Barbados Marine Spatial Plan

Hydrate Systems Launch
2024-08-23 10:00 (America/Halifax) | Brandon’s Beach, Spring Garden Highway, St Michael, Barbados
As part of our commitment to sustainability and community well-being, the Barbados Marine Spatial Plan (MSP) is proud to sponsor two public water stations, offering free access to chilled or room-temperature water. These stations are strategically placed to encourage hydration while reducing reliance on single-use plastics, supporting both environmental conservation and public health.

St. John Listening Session
2024-09-18 18:00 | The Lodge School, St John, Barbados
Community listening sessions are a critical component of the Barbados Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) process, designed to ensure that all Barbadians have an opportunity to contribute to the future of the island’s marine environment. These sessions are intended to capture the perspectives, concerns, and aspirations of the public regarding how the marine space is used and managed today and in the future. The MSP team will conduct listening sessions across all 11 parishes, emphasizing inclusivity, transparency, and accessibility.

Media Symposium
2024-11-15 10:00 | InterAmerican Development Bank
As part of the Blue Fest 2024 activities, the Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) Unit hosted a Media Symposium under the theme “Inclusive Narratives: Amplifying Voices in the Blue Space”. Held in collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the symposium aimed to sensitize media practitioners on the innovative debt-for-nature transaction underpinning the Barbados Marine Spatial Plan and to provide an update on the status of the MSP process.

St. Peter Listening Session
2024-11-20 18:00 - 22:00 | Fishersman’s Pub, Queen Street, Speightstown, BB26021, Barbados

Christ Church Listening Session
2024-11-27 18:00 | Christ Church Parish Church
Community listening sessions are a critical component of the Barbados Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) process, designed to ensure that all Barbadians have an opportunity to contribute to the future of the island’s marine environment. These sessions are intended to capture the perspectives, concerns, and aspirations of the public regarding how the marine space is used and managed today and in the future. The MSP team will conduct listening sessions across all 11 parishes, emphasizing inclusivity, transparency, and accessibility.

Church Hill

St James Listening Session
2025-01-22 18:00 - 20:00 | Queens College Secondary School, Husbands, St James, Barbados

St Joseph Listening Session
2025-01-29 18:00 - 20:00 | Hillcrest Community Centre, Bathsheba, St Joseph, Barbados

St Thomas Listening Session
2025-02-12 18:00 - 20:00 | Lester Vaughn School, Cane Garden, St. Thomas, Barbados

Marxan Training
2025-02-13 09:00 - 2025-02-14 17:00
This workshop is designed to help stakeholders deepen their understanding of data-driven decision-making for sustainable ocean management. The session will focus on Marxan, which is a powerful spatial analysis tool that helps identify optimal areas for conservation while balancing ecological, economic, and social factors.

St Lucy Listening Session
2025-02-26 18:00 - 20:00 | Daryll Jordan Secondary School, Trents, St. Lucy, Barbados

St Lucy Rolling Waves Listening Tour
2025-03-08 13:00 - 16:00 | Brie’s Varierty

St. John Rolling Waves Listening Session
2025-03-29 14:00 - 17:00 | Gall Hill, St John, Barbados
Community listening sessions are a critical component of the Barbados Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) process, designed to ensure that all Barbadians have an opportunity to contribute to the future of the island’s marine environment. These sessions are intended to capture the perspectives, concerns, and aspirations of the public regarding how the marine space is used and managed today and in the future. The MSP team will conduct listening sessions across all 11 parishes, emphasizing inclusivity, transparency, and accessibility.

Stopping at:

Bev’s Place

Limer’s Bar and Restaurant, Four Roads

Wrong Turn Bar and Restaurant, Cheshire

Lemon Arbour

Martin’s Bay

St George Listening Session Pop Up
2025-04-12 06:00 - 10:00 | Brighton Farmers Market

Natural Capital Accounting Workshop
2025-06-30 10:00 - 2025-07-03 09:00 | Caribbean Development Bank, Caribbean Development Bank, Wildey, St Michael, BB11000, Barbados
The Barbados Marine Spatial Planning Unit in collaboration with EFTEC and the Blue Marine Foundation, and hosted by the Caribbean Development Bank, will convene a two-day Natural Capital Accounting Workshop in Bridgetown, Barbados. This capacity-building session will introduce key stakeholders to ecosystem accounting tools that link environmental assets to economic planning.

This workshop is designed to build national capacity to integrate natural capital accounting into Barbados’ existing statistical systems and decision-making processes. Participants will be introduced to the UN System of Environmental-Economic Accounting – Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA-EA) framework and begin applying it to Barbados’ marine environment.

Bathymetric Survey
2025-08-15 08:00 - 2025-08-17 17:00
Barbados will launch its first-ever bathymetric survey in partnership with the Marine Institute of Ireland, marking a major milestone in the Marine Spatial Planning process. This deep-sea research mission will explore and map the seafloor and water column in an outer section of Barbados’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), areas that have never been studied at this scale before.

The survey will provide critical data on the island’s deep marine environment, helping to fill key knowledge gaps about underwater features, habitats, and ocean dynamics. This scientific expedition follows a recent planning visit by the Irish team, during which the vessel agreement was signed and logistics for the mission were finalized.

