Latin America & the Caribbean

The Mesoamerican Reef and the waters surrounding Cuba are home to some of the most gorgeous and vital marine life in the world. Environmental Defense Fund is working to conserve them and foster better management of natural resources.

The challenge

Unfortunately, the region's precious marine environments and fisheries face many threats: overfishing, ghost fishing (discarded gear like hooks and nets that continue to nab fish), poor organization of the fishing industry (including fishermen and processors) and mismanagement of natural resources.

Our long-term plan

For the next five years, we envision healthier Latin American oceans and Caribbean seas with thriving coastal and marine ecosystems. We will use market-based systems guided by strong conservation values and science to transform ineffective fisheries management, protect marine habitat, and spur more sustainable coastal and tourism development in the region.

Our work currently focuses geographically on the Caribbean and Mesoamerica, particularly Belize and Mexico, given the region's nearness to the U.S., the intertwined marine habitat and biodiversity, and immediate threats.

Over the longer term, we will expand our focus toward Latin America, working strategically with partners on approaches we  pioneered elsewhere, and have achieved strong results.

Learn more

• A Door Opens in Cuba: A new era for conservation (April 2009)
• Protecting a Treasure along the Mayan Coast (January 2005)

Goals

Over the next three to five years, we are working to:

• Improve the supply of "ocean-friendly" seafood from vibrant Caribbean fisheries: Our goal is to restore at least three fisheries under threat to "healthy" or "recovering" status.
• "Green" coastal and tourism development: Coastal development along the Mesoamerican reef and in two Caribbean island states will be more sustainable; community members, business leaders and key public officials will participate in the process.
• Vastly improve the financial sustainability of two networks of marine protected areas.
• Support more resilient Caribbean seas: Using economic incentives and regulatory reforms, fishing, pollution and other threats will be reduced, producing measurable increases in the diversity and abundance of life. These areas will also be able to cope better with the impacts of global warming, adding much-needed stability in a time of environmental change.
• Inspire new voices for ocean conservation:  We will extend Environmental Defense Fund's successful model of establishing partnerships with businesses and local nongovernmental organizations. We will engage with ocean users to modernize laws, policies and business practices with the aim of saving the Caribbean seas. 

Posted: 07-Nov-2008; Updated: 30-Apr-2009