Defenders of Wildlife Blog

Alas, no snorkeling photos. But Alejandra Goyenechea’s week in Jamaica was time well spent for marine conservation. Here’s a recap from both meetings in Montego Bay last week to discuss protecting wildlife in the wider Caribbean region.

Alejandra puts on her game face for daylong meetings on marine conservation in the Caribbean last week.

• New marine sanctuary: “Agoa,” the mythical Amerindian goddess of the sea, is the name of a newly protected area for marine mammals near the French Antilles.  France contributed the sanctuary as part of the Marine Mammal Action Plan in order to bring attention to the importance of protecting dolphins and whales in the Caribbean.
• Taming the lionfish: Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW) countries in the Caribbean will be launching an initiative to curtail the invasive lionfish that has taken over fisheries throughout much of the region. Lionfish populations have been growing steadily up and down the Atlantic Coast, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean, where they have no natural predators and feast on other sea creatures. Some countries have offered a bounty for killed lionfish; others are urging gastronomes to eat them all.
• Raft of ratifications: A critical part of these international meetings is to come up with actionable plans that become legally binding. For that to happen, parties must sign on to various protocols before they can be enforced. There were several important ratifications in Jamaica that will help protect biodiversity and reducepollution:
  • Guyana ratified the Cartagena Convention and all three major protocols (SPAW, LBS and Oil Spill)
  • Bahamas ratified the Cartagena Convention and became the ninth party to ratify the LBS protocol, therefore entering the protocol into force.
    
    

    The conference hotel in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Notice the lack of conservation experts out enjoying the sunshine.

• Making island history: Two islands, formerly a part of Netherlands Antilles, became autonomous countries under the Kingdom of Netherlands. The implications are still unclear and perhaps trivial, as this Time story notes. Nevertheless, welcome Curacao and St. Maarten to (partial) statehood!
• Seafood faux pas: Alejandra reports disappointedly that her hotel in Jamaica served queen conch–a Caribbean mollusk that is often over-harvested, putting the future population at risk. The species currently has limited protections under Appendix II of CITES, which establishes an export quota for countries like Jamaica. Yet international trade in conch continues at unsustainable levels, highlighting the need for regional collaboration on conservation strategies. Needless to say, Alejandra passed on eating the conch.

Defenders international conservation expert Alejandra Goyenechea heads to Jamaica for a week of meetings to help protect marine species in the Caribbean.

Sometimes being in the wildlife conservation biz ain’t so bad…like when you get to spend five days at a resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica!

But Defenders’ international conservation expert Alejandra Goyenechea isn’t heading there for sun and fun. She’s got serious business to attend to as she prepares for nonstop, all-day meetings on how to best protect endangered marine mammals and other species essential to the Caribbean ecosystems.

Today, Alejandra will be meeting with state officials and foreign diplomats to work on Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW) in the wider Caribbean region. Among other things, the group will evaluate a plan to reintroduce endangered manatees in Guadeloupe—an archipelago southeast of Puerto Rico that is governed by France. Then from Oct. 6-9, Alejandra will participate in discussions about the United Nation’s action plan for protecting the Caribbean marine environment.

The small island nations of the Caribbean get little attention even though their waters contain some of the most important and abundant marine life. Dolphins, whales, sharks and tuna all make their home in the warm tropical waters of the Caribbean Sea, and nearly 10 percent of the world’s remaining coral reefs are found here. Yet these fragile habitats are in peril from rising sea temperatures due to global warming, putting the entire Caribbean ecosystem–and the livelihoods of those who depend on it–at great risk.

This week Caribbean nations will consider plans to reintroduce manatees to the islands of Guadeloupe to help restore the critically endangered species.

Protecting the Caribbean is critically important, and so is forging strong relationships with new international allies. When it comes to voting on major initiatives at future meetings of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), Caribbean nations have often been key conservation partners. We hope to continue working closely with these nations for the betterment of all threatened and endangered species in the Caribbean and around the world.

Alejandra will follow up next week to tell us what actions will be taken to protect marine life in the Caribbean in coming years and how these island nations can help support Defenders’ CITES objectives. Hopefully, she’ll have time to take a few pictures from the beach as well!