Caribbean Biodiversity Fund Launches USD$250 million Marine Protected Areas Financing Facility at 11th Our Ocean Conference 

Tyrell Gittens is a geographer, environmentalist, and journalist from Trinidad and Tobago. From June 16 to 18, 2026, he represented the Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN) Caribbean Chapter at the 11th Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa, Kenya, with the support of the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund. Tyrell wrote this article based on activities at the conference.

The Caribbean Biodiversity Fund (CBF) has announced the launch of the Caribbean Marine Protected Areas Finance Facility (MPAFF), an ambitious regional financing initiative that aims to mobilise USD 250 million to strengthen and sustain marine protected areas (MPAs) across the Caribbean.

The announcement was made during the opening plenary of the 11th Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa, Kenya, on June 17, 2026. The facility is being developed by the CBF in partnership with the Blue Nature Alliance and forms a key pillar of the region’s strategy to achieve the global 30×30 ocean conservation target. 

Speaking during the plenary session, “Unlocking the Caribbean’s Blue Wealth: A Unified Call to Action,” Tanja Lieuw, CBF’s Conservation Finance Program Manager, described the facility as a transformative approach to financing marine conservation.

“The Marine Protected Areas Finance Facility will gather resources to greatly reduce costs for Caribbean SIDS, helping our region move from short-term grants to more sustainable finance models.” 

“By channelling funds directly through local trust funds, accredited regional and national institutions and NGOs, it ensures local ownership and transparency. 

“It will also provide the technical assistance needed to strengthen marine protected areas’ governance, modernise legal and policy frameworks, and develop sustainable revenue mechanisms.”

Building on Regional  Leadership

The CBF was established in 2012 under the leadership of Grenada and the British Virgin Islands, the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund’s creation was catalysed in part by 12 Caribbean governments committing to protect 20 per cent of the Caribbean’s marine assets by 2020 as part of the Caribbean Challenge Initiative (CCI) that was launched in 2008 and focused on turning regional ocean conservation ambition into tangible action.

Since its establishment, the CBF has disbursed over $33 million for biodiversity conservation, helping to support the protection of approximately 47,000 square kilometres of Caribbean marine ecosystems. 

As Caribbean countries continue making progress towards the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, Liuew emphasised that regional cooperation is essential because marine ecosystems transcend national borders.

“Nature does not draw lines on a map.”

She noted that while governments have demonstrated growing political commitment through the Actioning Blue: The Caribbean 30×30 Vision and Roadmap for Our Ocean, lasting conservation outcomes will depend on sustainable, long-term financing.

“The CBF proudly launched the Actioning Blue Declaration at the UN Ocean Conference last year (2025), standing shoulder-to-shoulder with 13 sister nations and several strategic partners. 

“This Caribbean-owned roadmap transforms the global 30×30 commitment into coordinated Caribbean action, anchoring the Global Biodiversity Framework and SDG 14 in our waters.

“But political will must be met with financial reality. Today, the insular Caribbean faces an estimated $576 million annual financing gap for marine conservation.”

The MPAFF has been designed to help close this financing gap by providing predictable, long-term investment for marine conservation while reducing dependence on fragmented, project-based funding.

A Regional Solution to a Regional Challenge

Following the announcement, Lieuw said launching the facility at the Our Oceans Conference provided an opportunity to engage potential investors while demonstrating Caribbean leadership on the global stage. She explained that regional coordination will be essential to attracting investment and maximising conservation impact. “Individual countries often struggle to attract the scale of investment needed for long-term marine conservation. By working together through a regional financing mechanism, we can reduce costs, unlock greater investment, and deliver lasting conservation outcomes.

“We Caribbean people are a people woven together by the water between us. For us, the ocean is the living archive of our cultural heritage. 

“To protect our ocean is to protect the very soul of the Caribbean. It is a fight for our region’s future.

“On behalf of the Actioning Blue signatories, the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund, and our strategic partners, we invite everyone to join the Actioning Blue journey, and support the Caribbean through strategic financial and capacity investments.”

The launch of the Caribbean Marine Protected Areas Finance Facility marks a major milestone for regional ocean conservation. By providing sustainable financing and technical support, the Facility will help translate political commitments into lasting action,  ensuring that Caribbean marine protected areas are effectively managed for generations to come.