Caribbean Region

Regional Coordinator: Rhema Bjorkland

The Wider Caribbean Region (WCR) comprises the insular 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 (FAO fishing region 31). This is in agreement with the definition given under the Cartagena Convention (the UN Regional Seas Treaty for the Caribbean). The Cartagena convention defines the wider Caribbean as “….. the marine environment of the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea and the areas of the Atlantic Ocean adjacent thereto, south of 30° north latitude and within 200 nautical miles of the Atlantic coasts of the states” (Article 2:1 of the Cartagena Convention). Project GloBAL’s regional grouping adheres to these boundaries, with the exception of the inclusion of Bermuda. Continental U.S. fisheries are also treated separately

The fisheries in the Wider Caribbean are largely artisanal, especially for the insular territories, but commercial fisheries such as longliners and trawlers also operate in many countries. Demersal fisheries, especially for lobster (Panulirus spp.) and conch (Strombus spp.), are among the region’s most economically valuable; coastal and offshore pelagic fisheries are universal and target a wide variety of species and habitats.  Technological advances have allowed many nations to shift their emphasis from the heavily-fished inshore demersal fisheries to the relatively underutilized offshore pelagic fisheries.