Preserving the ecological integrity and connectivity of key marine ecosystems is essential to ensuring the long-term benefits the ocean provides to communities and countries. At the same time, conservation efforts need to be equitably governed and integrated into wider seascapes while ensuring the sustainable use of resources is fully consistent with expected conservation outcomes and recognizing the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities. To this end, it is crucial to effectively conserve areas of particular importance for biodiversity, ecosystem functions, and services through networks of marine protected areas (MPAs) and other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs).
With 20 years of existence, the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor (CMAR) has progressed its joint marine conservation agenda with all four representing countries having already achieved 30% protection of their Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs). Such success showcases the effectiveness of regional intergovernmental platforms in effectively and collectively advancing national, regional and global conservation targets. Conversely, many MPAs in the Caribbean Biological Corridor (CBC) are coastal and small, with the coverage and effectiveness of marine conservation networks in many countries falling short of the 30% target for their Exclusive Economic Zones, with the sole exception of the Dominican Republic that recently have reached that goal of coverage in marine protection. This situation leaves large and important gaps in the conservation of key ocean ecosystems in this subregion, particularly in remote, deepsea areas. In this context, achieving the 30×30 goal of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) poses a significant challenge, especially for small island nations facing financial constraints.
Despite their particular regional contexts, countries in both regions need support creating enabling conditions for achieving and sustaining the effective conservation and equitable governance of 30% of their marine areas, as this requires substantial resources, including financial support, qualified human resources, technological transfer and development, and the fostering of blue economy skills within communities in order to face common threats such as climate change, illegal fishing, and pollution, which often exceed the capacity of individual governments to effectively address them. Effective conservation of marine biodiversity to meet the 30×30 target requires more than national efforts; it necessitates robust multinational planning, coordination, cooperation and exchange of lessons. Intergovernmental platforms like the Caribbean Biological Corridor (CBC) and the Tropical Eastern Pacific Marine Corridor (CMAR), along with Regional Networks of MPA Managers, play a crucial role in achieving the GBF targets, specifically Target 3, by facilitating collaboration, resource sharing, and coordinated action among nations through a South-South cooperation approach.
This event is co-organised with:
DOWNLOAD THE EVENT AGENDA (.PDF)