Launch of 'Caribbean Biological Corridor's 30x30 Plus Marine Action Plan' Marks Major Milestone in Multi-Country Ocean Conservation

Plan Marks a Paradigm Shift from Fragmented National Efforts to a Unified Regional Vision

Caribbean Nations and Conservation Partners Unite at UN Biodiversity Conference To Advance "Connected Seas" and Accelerate Marine 30x30

Link to CBC 30x30 Plus Marine Action

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Loritos are an abundant fish in the southern area of the western Mediterranean. Credit: @Noel Lopez

YEREVAN, ARMENIA (October 27, 2026), In a decisive move to address the critical ecological connectivity gap in global ocean conservation, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the Caribbean Biological Corridor (CBC) today launched the "CBC 30x30 Plus Marine Action Plan," an ambitious multi-country framework to protect marine biodiversity and critical ecosystems across the Greater Antilles region of the Caribbean.

The plan was launched at the UN Biodiversity Conference (CBD, COP17) in Yerevan, Armenia, during a high-level side event at the Ocean Pavilion, "Connected Seas, Collective Action: Making 30x30 Count," with government representatives from the Greater Antilles. The plan leverages the CBC as a vital subregional governance and cooperation platform to transform isolated marine protected areas into a cohesive, ecologically connected regional seascape.

The initiative, supported by partnerships with the Wildlife Conservation Society, UN Environment Programme (UNEP), Caribbean Biodiversity Fund (CBF), and REV Ocean, seeks to demonstrate how South-South cooperation, shared science, and innovative conservation finance can deliver durable ocean ecological integrity and ensure the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) Target 3 ("30x30") is effectively met.

"The ocean knows no borders, and neither should our conservation efforts," said Pamela Castillo, 30x30 Marine Director at WCS. "Progress toward global marine 30x30 targets risks falling behind amid growing pressures on ocean ecosystems, governance gaps, and limited resources. Regional cooperation is key to turning isolated protected areas into effective networks and shared ambition into collective impact. We are proud to have contributed technical expertise and support to develop the CBC's 30x30 Marine Strategic Action Plan, working alongside our trusted partners."

The "CBC Marine Action Plan 30x30 Plus" marks a paradigm shift from fragmented national efforts to a unified regional vision. By focusing on shared offshore areas and migratory corridors for threatened marine species, the plan bridges the gap between high-level political commitments and on-the-water implementation. The event also highlighted the upcoming 2027 REV Ocean scientific expedition, which will provide critical baseline data to support multi-nation conservation agreements and joint offshore protection.

José "Pepe" Gerhartz, Conservation Specialist at the CBC Secretariat, emphasized the urgency of actionable network design: "Our countries share an ocean, and the responsibility to protect it. Through the CBC 30x30 Plus Marine Action Plan, we can connect national efforts into a common regional vision, protecting the habitats and ecological connections that sustain marine life and local coastal communities across the Greater Antilles. Success must be measured by what we conserve and how well we conserve it. This plan is an opportunity to turn global ambition into lasting protection for the Caribbean's marine biodiversity."

For nearly two decades, the CBC has served as a foundational intergovernmental platform for environmental cooperation in the region, but it is built from strong, shared national visions.

Highlighting the critical role of national leadership, Ambassador Prof. Dale Webber, Jamaica's Special Envoy for Climate Change, Environment, Ocean, And Blue Economy, said: "Jamaica is working assiduously to expand the country's protected area network towards the achievement of the 30x30 target, including through its Overarching Policy for Protected Areas. As a member of the CBC, Jamaica's Programme of Work on Protected Areas, aligned to the GBF, is also informed by the CBC 30X30 Plus Marine Action Plan. By creating a new Ministry of Water Environment and Climate Change, the Government continues to demonstrate policy leadership and will further showcase this in 2029 when Jamaica will host the 13th Our Ocean Conference."

The plan launch also highlighted the critical need to adapt conservation finance mechanisms to the practical realities of ocean conservation. Traditional funding models often restrict investments strictly within national borders, creating bottlenecks for seascape-level initiatives. Leaders called for systemic changes to de-risk and resource multi-country funding windows, ensuring that transboundary corridors have the financial architecture needed to thrive beyond initial political endorsements.

As CBD COP17 focuses heavily on the implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework, the collaborative efforts of the Greater Antilles stand out as a premier example of how cross-border seascapes, institutional partnerships, and actionable science can make 30x30 truly count.

About the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)

WCS saves wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature. To achieve our mission, WCS, based at the Bronx Zoo, harnesses the power of its Global Conservation Program in nearly 60 nations and in all the world's oceans and its five wildlife parks in New York City, visited by 4 million people annually. WCS combines its expertise in the field, zoos, and aquarium to achieve its conservation mission. Visit: newsroom.wcs.org.

About the Caribbean Biological Corridor (CBC)

The Caribbean Biological Corridor (CBC) is a subregional governance and cooperation platform among the nations of the Greater Antilles (including Haiti, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Cuba, and Puerto Rico). It is dedicated to reducing biodiversity loss in the Caribbean region and the Neotropics by protecting shared terrestrial and marine ecosystems, fostering sustainable development, and ensuring lasting ecological connectivity across borders.