Caribbean region

The purpose of Grassroots Development is to share grassroots development experiences with a variety of public and private audiences. The journal reports on how the poor in Latin America and the Caribbean organize and work to improve their lives, on issues and trends in the development community, and on how institutions cooperate to further the development of the region.

This report, two years in the making, provides a comprehensive assessment of progress being made towards SFM in each ITTO producer member country and identifies the challenges remaining. Key findings include that the area deemed to be under sustainable management has grown by 50% over the past 5 years but that several countries continue to struggle to make the transition to sustainability in their tropical forests.

The greater Caribbean biogeographic region covered in this report (representing 38 countries and territories) encompasses an outstanding marine bony shorefish richness of approximately 1,360 species, with many (53%) being endemic. This report provides an overview of the conservation status of greater Caribbean shorefishes, with detailed information available through the IUCN Red List, and gives recommendations.

This guide has been written to inspire and empower reef managers and community leaders to develop reef stewardship programs. Stewardship is a way of empowering local communities to take a more active role in sustaining the natural resources on which they depend.