A Blue Future: developing a national marine litter action plan in SIDS—lessons learnt in Belize

Abstract Marine litter is a significant global threat. The complex and cross cutting nature involved in tackling marine litter requires a coordinated response involving multiple sectors and a broad range of stakeholders. Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are particularly vulnerable to detrimental impacts of marine litter on quality of life and economies, particularly tourism and fisheries sectors. This paper presents national Marine Litter Action Plans (MLAP) as effective tools for coordinating responses addressing marine litter and specifically outlines the process undertaken to develop a national MLAP for the country of Belize, a Caribbean SIDS. Actions included in the MLAP, adopted by Belize in 2019, focused on developing science related to marine litter through monitoring and capacity building, tackling land- and sea-based sources through enforcement and planning, and boosting awareness through outreach and education. The paper further summarizes common challenges faced by SIDS and identifies key enabling conditions that facilitated MLAP development and adoption from perspective of a Caribbean SIDS. These experiences from Belize include stakeholder engagement, communication, governance, transparency, equity, scientific surveys, data gaps, and capacity building. The lessons learned from this practical application can be applied when developing and implementing MLAPs in other SIDS and beyond.