Saint Lucia joins Regional Efforts to Protect Caribbean Sea from Pollution

On January 29, 2008, Saint Lucia became the fourth country to sign the regional environmental agreement titled ‘Land Based Sources of Marine Pollution Protocol’ (LBS), joining Panama, Trinidad and Tobago and the Government of France.

Saint Lucia has stepped up its efforts to reduce pollution of the Caribbean Sea by signing a regional environmental agreement that will see it putting in more stringent pollution reduction and prevention controls.

On January 29, 2008, Saint Lucia became the fourth country to sign the regional environmental agreement titled ‘Land Based Sources of Marine Pollution Protocol’ (LBS), joining Panama, Trinidad and Tobago and the Government of France.

The island is now in discussion with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Caribbean Environment Programme on how it can overcome any existing barriers to ratification and more importantly to get assistance in effective implementation.

“The recent signing by both the Governments of Saint Lucia and France confirms the critical need to protect the Caribbean Sea from pollution, and the importance of vulnerable coastal and marine resources to long term social and economic development of the people of the region,” said UNEP’s Christopher Corbin, who is in charge of the LBS Protocol. He will be visiting Saint Lucia, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago to engage in high level discussions on the LBS from May 12 – 16, 2008.

The LBS is one of three protocols under the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) administered “Cartagena Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region”.   Five more signatures are required for the LBS Protocol to become legally binding for the 23 Contracting Parties to the Convention.

The LBS Protocol aims to reduce pollution by implementing improved standards for wastewater discharges and industrial effluent, and through the promotion and use of best management practices and improved technologies.  One of the key features of the LBS protocol is regional cooperation in monitoring and research among all the countries of the Wider Caribbean Region.  Ongoing regional activities facilitate the sharing of lessons and exchange of information among the countries to enable more effective management of the region’s valuable coastal and marine resources.

According to recent UNEP studies, more than 80% of marine pollution in the Caribbean Sea originates from activities on land with the main sources being sewage and run-off from poor agricultural practices and land use.  “This has direct negative impacts on human health, food security, and economic development – particularly coastal tourism.  Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that pollutants from land also increases the vulnerability of critical coastal ecosystems, such as coral reefs, to the negative impacts of climate change and global warming,” explained Corbin.

Saint Lucia’s ratification represents the successful culmination of several enabling projects and activities with support from the Jamaica based UNEP Caribbean Environment Programme which also serves as the Secretariat for the LBS Protocol. 

The Coordinator of the Caribbean Environment Programme, Mr. Nelson Andrade Colmenares highlighted the recent conclusion of the 25^th Special Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) held on the 17^th and 18^th of April in Guyana where Ministers of Environment reaffirmed the importance of the Cartagena Convention as the only regional legally binding agreement for the Protection and Development of the Caribbean Sea.   The conclusion further asked Ministers responsible for the Environment in CARICOM to provide the highest level of political support to the ratification and implementation of the Convention and its Protocols including the LBS Protocol.

With increasing coastal development pressures especially for Caribbean Small Island Developing States, more stringent pollution reduction and prevention controls must be implemented.  The LBS Protocol provides this framework and the UNEP Caribbean Environment Programme has reaffirmed its commitment to work with other Caribbean countries to overcome any existing barriers to ratification and more importantly to assist them in effective implementation.

For further information contact Christopher Corbin, Programme Officer for the Assessment & Management of Pollution sub-programme of the UNEP CAR RCU rcu@cep.unep.org or call (876) 922 9267