Reports and publications

JOINT STATEMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ANDTHE REPUBLIC OF CUBA ON COOPERATION ON ENVIRONMENTALPROTECTION

Finding Common Ground on Environmental and Safety Preparedness for Offshore Oil and Gas in Cuba  

President Obama’s decision to resume diplomatic relations with Cuba opens up a new level of collaboration and exchange with the Cuban partners that Environmental Defense Fund has cultivated for more than 13 years – while reminding us that the island’s much-needed economic development may also bring new environmental challenges. 

With relations between the United States and Cuba continuing to improve, we knew it was just a matter of time before this new political reality would trickle down to the ocean floor. 

As leaders of US non-profit organizations and academic institutions at the intersection ofscience and society, we look forward to working with you and your administration. Our purpose is to ask that in the first 100 days of your administration you resume diplomatic dialogue on environmental matters with the government of Cuba and reverse current administration policies and regulations that have restricted scientific and professional exchange between Americans and Cubans.

This publication is the product of the wisdom, research, field work, and commitment ofa highly diverse group of environmentalists from Cuba and the United States, many ofwhom have been working together for over two decades.

The shallow, nearshore and intertidal areas of tropical regions across the globe harbor some of the most productive and diverse, but also most heavily impacted, marine ecosystems in the world (Wilkinson 2008; De’ath et al. 2012). By virtue of their proximity, coral reefs are inextricably linked to mangrove forests and seagrass beds, in terms of both facing common threats and supporting common species

Currently there is a strong interest in Cuba in improving the performance of the fisheries sector with respect to social, biological, and economic outcomes. Many important fishery resources appear to be overexploited, and previous fishery regulations have had mixed success in restoring fishery stocks. 

A slow rate of economic developmentand a national commitment to sustainable developmenthas enabled Cuba to maintain some of the best preservedmarine ecosystems in the Caribbean region.

Coastal areas of Cuba harbor richbiodiversity that provide a variety of important ecosystemservices, including fisheries production. High-valueinvertebrate fisheries in Cuba are managed on the basis ofscientific assessments, but comparable data and analysesare lacking for the much larger number of exploited finfishspecies.