Sharks and rays, these 2 suborders of cartilaginous fish belonging to the Elasmobranchs, help to maintain the balance of marine ecosystems and are also useful to human economies, such as fishing and blue tourism. In addition, some of the elasmobranch species found in the Caribbean are threatened, so it is essential to protect them.

Many elasmobranch species in the region are migratory or highly migratory. One of the major challenges highlighted by this study, and emphasised by the experts interviewed, is the need to strengthen collaboration between countries in order to better understand and manage these species throughout their range. An action plan has been produced to this end as part of CAMAC.

The experts brought together to produce this action plan identified 23 actions classified by priority and grouped into 3 areas of interest:

• New research efforts
• Research foundations
• Skills and capacity building

Each action is detailed in a fact sheet setting out all the key elements, such as the target species, the target habitats, the potential partners, the detailed budget and the human and material resources required.

The implementation and success of this action plan depends on local and regional commitment and collaboration. The knowledge acquired will be used to make recommendations for better protection of species and the sustainable development of human activities.