Caribbean nations are using new ways to manage protected areas. Most Caribbean governments are turning to other bodies to manage their protected areas for them. These include non-government organisations and the private sector. For example, in the Bahamas and Virgin Islands, National Trusts play vital a vital role. In general, government budgets are not sufficient to pay the full cost of managing protected areas, so other forms of sustainable income have to be found.
Scuba diving is a major activity throughout marine protected areas in the Caribbean.
Adopted in Kingston, Jamaica by the member governments of the Caribbean Environment Programme on 18 January 1990, the SPAW Protocol preceded other international environmental agreements in utilizing an ecosystem approach to conservation. The objective of the Protocol is to protect rare and fragile ecosystems and habitats, thereby protecting the endangered and threatened species residing therein. The development of the SPAW Protocol was initiated in 1987 as a joint effort between Governments, NGO's and the Scientific Community. In 1990, the Contracting Parties to the Cartagena Convention adopted the SPAW Protocol and a year later the initial versions of its three Annexes, listing the species to be protected, were adopted. With their adoption, the Governments recognized the ecological connectivity of the region, the highly migratory nature of many of its species and showed its commitment to a strong Protocol by listing entire groups of species, such as most corals, all mangroves, all sea turtles and major groups of marine mammals.