Antigua och Barbuda

In Antigua and Barbuda, a fish is protected so the beaches will not lose their sand.

Much of the region’s white sand comes from parrotfish, which grind coral down into fine grains.

As concern grew that the sand was running out, the government backed a ban on catching the fish. According to the government, the sand is needed both for building and as protection against wind and high tides when hurricanes strike.

On Barbuda, the fish has been protected since 2014.