MP York Pushes Orange and Blue Economy motions to expand St. Maarten’s Economic base

GREAT BAY--Member of Parliament Darryl York has presented two motions aimed at broadening St. Maarten’s economic development agenda, one focused on formally recognizing and developing the country’s orange economy and the other calling for a national maritime strategy to strengthen what is often described as the blue economy.

York presented the motions during the 2026 budget debate, arguing that St. Maarten should make greater use of sectors that already contribute to the country’s identity, employment and economic activity but have not yet been developed through comprehensive national policy.

His first motion focuses on the orange economy, which encompasses cultural and creative industries built around areas such as music, art, design, storytelling, festivals, cultural heritage and other forms of creative expression.

York said St. Maarten possesses a distinct cultural identity shaped by its history, people, traditions, music, art, food, festivals and stories, but the professionals who create, preserve and develop that culture are not yet formally recognized within a national economic classification.

According to the motion, musicians, artists, designers, storytellers, creators and other cultural professionals play a central role in preserving and promoting St. Maarten’s identity while also producing work that can generate employment, entrepreneurship, intellectual property, investment and economic value.

York argued that culture should not be viewed only as something to preserve, but also as an economic asset that can create opportunities for the people responsible for producing and developing it.

The motion calls attention to what is internationally referred to as the orange or creative economy and notes that St. Maarten currently has no official national classification identifying which professions and economic activities form part of its own creative sector.

York wants government to begin formally identifying and classifying the country’s orange economy so that policymakers can develop a more objective basis for targeted policy, incentives and other forms of government support.

The motion maintains that formal recognition of the sector could help empower local talent, stimulate entrepreneurship and employment, encourage the development of intellectual property and locally produced goods and services, and increase the overall economic contribution of St. Maarten’s cultural and creative industries.

York said that if government is serious about protecting and promoting St. Maarten’s culture, it must also create an environment in which the people who produce that culture have greater room to develop, earn and build sustainable careers.

His second motion turns to St. Maarten’s maritime sector, calling on government to develop and present to Parliament a National Maritime Strategy establishing the country’s long-term vision and priorities for the sustainable development and modernization of the sector.

York described St. Maarten as a maritime country whose economy, tourism, trade, connectivity and thousands of jobs depend heavily on the sea. He pointed to the importance of yachting, marinas, cruise activity, ship repair, marine services and other maritime industries and argued that a sector of such importance should not continue developing without a clear national direction.

He said the maritime and yachting industry contributes approximately 16.3 percent of St. Maarten’s gross domestic product and supports close to 5,000 jobs, yet government has confirmed that the country does not have a formally approved national maritime policy or national maritime sector strategic plan.

The motion calls on government to develop a strategy covering maritime economic development and revenue generation, including cruise, yachting, marinas, ship repair, marine services, fisheries and other economic activities connected to the sea.

York also wants the strategy to address employment, investment and government revenue associated with the sector, along with the infrastructure needed to support St. Maarten’s maritime economy.

The proposed strategy would examine maritime connectivity and infrastructure, including ports, inter-island ferry transportation, cargo transportation and logistics.

Human capital development is another major component of the motion. York wants the national strategy to address maritime education, certification and local employment, while formally recognizing and supporting existing maritime training providers such as the Maritime School of the West Indies.

The motion further calls for attention to maritime governance, safety and regulation, including vessel registration, inspection and enforcement capacity, maritime security and the modernization of relevant legislation.

Environmental protection and resilience would also form part of the strategy, including protection of marine ecosystems and biodiversity, sustainable use of St. Maarten’s territorial waters and preparation for climate-related risks.

York is additionally asking government to address St. Maarten’s regional and international maritime responsibilities, including its obligations as a port state and coastal state and its cooperation with the Kingdom and the wider region.

Rather than requesting additional funding, York proposes that government use resources already allocated in the 2026 budget, including funding for a proposed marine study, to develop the national maritime strategy. He said the process should avoid duplicating research that has already been commissioned.

The motion also asks government to accompany the strategy with an implementation framework setting out priorities, objectives, responsible entities and timelines so that Parliament can monitor progress.

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