The Caribbean Node of the Global Partnership on Marine Litter and Plastic Pollution (GPML-Caribe) represents a partnership for national and regional organizations, governments, research, and technical agencies and individuals, that work together to reduce the quantity and impact of marine litter and plastic pollution in coastal zones of the Wider Caribbean Region. The Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute (GCFI) is currently the co-host together with UN Environment of the GPML-Caribe.

Vision of the GPML-Caribe: A healthy Caribbean Sea without risk from marine litter

Mission of the GPML-Caribe: To provide leadership, information, and resources in the efforts to reduce marine litter in the Caribbean Sea

Roles of the GPML-Caribe:

• Sharing best practices and case studies
• Updating key actors on state of knowledge of technical marine litter and plastic pollution issues
• Facilitating discussions on barriers and solutions, especially online
• Encourage regional-level proposals to compile best practices, gap analyses (e.g., socio-economic aspects), assimilate guidance on technical methods and protocols

Join the Global Partnership on Marine Litter!

Any entity can become a member of the GPML by filling in this form. Once the form has been submitted, they will receive a certificate confirming their membership and will be added to the GPML member mailing list. They will also receive information on the partnership and be invited to participate in GPML webinars. Join the GPML here

The Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute (GCFI) was founded in 1947 to promote the exchange of current information on the use and management of marine resources in the Gulf and Caribbean region. From its beginning, GCFI has endeavored to involve scientific, governmental, and commercial sectors to provide a broad perspective on relevant issues, and to encourage dialogue among groups that often operate in relative isolation from one another.

GCFI is governed by a Board of Directors elected by and from its membership and operates under rules defined by the By Laws. Because its program includes the entire Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean region, particular effort is made to ensure balanced representation from throughout the region in its annual programming and decision-making processes. More recently GCFI has been engaged in a number of capacity-building programs.

The primary activity of GCFI is its annual meeting devoted to technical presentations and workshops on current issues relevant to the use and management of marine resources in the Gulf and Caribbean region. These activities are documented in the annual Proceedings of the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute which is received in more than 80 countries.  GCFI focuses its activities based on the priorities defined in it’s 5-year strategic plan.

UN Environment established the Caribbean Environment Programme (CEP) in 1981 as one of its Regional Seas Programmes in recognition of the importance and value of the Wider Caribbean Region’s fragile and vulnerable coastal and marine ecosystems including endemic plants and animals. Countries of the region then adopted an Action Plan also in 1981 that led to the development and adoption of the Cartagena Convention on 24 March 1983.

The Cartagena Convention is the first and only regionally binding treaty of its kind. It promotes the protection and development of the marine environment of the Region and provides the legal framework for the Caribbean Environment Programme.

It is supported by three technical agreements or protocols on oil spills, specially protected areas and wildlife and land-based sources of marine pollution.

The Caribbean Regional Co-ordinating Unit (CAR/RCU) was established in 1986 in Kingston, Jamaica and is the Secretariat for the Cartagena Convention and the Caribbean Environment Programme.

Their projects and activities take place under three programme areas:

• Assessment and Management of Environment Pollution (AMEP)
• Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW)
• Communication, Education, Training and Awareness (CETA)