About the Trust

The Buccoo Reef Trust (BRT) is a non-profit organisation, registered in Trinidad and Tobago and the USA that was specifically created to assist in addressing the threats facing Tobago's marine environment and to explore opportunities for the sustainable development of marine tourism, fishing and aquaculture in the Caribbean region as a whole. Its aim is to build and operate a Marine Research Centre as an internationally recognised institution of research and education on tropical reef ecosystems and sustainable aquaculture.

The Board of Directors of the Buccoo Reef Trust invites you to learn more about our plans and to join us in a venture that will help protect an island and a region of unique beauty and opportunity.

The Vision

A world in which the marine environment of tropical islands is conserved for the benefit of future generations while maximizing present opportunities for sustainable livelihoods that enhance the quality of human life.

The Mission

To establish an internationally recognised research, education and conservation centre, focusing on the conservation of the Caribbean’s marine environment and the development of sustainable aquaculture practices for tropical islands

History

During Gerald McFarlane's tenure in the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) as Secretary for Marine Affairs he commissioned the Institute for Marine Affairs (IMA) to study the coral reefs around Tobago and to develop a management plan for the Buccoo Reef. In 1994, he led a THA delegation to Maine, USA, to look at aquaculture and marine laboratory facilities, which, with the meeting of Gerald and Rich Langton, resulted directly in the establishment of the Buccoo Reef Trust.

Following a presentation by Owen Day at the Trinidad & Tobago High Commisssion in London, UK, to an audience of businessmen and diplomats, Lawrence Duprey pledged the support of CL Financial to the establishment of the Trust - which was named after Tobago's most prominent coral reef.