From the Defenders of Wildlife blog comes news of meetings held recently to discuss conservation in the Caribbean:
Defenders’ international conservation expert Alejandra Goyenechea [met] 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.
There’s more about the meetings’ objectives and their outcomes at the Defenders’ blog.
