Reef Fisheries and Biodiversity Demo Project, CLME

1. Reef Fisheries and Biodiversity Demo Project, CLME UNEP- Caribbean Environment Programme (UNEP-CAR/RCU)

2. Rationale • Reefs systems key components of the CLME: essential for major economic activities (fisheries & tourism) but also severely impacted from these sectors through over-exploitation, pollution, habitat degradation • Complexity of issues require a multisectoral, integrated, participatory approach and thus excellent candidate for policy cycle demostration project • Use of MPAs as tool for marine biodiversity management is widely recognised and scientifically validated • Strategic selection of “replicable and measurable” demo projects within limited 4-yr budget (US $1.45 m)

3. Objectives • Strengthen and improve the governance of fisheries and marine biodiversity management at the local, national and regional levels through the application of policy cycle process in 2 representative demonstration areas with demonstrable linkages between them at both the lateral and vertical levels • Contribute towards the sustainable use of fisheries and marine biodiversity through improved policy frameworks and enforcement undertaken on the basis of the principles and values of good governance • Enhance marine biodiversity conservation through the strengthening of MPAs and their management effectiveness • Facilitate the sharing of better practices and approaches within the policy cycle process for sustainable use of reef fisheries and biodiversity through the dissemination of lessons learnt

4. Criteria • Transboundary and multi-sectoral issues • Hotspots for biodiversity and reef fisheries • Building on existing initiatives and experiences • Include participatory processes and conflict resolution • Clear links to poverty alleviation (alternative livelihoods) • Replicable and measurable results • Co-financing and sustainability • Demonstrable linkages to other areas in the region

5. Overall Activities • Review and strengthen management, policy and governance frameworks as appropriate for those areas • Identify and address information gaps to address weaknesses in frameworks, including the biological connectivity of marine populations, both large-scale (oceanic, via larvae or adult migration) or cross-shelf • Capacity building, education and awareness particularly relating to conflict resolution and enforcement issues • Develop/strengthen & implement monitoring and management effectiveness programme • Develop appropriate linkages to other areas and dissemination of lessons learnt

6. Overall Outputs • Management, policy and governance frameworks strengthened and implemented • Increase capacity for integrated management of marine biodiversity and reef fisheries • Reduced pressure and degradation on reef system • Improved enforcement of regulations on marine resources use • Monitoring and management effectiveness programme implemented

7. Seaflower MPA Large Marine Ecosystem ManagementReef Fisheries and Biodiversity Demo Project, CLME CORALINA San Andres Archipelago, Colombia

8. Linkage to CLME Priorities • Over- exploitation: • Improve enforcement of MPA management regulations regarding extraction of coastal and marine resources • Implement collaborative enforcement (institutions and community) • Initiate assessment of MPA effectiveness • Habitat degradation: • Improve enforcement of MPA management regulations regarding use of coastal and marine habitats (both marine- and land-based activities) • Implement sustainable use and conservation of coral reefs • increase habitat information on remote and productive archipelago atolls • Pollution: (parallel with CORALINA environmental program) • Coastal and marine water quality • Technical assistance with solid waste management • Adjustment of current groundwater monitoring and other watershed integrated management actions

9. Justification • Demo responds to five key CLME modules: productivity, fish and fisheries, pollution, ecosystem health, socio-economic and governance • Demo provides continuity of a successful process initiated 7 years ago through GEF and several partners support • Demo supports Jamaica demo project and disseminates lessons to other Caribbean sites • Demo deals with issues of both Central/South America and the Insular Caribbean, making it a unique example within the region

