Marine Protection in St Kitts & Nevis
Blue Conscience works alongside Blue Marine Foundation, the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis and local communities to advance marine protection across inshore and offshore waters. Through consultations with fisherfolk and other marine users, we help ensure local knowledge, livelihoods and community priorities inform marine planning and management. Together, this work supports the review of the St. Kitts and Nevis Marine Managed Area and progress towards the national 30x30 marine protection goal.
Advancing 30X30 Marine Protection
In February 2026, Blue Conscience signed the 30x30 Actioning Blue Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis and Blue Marine Foundation. Through this partnership, we support community engagement and consultations to help shape marine protection and management across both inshore and offshore waters.
St. Kitts and Nevis is working towards protecting 30% of its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) by 2030. We help connect this national commitment with local communities, ensuring that the knowledge and priorities of fisherfolk and other marine users inform plans that protect marine ecosystems while supporting livelihoods.
Strengthening Nearshore
Marine Protection
The St. Kitts and Nevis Marine Managed Area (SKNMMA) was designated in 2016 to support the protection and sustainable use of inshore waters. Its management framework is now being reviewed to address overlapping zoning categories, unclear management measures and challenges that have limited implementation.
Working alongside Blue Marine Foundation, government and local stakeholders, Blue Conscience supports consultations to help make the revised plan clearer, more practical and responsive to community needs. Fisherfolk and other marine users contribute their knowledge to discussions about proposed zones, important habitats, fishing grounds and access.
The review considers clearer zoning and protection for key habitats, including potential no-take areas that could support biodiversity recovery and fisheries replenishment. Proposed boundaries and management measures remain under consultation, with feedback informing recommendations before government decisions are made.
Planning Offshore Marine Protection
Beyond the nearshore coastal zone, St. Kitts and Nevis’s offshore waters support fisheries and provide habitats and migration routes for whales, sharks, turtles and other marine wildlife. Protecting these waters can help sustain fish populations, food security and the livelihoods that depend on a healthy ocean.
Working alongside Blue Marine Foundation and government, Blue Conscience supports consultations with fisherfolk and other marine users to understand where they fish, travel and carry out other activities. Through marine-use surveys and mapping, participants identify areas important to their livelihoods. This information is considered alongside biodiversity data to identify potential protection areas, overlapping uses and possible conflicts.
The findings will help develop practical protection options that account for important ecosystems and existing ocean uses. Boundaries and management measures are not yet final, and offshore protection does not automatically mean all areas will be no-take. Community input will inform recommendations before government decisions are made.
Working Alongside Local Fisheries
Fisherfolk and other marine users hold valuable knowledge of our ocean and the changes taking place within it. Blue Conscience works alongside fishing communities, tourism operators and other local stakeholders to understand their priorities, share information and create opportunities to contribute to marine protection.
These conversations help identify practical concerns about access, livelihoods and management, ensuring that local perspectives are considered as plans develop.