Willemstad, Curaçao –- Earlier this month, marine conservation leaders from across the Caribbean gathered in Curaçao for an intensive workshop focused on sustainable finance solutions for protected areas. The 3-day event, jointly organized by Blue Marine Foundation, Blue Nature Alliance, and the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA), brought together marine park managers and conservation professionals from ten Caribbean islands.
Representatives from all six Dutch Caribbean islands participated alongside delegates from St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados, the Dominican Republic and St. Kitts & Nevis. The workshop featured collaborative sessions, expert presentations, and strategic planning to address the critical funding challenges facing marine conservation efforts throughout the region.
Participants received insights on diverse financing mechanisms, drawing from regional and global case studies that serve as templates for the Caribbean’s unique marine ecosystems. By focusing on opportunities and collaboration, the workshop exemplified how intentional shifts can create ripple effects in conservation efforts.
“It’s been such an encouraging event,” said Clare Brook, CEO of Blue Marine. “Ten Caribbean islands have come together to share challenges and concerns, particularly grave funding and capacity shortages for vital conservation work in the region. We have emerged with a range of creative, innovative solutions which have the potential to channel meaningful finance for marine protection into the region. In our concerted effort to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030, the Caribbean Sea is becoming the ‘Sea of Hope!’”
The “30 by 30” initiative represents a global commitment to protect at least 30% of the world’s ocean by 2030. This ambitious target aims to safeguard marine biodiversity, enhance ecosystem resilience against climate change, and secure sustainable livelihoods for coastal communities. “Meaningful change happens when we listen, collaborate, and center on the people who know these places best. At the Blue Nature Alliance, we believe conservation finance is a vital enabler, one that must support island-led priorities and scale regional solutions. The choices we make now matter, for the ocean and for every community that depends on it.” said Sarah Elsaid, Regional Lead, Blue Nature Alliance.
“The Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance firmly believes that regional collaboration is the cornerstone of sustainable conservation funding,” said Arno Verhoeven, Director of DCNA. “This workshop has provided crucial insights into the diverse conservation strategies being implemented across Caribbean islands. By aligning our efforts, we’ve taken an important first step toward developing more robust financing mechanisms. Our shared marine ecosystem requires shared solutions.”
The workshop provided a valuable opportunity for participating nations to exchange experiences, celebrate conservation successes, and collaboratively develop strategies to overcome shared challenges. Participants departed with actionable plans to implement sustainable financing mechanisms tailored to their specific ecological and economic contexts.
About the Organizing Partners:
- Blue Marine Foundation is a UK ocean conservation charity set up in 2010 by some of the team behind the award-winning documentary film ‘The End of the Line’. Blue Marine is dedicated to addressing overfishing, one of the world’s biggest environmental problems and aims to restore the ocean to health by protecting and restoring marine environments. Its mission is to ensure the effective protection of at least 30 per cent of the ocean by 2030 and the sustainable management of the whole ocean.
- Blue Nature Alliance is an ambitious global initiative working to accelerate the pace, scale, and effectiveness of 5% of the global ocean, or 18M km2, by 2027, through partner-led collaboration and innovation.
- Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance is the regional network of protected areas and conservation organizations across the Dutch Caribbean islands of Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, St. Eustatius, and St. Maarten.
