Finding Solutions for Marine Conservation

According to the leader of NOAA CRCP’s coral reefs conservation efforts in the Caribbean, Ms. Dana Wusinich-Méndez, two-thirds of Caribbean coral reefs are degraded and threatened by human activities such as pollution, climate change and unsustainable fishing practices.

“Yet these coral reefs are essential for local livelihoods, for food security, for protection from natural hazards and for national economies that depend in large part upon coastal tourism,” she comments.

“To conserve the marine environment and to help restore reefs, networks of coral reef marine protected areas can play a critical role. By protecting some areas that are in relatively good condition, it’s possible to help repopulate and restore other damaged sites.”

For this to be successful, marine protected areas must be managed effectively – and this requires resources. CaMPAM Coordinator Dr Georgina Bustamante comments “marine parks require staff, boats, fuel, a myriad of other operational equipment, not to mention the educational and scientific programs they run, all of which depend upon sufficient and reliable sources of funding, in large part derived from user fees.”

Indeed, one of the top three needs expressed to CaMPAM by marine park managers in the assessment was the need for sustainable financing mechanisms to help support their conservation work. In response,  CaMPAM and NOAA CRCP held a special conservation finance session at the 64th annual meeting of the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute (October 31 to November 4, Puerto Morelos National Park, Mexico). This is the largest annual gathering of marine scientists, fisheries experts and marine protected area professionals in the Gulf and Caribbean region.

 “The special session will help the managers of marine protected areas to take measures to tackle an issue that is fundamental to the effective management of marine protected areas.  It will provide participants with the opportunity to learn from each other’s experience in facing a common challenge, and it will enable them to share knowledge and successful practices across borders” says Dr Bustamante. “Only with a solid foundation to underline conservation will we be able to help protect the marine biodiversity that we all love and need.”

For more information about CaMPAM:  http://campam.gcfi.org/campam.php