable livelihoods, while ensuring that women, youth, and coastal communities have an active role in decision-making. The initiative aims to modernize enforcement, strengthen ecosystem restoration, and empower the communities that depend on this coastline.

“Marine protected areas are extremely potent for our country in conserving our biodiversity and in creating the conditions for our people to benefit in the development of their livelihood,” Hon. Lennox Andrews, Minister for Economic Development, Planning, Tourism, Creative Economy, Culture, Agriculture and Lands, Forestry, Blue Economy, Marine Resources, and Cooperatives, said during the launch of the project. 

In implementing this project, the government of Grenada anticipates mobilizing community participation in the community of Woburn Bay Jetty, integrating their indigenous knowledge and lived experiences to ensure the cleanliness of the bay. The project also emphasizes gender empowerment, with particular focus on the participation of women and youth.