10. Project Proposed Activities 1. Consultations and negotiation to ensure stakeholder participatory enforcement • Bring together different actors to agree on cooperative enforcement methods • Implement collaborative enforcement (local/national agencies, users, etc) • Enhance participatory soft enforcement and surveillance through capacity building at local, national and regional levels 2. Policy cycle review, refinement and adoption • Increase knowledge on legal and policy aspects among all stakeholders • Improve compliance on existing fishery management regulations that are poorly enforced • Carry out national consultations for final adoption of enforcement methods 3. Strengthening existing management framework • Develop alternative livelihoods (including species recovery programs) • Refine MPA zoning regulations • Continue conservation programs aimed to maintain coral reef and key species sustainable use • Update and generate additional habitat mapping at remote under-studied marine areas of the archipelago to assess connectivity and possible future interventions

11. Project Proposed Activities 4. Revision of existing monitoring programs for MPA effectiveness indicators • Determine initial trends in MPA effectiveness indicators (bio-physical and socioeconomic) 5. Dissemination of results • Develop lateral linkages to Pedro Bank, Jamaica, through capacity building for implementation of management plan and to further engage the fishing community and other stakeholders • Regional workshop with countries with similar issues and needs to disseminate lessons learnt and approaches (including establishment of MPA network) on the policy cycle for the management of the large marine ecosystem of the SA archipelago (eg, Bahamas, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Jamaica, Belize, Dominican Republic, Haiti, etc)

12. Project Linkages, Partnerships & Collaboration Core of project methods and effectiveness: Creating, building, and strengthening lateral and vertical linkages with key players • Local – MPA management structure with advisory committees, departmental and municipal government, all marine users (artisanal and industrial fishers, watersports and tourism, traditional users, marinas, etc), local NGOs and cooperatives, universities, wider community • National – All environmental, enforcement, and fisheries authorities and organizations including MinAmb, DIMAR, Coast Guard, CIOH, INVEMAR, INCODER (national and local offices) • International - CLME partners, Pedro Bank-Jamaica, UNEP, UNESCO MAB and CSI, Seaflower MPA IAB members, and others

13. Budget • Total GEF cost US $500.000 • Cofinancing from Coralina/MinAmbiente US $1.5 m (includes past and ongoing investments for the development of the Seaflower MPA)

14. Pedro Bank Large Marine Ecosystem ManagementReef Fisheries and Biodiversity Demo Project, CLMEFisheries DivisionJamaica

15. Ecological/Economic Value • One of largest offshore banks in Caribbean • Harbors one of best preserved reefs in Jamaica • Most active turtle nesting beaches in Jamaica • Partially protected via MPA • One of main sources of Queen Conch in Caribbean • Jamaica’s most important fishing grounds (artisanal and commercial) • Supplies 90% of Jamaica’s conch export and majority of domestic fish products

16. Background • Project initiated in 2005 to develop and implement management plan • Partners include: • Fishing Community • Jamaica Fisheries Division • Jamaica Defense Force • TNC • NEPA • UWI-Mona

17. Proposed Activities • Implement Management Plan, with emphasis on stakeholder involvement and enforcement • Construct Field Station • Wildlife monitoring and habitat restoration • Support fishers to organize themselves to play active role in implementation of plan • Improve fishing practices to reduce fishing pressure and improve economic benefit • Capacity building and environmental education to train natural resource stewards (fishing community and Defense Force) • Dissemination of lessons learnt and linkages to other areas (Bahamas, DomRep, Haiti, St.Vincent Grenadines project etc.)

18. Relationship to National Strategy & Replication • Jamaica’s fisheries legislation currently under review: • will require ecosystem-based and conservation approach • will require management plans for all fisheries areas • Pedro Bank will be first site to implement this regulation and will facilitate development of others in the country

19. Justification • Project respond to five key modules CLME: productivity, fish and fisheries, ecosystem health, socio-economic and governance • It will provide continuity of a successful process initiated 3 years ago with broad stakeholder support • It will support the San Andreas demo project and disseminate lessons to other Caribbean sites

20. Budget • Total GEF cost $500,000 • Co-financing from Fisheries Division, TNC, UWI-Mona, NEPA, National Defense Force – US $1.5 m (includes past and ongoing investments for the development of the Pedro Bank Management Plan)