This study reviews various financing solutions available for fisheries and aquaculture development in Caribbean small island developing states (SIDS) and Barbados, Grenada, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Previously identified financing needs within the fisheries and aquaculture sectors have been matched with the most suitable financing mechanisms. However, the use of blue levies is recommended and applicable in almost every scenario, as they allow these sectors to drive their own development in financing research and conservation projects to their own benefit. The use of “blue tokens” with sufficiently low repayment coupons allows development projects to gather public support for fisheries, thereby increasing the likelihood of the project being successful through community buy-in. The possibility of natural capital being traded as public equities as “Natural Asset Companies” provides the opportunity for development projects to fund themselves. The review concludes that natural capital can be leveraged as the base through which public-private partnerships (PPPs) can facilitate optimal delivery of ecosystem services, benefit multiple stakeholders, and provide numerous development opportunities. An enabling environment for debt and lending with low-interest loan repayments is also applicable to almost every scenario, as it facilitates access to capital finance for infrastructure development and the acquisition of increasingly sustainable fishing equipment. Steps towards generating an enabling environment for financing fisheries and aquaculture in the Caribbean region are also discussed. The establishment of dedicated financing institutions, PPPs, and sufficient data reporting infrastructure for the fisheries and aquaculture industry are essential for driving development in these sectors. Likely, the largest limiting factor in financing Caribbean fisheries and aquaculture industries is a lack of awareness of the range of finance and financing mechanisms available to stakeholders, as well as an enabling environment for financing blue Economy sectors. This review is thus intended to aid financing institutions, Blue Economy developers, and specifically Caribbean fisheries and aquaculture stakeholders and Caribbean governments by raising awareness of the financing mechanisms available, encourage the incorporation of their use in the fisheries and aquaculture industries in the Caribbean, and encourage policymakers to create an enabling environment for financing development in these crucial sectors.

Blue carbon has been proposed as a nature-based solution for climate change mitigation; however, a limited number of published works and data and knowledge gaps hinder the development of small island developing states’ (SIDS) national blue carbon resources globally. This paper reviews the blue carbon ecosystems of Seychelles as a case study in the context of SIDS, comparing estimations by the Blue Carbon Lab and recent blue carbon (mangrove and seagrass) evaluations submitted to the Seychelles national government. Mangroves (2195 ha, 80% in Aldabra Atoll) and seagrasses (142,065 ha) dominate in Seychelles, with coral reefs having the potential for carbon sequestration (169,000 ha). Seychelles is on track to protecting its blue carbon, but these systems are threatened by rising sea levels, coastal squeeze, erosion, severe storms, and human activities. The importance of carbon inventories, accounting institutions, and continuous monitoring of blue carbon systems is discussed. Blue accounting is necessary for accurate accounting of carbon sequestration and carbon storage, generating carbon credits, and representing impactful reductions in greenhouse gases for NDCs. Challenges and opportunities include policy legislation regarding ownership rights, accreditation and certification for carbon credits, sustainable financing mechanisms like natural asset companies and blue tokens, local engagement for long-term success, and carbon market dynamics following COP27. The restoration and regulation of blue carbon resources for optimal ecosystem services delivery, carbon inventories, and blue carbon policy are recommended development priorities. Blue carbon ecosystems have the potential to contribute to NDCs of SIDS while simultaneously offering sustainable development pathways for local communities through the multiple ecosystem services they provide.

Modern aquaculture technologies can contribute to both climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies while simultaneously contributing toward food security. Various aquaculture strategies have been reviewed elsewhere but omit a few key strategies worthy of inclusion. This paper reviews various regenerative aquaculture strategies that stimulate habitat creation, biodiversity and capture fisheriesstimulation, and increasing resilience to climate change effects. The climate change adaptation strategies discussed include integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) and aquaponics, recirculation systems for the control of environmental conditions in a changing climate, habitat restoration through coral aquaculture, the capacity for selective breeding as adaptation mechanism to expected environmental changes, and continuous environmental monitoring programs. Blue farming strategies for climate change mitigation are largely focused on greenhouse gas reduction, carbon capture, and carbon sequestration. The Western hemisphere has recently been enthused by the development of seaweed aquaculture, and the implications of seaweed aquaculture and seaweed products are discussed, as well as the potential of seaweed to contribute to blue carbon stocks. The potential of microalgal bloom stimulation and open ocean fertilization are explored as methods of intensifying natural biogeochemical cycles involved in carbon sequestration. Best aquaculture practices and certifications are also discussed as a potential mechanism to align current farms with climate change and blue carbon objectives. The review concludes that regenerative aquaculture strategies have the potential to change public perception of aquaculture as holding largely negative consequences for the environment and encourage the development of other applications of aquaculture as novel methods of sustainable blue ocean farming. Received: 18 April 2023 | Revised: 1 September 2023 | Accepted: 13 September 2023 Conflicts of Interest The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest to this work. Data Availability Statement Data available on request from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

The Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) supports the largest tuna fishery in the world and provides most of the global catch of albacore, bigeye, skipjack, and yellowfin tuna. The WCPO tuna fisheries are critical for the development prospects of Pacific Island Countries (PICs) and other territories, as they have limited other economically valuable resources to harness. Socio-economic development across various PICs is hindered by the inability to harness the maximum potential of these fisheries, in particular through the lack of identifying targeted development needs for this industry. The aim of this paper is thus to identify priority development opportunities for the value-chains of WCPO tuna fisheries, such that additional value can be extracted from existing and emerging tuna fisheries products, for the benefit of PICs. An adopted segmentation methodology, developed by the World Bank, was used to identify five value-chains: canned tuna; environmentally friendly canned tuna; ultra-low temperature tuna; chilled tuna exports; and premium chilled tuna and bottom-fish export (collectively). Porter’s Five Forces framework was used as the basis for value-chain analyses, from which strategic repositioning considerations and areas for investment support were identified. Harnessing greater return from access fees to national fishing grounds, the development of a secondary market for trading fishery access rights, facilitating sustainability certification, facilitating airfreight connections, and the development of phytosanitary standards for import and export have been identified for external investment support.