The threat to our natural environment remains real, and the impact on the health and livelihoods of our people cannot be ignored. On this World Environment Day, CARICOM remains engaged and committed to tackling this pressing environmental challenge.
Plastic pollution has wide-ranging consequences for CARICOM states. Plastics threaten marine biodiversity, including sea turtles, seabirds, and fish as well as coral reefs which are vital to marine life and coastal protection. Plastic pollution harms the fishing industry, a critical source of food and livelihoods in many CARICOM countries. Lost fishing gear and plastic waste can damage equipment. Moreover, cleaning up plastic waste places a significant financial burden on local governments, diverting resources from other essential services. Open burning of plastic waste releases toxic chemicals into the air, while microplastics can enter the food chain through seafood consumption, potentially leading to negative health effects.
The Caribbean Sea has high levels of plastic pollution and is receiving attention at the highest levels of decision-making in CARICOM, through policy, advocacy, and collaboration. The Declaration adopted at the Fortieth Conference of CARICOM Heads of Government held in Saint Lucia in 2019 addressed the high levels of plastics and microplastics in the Caribbean Sea, and their adverse impact on Caribbean sustainable development. Additionally, since 2023, the issue of plastics management has been on the agenda of CARICOM Environment Ministers to coordinate CARICOM engagement during negotiations of a new global legally-binding treaty to reduce plastics pollution.
Many CARICOM countries have introduced legislation or policies to restrict or ban certain plastic products. This action is supported by the Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism (CAST) and the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) which have launched the “Plastic-Free Caribbean” initiative, which encourages hotels and tourism businesses to phase out single-use plastics.
The Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), a CARICOM institution, is working with Member States to address “ghost fishing gear”, which refers to abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear (ALDFG), many of which contain plastics, and which remain in ocean space, trapping marine life, damaging ecosystems, and contributing to ocean pollution.
The threat to our natural environment remains real, and the impact on the health and livelihoods of our people cannot be ignored. On this World Environment Day, CARICOM remains engaged and committed to tackling this pressing environmental challenge.
