During their visit to the San Blas Islands, Jens Oomes and his family were shocked and saddened by the amount of plastic pollution they encountered on the shores of these beautiful islands. Walking past the main meeting hut in the village of Wichub Wala they overheard the villagers discussions about solutions for the plastic pollution issues. The meeting was led by Kimberly Craighead and Milton Yacelga from www.kaminando.org. While their original focus lies in the research and conservation of jaguars, as a flagship species of the Panamanian jungle, they discovered another urgent conservation issue in the San Blas Islands. The Islander wanted to help Kaminando raise awareness about the issues that threaten this beautiful cruising area often visited by luxury and superyachts.

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP), in its report titled “Making Peace with Nature,” highlights the impacts of three interconnected threats: climate change, the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem integrity, and pollution. The report argues that if we want to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, we must urgently break away from current trends of environmental decline. However, adverse human activities continue to affect three-quarters of the land and two-thirds of the oceans. Over a million species of plants and animals are on the brink of extinction, and many ecosystem services essential for human well-being are increasingly deteriorating.

We are the founders of Kaminando Habitat Connectivity Initiative, a grassroots organization that combines advanced biological research, community outreach, and environmental education for a multidisciplinary approach to conservation. Our research focuses on the threatened jaguar and its habitat, integrating scientific methods with traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) to enhance collaborative conservation efforts with the Indigenous Guna People. While we conduct our jaguar research on the Guna’s mainland territory—one of Panama’s largest remaining intact forests and a major ecological hotspot—our community outreach and education also extends to the offshore islands of San Blas, which are home to densely populated Guna communities that rely on agriculture, hunting, ocean fishing, and tourism for their livelihoods. We write this article to highlight our ecological and socio-cultural concerns for the future of this unique land and its people.

In this context, we focus on the captivating archipelago of San Blas. This region comprises approximately 365 islands and cays off the north coast of the Isthmus of Panama, east of the Panama Canal in the Caribbean Sea. Its idyllic climate, clear waters, and islands ringed with white sand and coral reefs attract thousands of tourists by land and by sea. As discussed in our peer-reviewed publication, “Indigenous Peoples’ Displacement and Jaguar Survival in a Warming Planet,” coastal and island communities are at the forefront of facing increasing temperatures, sea-level rise, and ocean acidification due to climate change. Furthermore, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has noted that small islands and atolls, which rarely exceed 3–4 meters above sea level, are particularly vulnerable to flooding from rising seas. 

San Blas also faces significant issues with coastal and island-based plastic pollution. This pollution reaches the area through ocean currents, runoff, tourism, yachts, and locals. Plastics pose serious threats to wildlife, human health, and the livelihoods of people in the region. Marine life can become entangled in plastic debris, resulting in injury or death, while ingesting plastic can cause internal injuries. The delicate ecosystems of coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrass beds are also at risk. The introduction of plastics into these environments disrupts the balance of ecosystems, leading to a decline in biodiversity. Moreover, plastic pollution introduces health risks to the inhabitants of San Blas. As harmful microplastics enter the food chain, they can have long-term health effects on the people who rely on local fish and seafood for sustenance. 

According to the Global Plastic Outlook Database, plastic production is projected to triple, reaching over 1,200 million tons (Mt) by 2060 if new policies are not implemented. Currently, approximately only 9% of plastics are recycled. In 2019, an estimated 30 Mt of plastic waste entered seas and oceans, while 109 Mt accumulated in rivers. For the Guna, the onslaught of plastic pollution represents a fundamental injustice, as their traditional lifestyles do not adequately address waste management. With limited alternatives, discarded plastic waste in their oceans, forests, and islands is often neglected, accumulated, swept into the sea, or burned.

Given the interrelated nature of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, Kaminando aims to develop innovative ways to provide climate and environmental education to the island community of Wichub Wala, for children and adults. This educational agenda aims to bolster community resilience and incorporate traditional knowledge to empower youth as agents of change across the populated islands. Initiatives such as community clean-up days, educational workshops that foster a sense of ownership and responsibility for the local environment, and the establishment of a recycling program will help reduce the amount of plastic waste entering the ecosystem. These efforts will empower the community to mitigate the adverse effects of plastic on their fragile environment.

The small islands of San Blas are highly vulnerable. Therefore, we advocate for actions that prioritize equity, climate justice, and social justice. The Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution, which includes a treaty involving 175 countries aimed at coordinating global efforts to reduce plastic production and pollution, complements local initiatives like those undertaken by Kaminando in Wichub Wala. Additionally, to foster climate-resilient development, we emphasize the importance of participation from governments, academia, private businesses, and the necessity for fundamental behavioral changes within civil society.

Boaters are urged to sail responsibly by making a conscious effort to reduce plastic and garbage waste. Please keep all waste onboard until it can be disposed of properly These actions will help protect the marine life and ecosystems that rely on us to keep the waters clean.

Would you like to support the cause? Feel free to leave a donation on: https://gofund.me/8c611af9 

Photo credits:

The San Blas island image from above was taken by Joey Loreto.

The jaguar was taken by Sebastian Kennerknecht. 

The Guna children at Wichub Wala were taken by Milton Yacelga.

The Guna Yala territory from above, was taken by Alejandro Prieto.

The Wichub Wala waste was taken by me, Kimberly Craighead.