Communities and stakeholders in marine protected areas in the Caribbean

Abstract

This chapter on communities and stakeholders in marine protected areas (MPAs) presents the results of research into Caribbean coastal resource management from an ethnographic and a pan-Caribbean perspective. Three case studies in Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba help reveal key elements that demonstrate the heterogeneity of this geographic area. We found a gradient with respect to the management approaches used by each country, which shifts from a top-down approach in the Dominican Republic and Cuba to a bottom-up approach in Mexico. This chapter also examines community dynamics with respect to different categories of management for natural protected areas, as well as issues surrounding the environmental values of Caribbean communities.