Best management practices for marine protected areas of the Wider Caribbean region

Abstract

This report is the product of a three-month internship at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Caribbean Environment Programme (CEP) Regional Co-ordinating Unit (CAR/RCU) in 2005. The Wider Caribbean Region (WCR) like other regions in the world has begun to establish Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in an effort to protect and more sustainably use marine resources. The main focus of the internship was the compilation of this report on ‘Best Management Practices’ (BMPs) for MPAs of the WCR. This is important as most of the MPAs in the region are inadequately managed and therefore not benefiting the environment and its users as they should.