This collaboration supports Barbados’ goal of sustainably managing its marine space through science-based planning and is an important step toward the development of the country’s first Marine Spatial Plan.

Stakeholder Consultation Session - Government
2025-11-12 10:00 | Marriott Courtyard, Hastings, St Michael, Barbados
The Barbados Marine Spatial Plan (BMSP) is hosting a series of stakeholder consultations to present draft options for organizing marine activities. These options draw on information from project partners and data collected from local stakeholders. These sessions are designed to gather meaningful feedback that will help refine and identify the most suitable management approach for Barbados’ marine space. Phase One focuses on discussions with key sectoral users whose expertise and day-to-day experience at sea are essential to shaping practical solutions. Phase Two will expand the conversation to communities and the wider public, ensuring that all voices can contribute to the final Marine Spatial Plan.

Stakeholder Consultation Session - NGOs and Academia
2025-11-18 10:00 | Marriott Courtyard, Hastings, St Michael, Barbados

Stakeholder Consultation Session - Watersports Operators
2025-11-19 19:00 | BIDC, Pelican House Building, Pelican Village, St Michael, Barbados

Stakeholder Consultation Session - Fishers
2025-11-20 19:00 | BIDC, Pelican House Building, Pelican Village, St Michael, Barbados

BMSP Project Steering Committee
2025-12-19 10:00 | Meeting Room 501, 5th Floor, Warrens Towers II, St Michael, Barbados
This meeting of the Barbados Marine Spatial Plan (MSP) Project Steering Committee brings together key national institutions to provide oversight and strategic leadership for the development of Barbados’ first Marine Spatial Plan. Appointed by Cabinet, the Steering Committee plays a critical role in guiding the MSP process and ensuring alignment with national priorities.

The Committee serves as a vital link between decision-makers and the technical, stakeholder, and implementation project teams, supporting informed, coordinated, and transparent decision-making throughout the planning process. The Steering Committee is chaired by the Director of the Coastal Zone Management Unit.

Membership includes representatives from:

Ministry of Environment and National Beautification

Planning and Development Department

Ministry of Tourism and International Transport

Ministry of Energy and Business Development

Barbados Coast Guard

Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry

The Nature Conservancy

University of the West Indies

Through collaboration and shared expertise, the Project Steering Committee helps guide the development of a Marine Spatial Plan that supports sustainable ocean use, national resilience, and long-term benefits for Barbados.

BMSP Core Team Meeting
2026-01-09 10:00, 2026-03-13 10:00 | Online Zoom
The Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) Core Team Meeting brings together the project’s key technical and implementation partners to coordinate and advance the development of Barbados’ first Marine Spatial Plan. The Core Team provides strategic guidance, technical input, and operational oversight to ensure the project remains on track and aligned with agreed objectives and timelines.

The Core Team is comprised of project partners from the Coastal Zone Management Unit (CZMU), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and the University of the West Indies (UWI), alongside the Barbados Marine Spatial Planning (BMSP) senior team.

Fisheries Stakeholder Consultation Meeting
2026-01-20 16:30 | Barbados Fisheries Division, Princess Alice Highway, Bridgetown, St Michael, BB11144, Barbados

BMSP Core Team Meeting
2026-02-13 10:00, 2026-04-10 10:00 | Online Zoom
The Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) Core Team Meeting brings together the project’s key technical and implementation partners to coordinate and advance the development of Barbados’ first Marine Spatial Plan. The Core Team provides strategic guidance, technical input, and operational oversight to ensure the project remains on track and aligned with agreed objectives and timelines.The Core Team is comprised of project partners from the Coastal Zone Management Unit (CZMU), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and the University of the West Indies (UWI), alongside the Barbados Marine Spatial Planning (BMSP) senior team.

BMSP Project Steering Committee
2026-02-26 10:00 | Online Zoom

Deep-Sea Zoning Design Consultation
2026-03-14 10:00 | Pile Bay, St Michael, Barbados
A chance to look at the map of the drafted deep-sea protection reas and tell us what you think.

Deep-Sea Zoning Design Consultation
2026-03-18 18:00 - 20:00 | Pelican House, Princess Alice Highway, Bridgetown, St Michael, Barbados

Deep-Sea Zoning Design Consultation
2026-03-24 18:00 - 20:00 | The Alleyne School, Belleplaine, St Andrew, Barbados

BMSP Project Steering Committee
2026-03-26 10:00
This meeting of the Barbados Marine Spatial Plan (MSP) Project Steering Committee brings together key national institutions to provide oversight and strategic leadership for the development of Barbados’ first Marine Spatial Plan. Appointed by Cabinet, the Steering Committee plays a critical role in guiding the MSP process and ensuring alignment with national priorities.

The Committee serves as a vital link between decision-makers and the technical, stakeholder, and implementation project teams, supporting informed, coordinated, and transparent decision-making throughout the planning process. The Steering Committee is chaired by the Director of the Coastal Zone Management Unit.

Membership includes representatives from:

Ministry of Environment and National Beautification

Planning and Development Department

Ministry of Tourism and International Transport

Ministry of Energy and Business Development

Barbados Coast Guard

Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry

The Nature Conservancy

University of the West Indies
