KINGSTON, Jamaica, Jun 18, CMC – The Caribbean is on Wednesday observing the 25th anniversary of the protocol concerning Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW Protocol) that serves as the cornerstone for regional collaboration in safeguarding the Caribbean’s irreplaceable marine and coastal natural heritage.
“It provides a unique legal framework for the establishment and management of marine protected areas, and for the protection and recovery of endangered and threatened species of marine and coastal flora and fauna,” said Susana Perera-Valderrama, Programme Management Officer for the SPAW Sub-Programme at the Jamaica-based Cartagena Convention Secretariat.
“Its importance to the Caribbean Sea and its peoples cannot be overstated, as healthy ecosystems are fundamental to the region’s economic well-being, food security, and cultural identity, supporting vibrant tourism industries and traditional livelihoods,” she added.
The Secretariat said this significant milestone marks a quarter century of dedicated efforts to conserve and sustainably manage the rich and fragile marine and coastal biodiversity of the wider Caribbean region.
The SPAW Protocol is one of three protocols under the Convention for the Protection and Development of the Wider Caribbean Region (WCR), commonly known as the Cartagena Convention.
Adopted in 1983, the Convention is the only legally binding regional agreement for the protection of the Caribbean Sea, supported by its protocols; the Oil Spills Protocol, the Land-Based Sources of Marine Pollution (LBS) Protocol and the SPAW Protocol.
The Secretariat said that the SPAW Protocol has been essential in protecting the Caribbean’s most important coastal and marine ecosystems, coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrass beds, along with the rich diversity of flora and fauna they support.
It said that these habitats shelter endangered and iconic species such as sea turtles -Hawksbill, Leatherback, Green -marine mammals – dolphins, whales, and the West Indian manatee – as well as reef-building corals, migratory birds, and key fish species like parrotfish.
The Protocol also promotes the conservation of vital plant species, including seagrasses and mangroves which play critical roles in coastal resilience, carbon storage, and ecosystem productivity.
The Secretariat said that since its adoption on January 18, 1990, and entry into force on June 18, 2000, the SPAW Protocol has achieved several significant milestones. Among them is the establishment and periodic updating of its three annexes, which list more than 300 species requiring regional protection.
In parallel, the network of SPAW-listed protected areas has grown to 37 sites across nine Contracting Parties, including ecologically significant locations such as Mount Scenery National Park in Saba.
“These designations help ensure effective management and international recognition of key conservation areas throughout the wider Caribbean region,” the Secretariat said, noting that the SPAW programme has also played a vital role in strengthening regional governance and ecosystem-based coastal and marine habitat management.
The programme has also ensured the visibility and alignment of the SPAW Protocol within broader international agendas. SPAW contributes actively to global processes such as the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), and the Ramsar Convention.
Furthermore, the Caribbean Marine Protected Area Management Network and Forum (CaMPAM), established in 1997 as a pilot initiative under SPAW, has played a pioneering role in strengthening MPA management across the region.
Currently 19 countries are contracting parties to the SPAW Protocol, demonstrating a strong regional commitment to biodiversity conservation. These parties include: The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, France (for its Caribbean territories). Grenada, Guyana, Honduras, the Kingdom of the Netherlands (for its Caribbean territories), Nicaragua, Panama, St. Lucia, St. Kitts-Nevis, St. Vincent and Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States and Venezuela.
The Secretariat notes that Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Jamaica, are yet to ratify the SPAW Protocol, while Haiti and Suriname are being urged to join the Convention and its Protocols to strengthen regional marine and coastal protection.
“The Cartagena Convention Secretariat also looks forward to continuing its vital work with all Contracting Parties and partners to advance the objectives of the SPAW Protocol, promoting a sustainable future for the wider Caribbean region,” said Perera-Valderrama.
CMC/pw/ir/2025