[Coral-List] CaMPAM and MedPAN present jointly at IMPAC3 Regional Networks workshop

[James Hendee]

[Another one from Georgina that keeps getting jammed, for some reason...]

October 28, 2013. For immediate release.

CaMPAM and other regional networks of MPA professionals get together and
share experiences at IMPAC3

Last week, 1500 participants from 87 nations, including marine protected
area managers, scientists, political decision-makers, representatives of
local authorities and local communities, civil society, artists and
industry executives gathered in Marseille, France to share experiences
and discuss new and better ways to advance MPA management effectiveness
and expedite the accomplishment of the Aichi targets.

The Caribbean MPA Management Network and Forum (CaMPAM) participated in
several workshops, including “Regional MPA networks: their contribution
to achieve the Aïchi targets” aiming to emphasize importance of regional
MPA networks; stimulate discussion and exchange amongst several regional
MPA networks regarding their contribution to achieve the Aïchi targets;
and strengthen collaboration among different regional network of MPA
managers and stakeholders.

For the first time, the Caribbean (CaMPAM) and the Mediterranean
(MedPAN) networks of MPA professionals gave a joint presentation (
“Human networks and ecological network: two sides of a coin”) on how
human MPA networks can contribute to develop ecological networks. In
addition, the presentation (made by Marie Romanie, Executive Secretary
of the MedPAN Association, and Georgina Bustamante, coordinator of the
UNEP-CEP/SPAW CaMPAM) was also a symbolic statement of the commitment of
both networks to collaborate across the ocean for strengthening MPA
management capacity in both biogeographic regions (and UNEP Regional
Seas Programmes): the Wider Caribbean and the Mediterranean.

The workshop was chaired by Puri Canals (MedPAN President) and Leah
Karrer (GEF International Waters), with several panelists, namely,
Dominique Duval (RAMPAO) and Barthelemy Batieno (PRCM) from West Africa,
Alessandra Vanzella-Khouri and Georgina Bustamante from UNEP-CEP/SPAW
CaMPAM, Charlotte Gobin and Leah Karrer from GEF, and Marie Romani. They
led an active discussion on the importance and challenges of the
regional networks of MPA professionals to build capacity in each region
and the needs to incorporate the MPA ecological networks into a larger
coastal zone management framework.

The commonalities and differences of each regional network due to their
specific socioeconomic, cultural and biogeographic contexts, as well as
the stage of development of each network demonstrated the need to
increase communication and collaboration to improve their work. In
particular, Alessandra Vanzella-Khouri emphasized the important role
that SPAW protocol of the Cartagena Convention played in developing
CaMPAM and attracting resources, as well as the UNEP-CEP decision to
start CaMPAM slow, with a few activities, and increase activities over
the years.

For additional information, contact Dr. Georgina Bustamante
(gbustamante09 at gmail.com), CaMPAM coordinator.

Georgina Bustamante, Ph.D.
Coordinator

Caribbean Marine Protected Area Management (CaMPAM) Network and Forum
The UNEP-CEP capacity building program for MPA managers and stakeholders

GCFI Board of Directors (www.gcfi.org)

Hollywood, Florida, USA
Tel./fax (request) +1 (954) 963-3626
Mobile +1 (305) 297-6995
emails: gbustamante09 at gmail.com; gbustamante at gcfi.org; campam at gcfi.org
skype: yoyibustamante