Abstract

In 1997, 50 MPA managers from 22 countries created the Caribbean Marine Protected Area Management Network (CaMPAM) for enhancing collaboration. Since then UNEP- CEP has coordinated all activities aimed at developing MPA capacity. In 2004, CaMPAM was revitalized by creating partnerships with other institutions which contributed with funding and expertise. During the 2006 - 2008 period, CaMPAM implemented the following activities: • Two Regional Training the Trainers Courses (ToT) for MPA managers: in 2006 in the Florida Keys Natl. Marine Sanctuary, Florida, and in 2007,in Sian Ka’an B.R., Tulúm , Mexico, with 12-15 participants each, and in-kind contribution from numerous local institutions; • Sixteen (16) local follow-up training activities with ca. 200 participants, targeting issues ranging from park rangers/managers training, to nation-wide MPA national systems development, to fostering ecotourism best practices and site co-management scheme development. • Updating of ToT MPA managers Manual (http://www.cep.unep.org/publications/spaw/tot-manual-en.pdf); • ToT program external assessment (http://www.cep.unep.org/publications/spaw/tot-evaluation.pdf) with recommendations for program improvement; • Reestructuring and population of the regional MPA database (http://cep.unep.org/caribbeanmpa); • Co-management of the SGP by GCFI; 5 projects funded involving 12 countries (http://cep.unep.org/caribbeanmpa); • [email protected] list management; • Secured funding from different donors; • Engaged institutional partners (TNC, GCFI, NOAA, Instituto Universitario Tulúm, etc.) that provided resources and expertise for ToT, SGP, and participation at Annual GCFIs. With the recently hired Coordinator CaMPAM should enhance its capacity building program by securing resources (funding and in-kind contributions), identifying and building synergy for collaboration with similar initiatives; and expanding membership activism and participation.

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