Marine Litter Reduction in the Caribbean: Five Case Studies La Reducción de los Desechos Solidos Marinos en el Caribe: Cinco casos La Réduction des Déchets Marins dans les Caraïbes: Cinq Cas

The Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute (GCFI), Caribbean Marine Protected Areas Management Network and Forum (CaMPAM), and the U.S. Department of State collaborated with marine protected area (MPA) programs in The Bahamas, Belize, Jamaica, Grenada, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines to increase awareness of marine litter and identify opportunities to promote marine litter reduction. The objective of this project was to reduce the amount of marine litter released into waters of the Caribbean region in and around several high profile areas managed for ecosystem values. The project was grounded in the recommendations of the UNEP Caribbean Environment Programme’s Action Plan for Marine Litter. Local MPA partners identified marine litter issues that were particular to the unique social and environmental conditions of their area. With the broad goal of developing greater appreciation of, and personal responsibility for, the management of litter that would likely end up as marine debris, the project enabled MPA managers to launch the strongest and most innovative of their ideas on litter prevention and reduction. Through a combination of public education, teacher training, the development of litter warden programs, and the installation of well-placed waste and recycling stations, the project established a number of visible and practical litter reduction programs. Results included 1) increasing public awareness of the impact of marine litter, 2) developing best litter management practices, and 3) improving compliance with anti-littering laws and regulations.