THE 25th anniversary of the entry into force of the Protocol Concerning Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW Protocol) was observed on June 18, 2025. This is one of three protocols which protect the Caribbean Sea.

In a release on June 18, the Cartagena Convention Secretariat said the SPAW Protocol is one of three vital protocols under the Convention for the Protection and Development of the wider Caribbean Region (WCR), commonly known as the Cartagena Convention. Adopted in 1983, the Convention is the only legally binding regional agreement for the protection of the Caribbean Sea, supported by its protocols; the Oil Spills Protocol, the Land-Based Sources of Marine Pollution (LBS) Protocol; and the SPAW Protocol.

Cartagena Convention Secretariat Ecosystems Division SPAW Sub-Programme programme management officer Susana Perera-Valderrama said the SPAW protocol serves as the cornerstone for regional collaboration in safeguarding the Caribbean’s irreplaceable marine and coastal natural heritage.