Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies (CERMES)

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Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem (CLME) Project

Welcome to the Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem (LME) Project website which provides an account of the PDF-B.

The full project proposal was given approvel by the GEF on April 11, 2008 and implimentation will begin shortly.

The countries of the Caribbean have repeatedly indicated the need for attention to shared living marine resource (LMR) management at the regional and international levels through participation in regional arrangements, and through signing various international treaties and agreements. All coastal states of the Wider Caribbean, particularly Small Island Developing States have active national programs that focus on coastal and marine management.

In collaboration with the countries sharing the Caribbean LME, IOCARIBE has been successful in obtaining support from the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) to develop a full project proposal with a focus on the management of shared marine resources.

The CLME project proposal will respond to the need cited by decision makers for attention to the management of shared marine resources in the Caribbean Sea and adjacent regions and the call to provide mechanisms facilitating informed decision-making. It will build on and complement existing projects and initiatives that emphasize technical and institutional aspects of sustainable LMR use by focusing on governance, knowledge and institutional issues in a transboundary marine context.

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Project Goal:

Sustainable management of the shared living marine resources of the Caribbean LME and adjacent areas through an integrated management approach that will meet WSSD targets for sustainable fisheries.

The specific objectives are:

To identify analyze and agree upon major issues, root causes and actions required to achieve sustainable management of the shared LMRs in the Caribbean Sea LME in a manner that is consistent with relevant international agreements, e.g. the Law of the Sea, the UN Fish Stocks Agreement
To improve the shared knowledge base for sustainable use and management of the transboundary LMRs by compiling and sharing existing information, filling critical data gaps and improving databases for assessments, planning and policy formulation;
To implement legal, policy and institutional reforms to achieve sustainable transboundary LMR management;
To develop an institutional and procedural approach to LME level monitoring, evaluation and reporting.

Project Scope

The project will have a technical focus on both exploited and non-extractable transboundary LMR management that addresses the following LME-scale resource issues :

Migratory resources (mainly large pelagics, but also some coastal pelagics)
Resources with transboundary distribution as adults (various demersal fishes)
Resources with transboundary larval dispersal (lobster, conch, reef organisms)
Dispersal of pathogens, pollutants and invasive species
Resources with transboundary trophic linkages.

Project Components
The key components of the Full Sized Project are:

Characterise and analyse the root and underlying causes of transboundary issues relating to the management of marine resources in the CLME through the mechanism of a Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis and develop and agree on a Strategic
Action Programme to address those causes.
Compile and share existing sources of information required for good
governance of marine resources, and identification and filling of knowledge gaps
through appropriate technical programmes.
Establish a culture of networking and cooperation among the countries for
management of marine resources, focusing on strengthening existing institutions and
structures.
Establish a monitoring and evaluation framework for the ecosystem status of
the CLME in line with the ecosystem management approach and SAP implementation.
Create successes that serve as examples of how countries can collaborate to manage
transboundary marine resources through ‘Strengthening by doing’.

Project Duration

In order for there to be uptake in the present context of limited capacity within the Caribbean LME and adjacent regions, the project duration should be no less than 10 years.

Please visit our Project Timeline page for a detailed look at our projected schedule for the next 4 years of the Project.

Participating Countries and Stakeholders

The project includes 25 GEF-eligible countries of the Wider Caribbean Region and will also seek to engage 15 associated territories of France, the Netherlands, United Kingdom and United States. Primary stakeholders will be the National government departments responsible for fisheries, marine affairs, and environment and the primary beneficiaries will be resource users. National and regional marine research institutions and universities will have a significant role to play in generating information and capacity building. Partnerships at the national, regional and international level with civil society, the private sector, governments, agencies and organizations are considered essential success parameters for the CLME Project.