The Honourable Anthony Shamari Smith Jr., Minister of Agriculture, Lands, Fisheries and the Blue Economy for Antigua and Barbuda, gave Opening Remarks at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2026 Side Event on Blue Finance and Innovation on 3 November 2026.
Your Excellency, the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda; distinguished Heads of Government and Ministers; representatives of the Commonwealth Secretariat; development partners; members of the private sector; innovators; ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon.
Welcome to Antigua and Barbuda.
Across our Commonwealth, the ocean connects us. It connects our economies, our cultures, our food systems and our people. For many of our small island developing states, it is our greatest natural asset, but also one of our greatest vulnerabilities.
When a reef is damaged, a fishing community feels it. When a coastline erodes, families, homes and businesses are placed at risk. When sargassum overwhelms our shores, tourism, fisheries and livelihoods feel the impact; and as sea levels continue to rise, the questions are not distant or theoretical. It is about the safety of our communities and the future we leave our children.
For small island states, ocean conservation is not a luxury. It is a matter of survival, economic security, and national development.
Yet we must be honest: many of the countries that depend most on a healthy ocean face the greatest difficulty financing its protection. Our needs are urgent, our resources are limited, and the cost of inaction continues to grow.
This is why blue finance matters.
We are not simply asking how much money can be directed towards the ocean. We must ask how we can make financing accessible, affordable and practical, especially for small island developing states, coastal communities and local innovators. How do we move beyond pilot projects to solutions that can be sustained and scaled? How do we ensure that investment reaches the places and people where it can make a real difference?
In Antigua and Barbuda, our Blue Economy agenda is about answering these questions: strengthening ocean governance, using our marine resources responsibly, protecting our ecosystems, and creating opportunities for our people. From coral reef and mangrove restoration to sustainable fisheries, cleaner shipping and innovative responses to sargassum, the opportunities are real. But turning them into lasting results requires more than good ideas. It requires finance, technology, technical capacity and partnerships that endure.
As the government, we must provide clear policies and direction. Financial institutions and investors must recognise that a healthy ocean is not merely an environmental concern, but an essential foundation of economic resilience. Our development partners must help bridge the gap between promising initiatives and investment-ready projects. And our communities must be partners in shaping the solutions, because they understand the ocean not only as an asset, but as a source of identity, livelihood and belonging.
The Commonwealth is uniquely positioned to help bring these efforts together. We have different circumstances, different resources and different capacities, but a shared interest in a healthy and productive ocean. The Apia Commonwealth Ocean Declaration provides a common commitment. Our responsibility now is to give that commitment the resources and practical action it needs.
Let us ensure that blue finance does not remain a conversation among those who already have access to capital but becomes a pathway for vulnerable nations and ocean-dependent communities to build a more secure future.
As we engage today, I encourage us to look beyond the announcements and the pledges. Let us build partnerships that deliver, finance solutions that work, and measure success by what changes in our waters, on our coastlines, and in the lives of our people.
Because we do not inherit the ocean from one generation to the next without responsibility. We hold it in trust.
I must also take this opportunity to commend Dr. Bell and his team at COBE, along with the Commonwealth Secretariat through the Blue Charter with Daniel and his Team, Karen and the Ocean Risk Resilience Action Alliance, the Honourable Chairman and his dedicated team at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, and all other key partners for making today’s event possible and continuing to invest in blue economic development.
May this gathering remind us that the ocean connects us, sustains us, and demands our collective responsibility. Let us turn that responsibility into investment, that investment into action, and that action into a healthier ocean, stronger communities, and a more resilient Commonwealth for generations to come.
Thank you.
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