“The peoples of the Caribbean are defined by the Sea whose shores they inhabit. In the rich diversity of cultures and nations making up the region, the one uniting factor is the marine ecosystem on which each ultimately depends. If that ecosystem is under threat, so are the livelihoods of millions of people. The economic activity of the Caribbean is based to a very great extent on the bounty of the Sea and the natural beauty which attracts visitors from around the world which, in turn, require the healthy functioning of complex physical and biological processes. The coral reefs and the seagrass beds, the white-sand beaches and the fish shoals of the open ocean: these are natural capital assets whose loss or degradation has huge implications for the development of the region. Apart from the economic importance of the ecosystem, it shapes the lives of all the inhabitants of the Caribbean in ways which defy statistical analysis. The Sea and its coasts form the stage on which the cultural, spiritual, and recreational life of the region is played out.” 7 18. The same report also indicates: “The well-being of the 116 million people living within 100 km of the sea (Burke and Maidens 2004) is highly dependent on the services it provides as an ecosystem. Critical among these is the unique character of its coastlines and open waters, making it a desirable place to live and to visit: in the terminology of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA, www.maweb.org), this desirability translates into a range of cultural services based on the recreational and aesthetic value of the land and seascape. The economies of the Caribbean islands are especially dependent on these functions of the marine environment that support tourism. Another key ecosystem service linked to wellbeing in the region is the availability of fish and marine invertebrates, a provisioning service within the MA definitions. […]” 8 “Coral reefs in the Caribbean Sea are prolific providers of ecosystem services, including food, protection from storms, recreational value and therefore tourism income, and medicinal products. [...]” 9 “In the terminology of the MA the living marine resources of the Caribbean Sea constitute the most important ‘provisioning’ service of the ecosystem. Fisheries have always been a source of livelihoods and sustenance for the people of the region, contributing towards food security, poverty alleviation, employment, foreign-exchange earnings, and the development of rural and coastal communities, recreation, and tourism [...].” 10 “Fisheries play a very important role in providing nutrition and food security within the Caribbean region. Fish is a vital source of animal protein and minerals in the diet of 7 Annex II, J.B.R. Agard and A. Cropper, “Caribbean Sea Ecosystem Assessment (CARSEA), A contribution to the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment”, prepared by the Caribbean Sea Ecosystem Assessment Team, Caribbean Marine Studies, Special Edition, 2007, p. XIV 8 Ibid. p. 1. 9 Ibid. p. 13. 10 Ibid. p. 21. 21