Caribbean protects coasts to boost economy
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A number of Caribbean nations have agreed to create new protected marine and coastal areas which will help to safeguard the countries' tourist industries.
The Dominican Republic, along with Jamaica, Grenada, St Vincent, the Grenadines and the Bahamas are set to receive more than $40 million (£20 million) from the Caribbean Challenge fund which will be spent on improving marine conservation in the region.
It is hoped that the funding will help to protect at least 20 per cent of coastal areas in the countries that have signed up over the next 12 years.
Stephanie Meeks, acting president and chief executive officer of the Nature Conservancy, commented: "This is a small investment today for the priceless, long-term benefit of protecting the fish stocks and tourism related livelihoods of…more than ten million people."
Highlighting the importance of the project to the region's economies, the Bahamas' minister of works and transport Earl Deveaux told Reuters: "Our economy is based on tourism and our greatest natural resource is our environment."
"Conservation of the precious coastlines is something that the developers of Dominican touristic developments are also strongly adhering to.
"The development of the Punta Perla Resort, for example, has been designed from the outset with this in mind," Matt Legg, Emerging Earth.
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