The Tribune

The Bahamas Project for Marine Conservation (BPMC) says it has assessed 70 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) across the country to identify their strengths and areas that need improvement.

The BPMC, in a statement, said the evaluations were conducted using the internationally-standardised Management Effectiveness Tracking Tool (METT). Partners in the initiative included the Bahamas National Trust (BNT), the Department of Marine Resources (DMR), the Department of Environmental Planning & Protection (DEPP), the Forestry Unit and the Bahamas Protected Areas Fund (BPAF).

It added that, over five months, conservation experts, park wardens and technical specialists from these organisations collaborated to gather and compile data on MPAs across The Bahamas. Jacklyn Chisholm-Lightbourne, BPMC’s monitoring and evaluation consultant, explained that filling these data gaps better supports future planning, investmentand management action.

“The most important aspect of this is that we're taking the protected areas that are ‘paper parks’ and transforming them into actually fully and effectively managed protected areas,” she said. “This allows us to identify what's going on in each of these parks, and helps us identify specific issues and necessary resources, while also supporting fisheries, tourism, and other related industries through conservation.”

The BPMC said the assessment framework was developed between April and June 2026. The work included reviewing previous METT and similar evaluations, as well as incorporating the data into a broader structure alongside management plans, gazettes, studies and monitoring information.

To carry out the process, the project management unit established an inter-agency working group with representatives from partner organisations including the BNT, DMR, DEPP, BPAF and the Forestry Unit. The group met frequently over five months, grouping the MPAs into geographic and island clusters.

Two in-person workshops were held in Nassau, bringing together project partners from the capital, Abaco, Andros, Eleuthera, Grand Bahama and Inagua. Environmental specialists from non-governmental and private entities also attended select sessions to offer further insight and establish consistent assessment and documentation practices. Additionally, consultants travelled to several Family Islands to engage with and gather feedback from local community members.

The assessment documented site-specific management strengths, threats and protected area values in a comprehensive report. Key management gaps and challenges were identified, with recurring notes highlighting the impacts of climate change and pollution from human activity. Priority management actions were also outlined, including the need for capacity building and dedicated funding for monitoring and maintenance.

The BPMC said the primary objective of the assessments was to provide insights into current management conditions and identify opportunities to strengthen oversight. Rich Wilson, of Seatone Consulting, facilitator of the 2026 Bahamas METT Assessment, explained that with the assessments now completed, trends can be analysed across the MPA network, including recurring strengths, gaps and priority areas for action.

“This assessment gives The Bahamas its most comprehensive picture yet of how its marine protected areas are emerging and being managed. By looking systematically across 70 MPAs, we can see where management is working well, where common challenges exist, and where additional attention and resources could make the greatest difference,” Mr Wilson said.

“The real value of this national baseline is that it gives managers and decision-makers a common point of reference — not simply to measure where things stand today, but to set priorities, guide future investment and track progress in strengthening MPA management over time.”

The BPMC said the project management unit is preparing for a final workshop at the end of October, working with Mr Wilson. With the assessments completed, the team is shifting its focus to analysis and implementation. During the upcoming workshop, stakeholders will review the findings, analyse patterns by island/MPA cluster, prioritise management actions, and build capacity for future evaluations.

“The third workshop is kind of the bridge that goes back to the first two workshops and builds on everything we’ve learned from doing all these assessments and links to the future in terms of what are the actions we need to put in place to move forward and, ideally, over time, improve management of these marine protected areas based on what we learned during the assessments,” Mr Wilson said.

The BPMC said completing these 70 assessments has established a robust national evidence base. It added that it is now leveraging these findings to strengthen MPA management as the project transitions into developing a climate smart management plan.