The health of our oceans and seas is inextricably linked with the health of

our planet and all life on earth. Many nationalities, including mine, have a
special relationship with the sea.

The truth is, the sea has a special relationship with all of us.

It keeps us alive.

UN Secretary-General, António Guterres

United Nations Conference on Oceans
UN Headquarters, New York. 5 June 2017

Caring for our oceans, and more broadly, the environment, is a shared responsibility
among all peoples. It is a moral duty that transcends national borders, as well as
cultural, social and political differences that may create ‘islands’ in society. Caring for
the environment is more than receiving economic gains or simply ‘fattening the eye’
from the natural beauty that is endemic to the Wider Caribbean Region (WCR). It is,
rather, a matter of life and survival for present and future generations, and as stewards
of these natural resources, each individual must take stock of the impact of their actions
on the environment.

With their diverse, yet interconnected historical and cultural backgrounds, along with
their shared marine and coastal resources, the mainland countries and islands of the
Wider Caribbean can be likened to members of a family. There are diverse
‘personalities’, as members set their own priorities and long-term plans and head their
‘households’ according to their own circumstances and leadership styles. There are
varying levels of living standards and socio-economic development among each
member, impacted by different hardships and responses to internal and external shocks
over the years. Some ‘members’ have ‘households’ that are more largely populated than
others, while some, because they are uninhabited by people, are just there to be
admired!

In the same way that families share a unique connection through a common kinship, so
too are the countries of the Wider Caribbean bound geographically by the Caribbean
Sea. The Wider Caribbean Region comprises the insular and coastal States and
Territories with coasts on the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico, as well as waters of
the Atlantic Ocean adjacent to these States and Territories. In spite of the region’s
political, cultural and socio-economic differences, these countries all depend on their
marine and coastal resources. Caribbean biodiversity provides subsistence, fishing,
water, materials, employment, coastal protection and well-being to these populations.
Protecting and caring for these resources is therefore a matter of safeguarding the very
means of survival of this ‘family’.

While families, however, thrive under collaboration and good relations, they also come
upon challenges from time to time. The current COVID19 pandemic attests to the need
for togetherness and solidarity to overcome this health emergency which is affecting all
levels of society. It is also an example of how unforeseen occurrences can strain the
resources and capacities of families, and furthermore, the extent to which the actions of
one individual can impact the collective society, negatively or positively.

While there are many external shocks that countries have no control over, preventative
actions can be taken to reduce their vulnerability and increase resilience, for example,
preparing for the impacts of storms and hurricanes. On the other hand, challenges such
as pollution, overfishing and habitat degradation are the direct result of our own
actions. These issues also have direct and indirect consequences for the environment
which sustains us. In one of the most comprehensive studies on coral reefs in the
Caribbean, the report Status and Trends of Caribbean Coral Reefs: 1970-2012 (Jackson
et. al, 2014) notes that average coral cover in the region had declined from 34.8% in
1970 to an average of 16.8% in 2012, and they remain highly threatened. Overfishing
(mainly of parrotfishes), high human population density and coastal pollution were
assessed as just some of the drivers of this drastic decline. Evidently, the challenges we
face sometimes are brought upon ourselves by our own misguided actions, or inaction.
The good news, however, is that the burden of steering this ship in the right direction
does not rest on just one member of the family- each individual action counts as it is,
indeed, a ‘family affair’.

Human populations and their production and consumption patterns are major drivers of
change in the condition of the marine environment and its ecosystems (State of Marine
Pollution report, 2020). The growth of the population and economic sectors such as
tourism will intensify pressures on the marine environment from land-based sources
and activities if appropriate management measures are not taken.

According to the 2019 report led by the World Bank on Marine Pollution in the
Caribbean: Not a Minute to Waste, 80% of marine pollution of the Caribbean Sea
results from “direct or indirect discharge of solids and liquids from land-based sources
such as rivers, outfalls, waterways, agricultural runoff, and infrastructure”. This means
that over three-quarters of the contamination in the Caribbean Sea is a result of human
activity on land.

Over the years, governments in the Wider Caribbean have made strides in protecting
the region’s marine resources and biodiversity through collaboration and the sharing of
best practices. Regional projects and activities, for example, have been implemented to
improve wastewater and solid waste management, as well as to protect coral reefs,
mangroves and marine species. More recently, for instance, over 14 governments in the
Wider Caribbean have taken steps to ban the use, distribution and/or importation of
single-use plastics and Styrofoam. Five countries so far have also joined the regional
Clean Seas campaign to encourage a multi-stakeholder approach to reducing the
quantity and impact of trash in the Caribbean Sea, and in marine and coastal zones.

Increasing environmental awareness and sensibility is crucial to this movement to

protect the Caribbean Sea and sustain the Caribbean ocean economy. While
governments must do their part to ensure that policies, laws and institutions are in place
to address the issues of pollution and habitat degradation, citizens also have to be on
board. The long and short of this family dynamic, is that the actions of one member
have an impact on the lives of others. A simple action such as properly disposing of
garbage in a trash can is a moral responsibility that demonstrates respect for a clean,
decent and dignified life, not to mention the impact it has on the aesthetics of a
community.

As we commemorate World Oceans Day and celebrate together the beauty, wealth and
the promise of the ocean, let us remember that oceans are the lungs of our planet,
providing most of the oxygen we breathe. They are a major source of food and
medicine and a critical part of the biosphere. Keeping our marine and coastal
environment healthy and pollution-free must therefore be the priority of everyone in
this Caribbean family.

For a cleaner and more sustainable ocean economy in the Wider Caribbean, for present
and future generations, achieving it together is so much better.