Businessman Sir Richard Branson hosted a meeting of nine Caribbean governments along with chiefs of resort companies and cruise lines, representatives of the World Bank, representatives of the United Nations and other international bodies, private foundations and environmental groups last weekend. Held at the eco resort on Necker Island, the group discussed the “Caribbean Challenge”, which calls for special protected zones along at least 20 per cent of the region’s coasts by 2020. The delegates signed a memorandum that pledges to “establish a framework for a regional approach to coastal conservation, including increasing considerably the number of marine protected areas. They also said they recognized an urgent need to protect sharks and rays, and vowed a dramatic acceleration in the transition from fossil fuels to alternative energy sources over the next five years”.