• To foster collaboration in shark and ray research, policy, and capacity building for conservation among stakeholders in the region, and to provide opportunities for knowledge transfer and data synthesis

• To safeguard the long-term health of shark and ray populations in the region, and to promote the protection of critical habitat

• To promote a sustainable future for these species as well as human livelihoods who depend on them

Working with local scientists, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), intergovernmental organizations and governments, we target capacity building for filling critical knowledge gaps through science, as well as the advancement of specific conservation actions.

The CSC will seek to obtain funding for collaborative work and to issue grants to CSC-member projects. The CSC will represent the interests and goals of members and, more broadly, sharks and ray species of the Caribbean at the UN (UNEP-CEP and the Regional Activity Center for the SPAW Protocols of the Cartagena Convention [the only binding treaty for the conservation of the Caribbean Sea]), IUCN-Caribbean, CITES, CMS, CBD, and other international gatherings.

We have three primary goals:

• Baseline data on shark and ray species exist for all countries and territories in the region

• Existing data are collated, shared, and analyzed

• Regional marine protected area coverage for sharks and rays expands through 2030

• Members interested in the conducting work are provided adequate training to do so

• New projects are provided with seed funding to fill identified knowledge gaps in the region

Our current priorities are ensuring that: