CEP Technical Report No. 36 1996

CEP Technical Report No. 36 1996: Status of Protected Area Systems in the Wider Caribbean Region
Country Profiles

IUCN MANAGEMENT CATEGORY	No. of Protected Areas (PAs)	PAs with Marine or Coastal Zones	Extension
Category I	2	0	41,985
Category II	3	2	111,943
Category III	1	1	2,340
Category IV	3	0	123,870
Category V	0	0	0
Categories VI-VIII	15	4	517,598
Biosphere Reserves	0	0	0
World Heritage Sites	0	0	0
Ramsar Sites	0	0	0
Total (1)	24	7	797,736

(1) Totals have been adjusted to avoid double counting areas that are classified in 2 or more categories.

A country National Forestry Action Plan was drawn up in 1989 under the auspices of the Tropical Forestry Action Plan and with support from a number of international aid agencies. Much of the plan is devoted to economic development and maximising resource utilisation in a sustainable manner. This is to be done through legislative changes, institutional strengthening, and changes in management techniques.

The plan proposes several measures to counter the current deterioration of forests, including the establishment of an Office of Conservation within the Forest Department which has been established (Matola, pers. comm., 1992; Salas, pers. comm., 1992). Production of resource inventories is recommended so that gaps in the existing protected areas network can be highlighted (OFI 1989). The UK Overseas Development Agency has taken over conservation aspects of the Action Plan. A forest planning and management project was established in May 1992 to run for five years (Zisman, pers. comm., 1992).

A proposed agreement between Belize and Mexico has been drawn up concerning the protection of the environment in the border areas between the two countries (Rosado, pers. comm., 1991). Efforts are also underway to establish an international protected area around Gran Petén between Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize, also known as the Azul Triangle. This is a vast and mostly uninhabited region with numerous Mayan ruins. On the Belize side, some 85,000 ha have already been set aside for conservation, with limited sustainable exploitation in the Rio Bravo Conservation Areas managed by the Programme for Belize. A further proposed international initiative concerns the Chiquibul/Mayan Mountain project between Guatemala and Belize.

The first piece of legislation concerning forest resource regulation and protection was the Forest Ordinance, 1927, which was revised in 1958. This provides for the establishment and management of forest reserves within which timber extraction is strictly regulated (Hartshorn and Green 1985, USAID 1988). Forest reserves are established under individual decrees and controlled timber extraction is permitted within them. Approximately 22% of the land in forest reserves is recognised unofficially as protection forest which cannot be utilised except for selective felling of minor importance.

The Crown Land Ordinance, 1924, revised in 1958, enabled the relevant Minister to categorise sites on an ad hoc basis, which led to the designation of a number of sites and are sometimes known as crown reserves. These included a number of bird sanctuaries (Annex I) which have not been designated under the more recent legislation (Zisman 1989). The first crown reserve, Half-Moon Cay, was established in 1928.

The principal protected area legislation currently in effect is the National Parks System Act No. 5, 1981, which provides for the declaration by the government of national parks and other protected areas to be administered by the Chief Forest Officer. However, no regulations have been drawn up for the implementation of this legislation (USAID 1988). Definitions are given for four categories of protected area (Annex I) that are to be established by the Minister. The process whereby areas are delimited and developed as a protected area are given. Licences for construction and other activities within the area may be issued only by the Minister.

The final piece of legislation relating directly to protected areas is the Fisheries Ordinance, 1977, which enables the designation of marine nature reserves (Annex I). Further reference to these is covered under the Fisheries Amendment Act, 1983 (Zisman 1989).

The Wildlife Protection Act No. 4, 1981 provides for the conservation, restoration, development and regulation of wildlife resources. Hunting regulations are detailed and the Forest Department is authorised to ensure compliance with the regulations. Under this Act all wild animals are protected from unregulated capture, while some 30 mammal species and all but six bird species are completely protected. A moratorium on commercial wildlife harvesting was extended and was due to expire in 1992 (USAID 1982, Rosado, pers. comm., 1991).

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES, 1973)

Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (World Heritage, 1972)

Caribbean Environment Programme (CEP, 1981) and its Specially Protected Areas & Wildlife Programme (SPAW, 1990)

Latin American Network for Technical Co-operation in National Parks, Protected Areas & Wildlife (LAN-NPPAW)

The Forest Department within the Ministry of Natural Resources (formerly in the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries) is nominally responsible for all protected areas in the country. In reality, the main burden of conservation work has been undertaken by non-governmental organisations (NGOs), notably the Belize Audubon Society (BAS), and also the Programme for Belize, a consortium of conservation organisations (USAID 1988).

BAS was given authority to manage the government reserves established between 1981 and 1990, in the absence of an appropriate government authority. The only categories not managed by BAS were forest reserves and the single marine nature reserve. BAS also has an important role in promoting environmental awareness and identifying and promoting new sites for nature reserves.

The Programme for Belize owns and manages over 85,000 ha for conservation purposes. Another NGO, Coral Cay Conservation, has worked closely with the Coastal Zone Unit of the Fisheries Department through comprehensive surveys of marine resources and the preparation of a draft management plan for the proposed South Water Cay marine reserve. (PFB 1992).

The Forest Department is responsible for managing all forest reserves in the country. Around 62% of forested land is owned by the public sector, just under half of which comes under designation as 15 forest reserves (USAID 1988). This Department comprises a Chief Officer, three forest officers, three foresters, two conservation officers, 11 rangers, 20 forest guards and support staff. However, training facilities are lacking for staff and none has received training in wildlife or parks management. Lack of adequate equipment and funding also restricts the effectiveness of the department (USAID 1988).

Responsibility for the administration of marine resources, including marine nature reserves, rests with the Fisheries Administrator in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (Zisman 1989).

The government's decision to hand over policy and management responsibilities concerned with the protected areas sector is widely felt to be unacceptable. It is felt that a systematic approach to the conservation of the country's biodiversity is required to ensure that all ecosystems are properly represented in the protected areas system. An administrative and managerial body within the public sector may be essential if external assistance in planning, research, training and management is to be effective.

A Conservation Advisory Board was established in February 1989 to advise the Forest Department on matters relating to conservation and the Environment, but has no statutory powers and is ineffective. Proposals put forward by the World Wildlife Fund-US for the establishment of a Conservation Division, or an Office of Conservation, within the Forest Department were incorporated into the Forest Department Annual Report and in the Belize Tropical Forest Action Plan.

A Conservation Division has now been established to manage some or all of the protected areas (Matola, pers. comm., 1992; Salas, pers. comm., 1992). WWF-US also proposed that some form of systems review should be undertaken to identify areas of critical importance for inclusion in an expanded protected areas network (OFI 1989, WWF-US 1989, Rosado, pers. comm., 1991).

Belize is the second smallest and the least populated country in Central America. It is unique in tropical America in that the country's geopolitical identity is related directly to its forest resources. Settlement of the region in the mid-17th century was for cutting logwood, and for nearly three centuries the local economy depended on exported logs and imported food. By 1984 only 2% of the land area was used for agriculture. A maximum of 16% of the land area is considered suitable for mechanised agriculture without large financial and technical investments (Hartshorn et al 1984).

Belize lies in the northern portion of the Mesoamerican land bridge, and shares its borders to the north with Mexico, and to the west and south with Guatemala. To the east there is a long coastline on the Caribbean Sea, with numerous offshore islands and coral cays. Many of these lie in a chain some 15-40 km offshore, along the second largest barrier reef in the world, which is almost continuous for some 257 km. The country lies within the subtropics and has a history of devastating effects of cyclones (Hartshorn et al 1984, USAID 1988).

The country can be subdivided into the broad, low-lying coastal plain in the north, which extends to the south along a narrow coastal strip, and the Maya Mountains in the south central area of the country. The low-lying areas, which are continuous with the Mexican Yucatan Platform, are dominated by limestone topography. The mountain range, which rises to 1,120 m, is largely composed of metamorphosed sediments with granitic intrusions. Coral reefs are highly developed and contain a typical Caribbean fauna (IUCN 1988).

Following the Holdridge (1967) classification system and the work of Hartshorn et al (1984), six life (ecological) zones have been described in Belize. These are: subtropical moist forest, subtropical lower montane moist forest, subtropical lower montane wet forest, subtropical wet forest, tropical moist - transition to subtropical, and tropical wet - transition to subtropical. Mangroves are a major feature of the coastal and marine ecosystems (Hartshorn et al 1984, OFI 1989). The most recent estimates of forest cover suggest that closed broad-leaved forest covers some 74% of the land area, and open pine forest a further 5% (Simonetti, pers. comm., 1992).

Although Belize is not noted among the Central American countries as having particularly high biodiversity, it is nonetheless very diverse, especially for its size, with approximately 4,000 species of flowering plants. The flora in the north is closely allied to that of the Yucatan Peninsula which is thought to comprise up to 17% endemics. Another feature which raises the status of Belize as a country of considerable conservation importance is the fact that much of the habitat is undisturbed and relatively un-threatened at present. Hence, populations are more stable here than in many other countries (Hartshorn et al 1984, WWF-US 1989).

IUCN categories I-IV cover nearly 275,000 ha, including three areas with marine or coastal zones and a marine national park. Forest Reserves total nearly 520,000 ha and include four areas with marine or coastal zones. The combined extension of these protected areas is the equivalent to 35% of the countries landmass.

The protected area system has its origins in a series of crown reserves, focusing on major sea-bird rookeries, and 15 forest reserves established for timber exploitation rather than wildlife exploitation. The first crown reserve, Half-Moon Caye, was established in 1928. In 1977, seven tiny mangrove cays were established as crown reserves to protect rookeries, with administration entrusted to BAS.

One of BAS's first projects was to raise funds to purchase the remaining privately-owned land on Half-Moon Caye, an important breeding ground for red-footed booby Sula sula. Half-Moon Caye Natural Monument was established in 1982. Similar initiatives by BAS have resulted in the creation of other protected areas, such as Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary in 1984.

The collective efforts of BAS, the Belize Centre for Environmental Studies, Programme for Belize, Belize Zoo and the government have consolidated the conservation system (Simons 1988, Matola, pers. comm., 1992). Five national parks have been established since 1981. In 1991 there were 20 legally declared conservation areas which covered some 10% of the total area (USAID 1988).

Management is considered relatively effective for the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. Potentially serious impacts are being caused by recreational diving, sewage runoff and coastal development (van't Hof 1993). BAS has identified a further 15 sites for potential protection, including designating the barrier reef, associated cays and lagoons as a World Heritage site (Hartshorn et al 1984, USAID 1988).

The government is the largest land-owner in the country, and therefore it has a strong influence on conservation. Some 21,323 sq. km. (93% of the total national territory) is classified by the government as "forest land", of which over 60% is state-owned. Actually, this figure does not give an accurate reflection of current land use as it contains a considerable area of open grassland and small farms which were not included in calculations. Within the state-owned forestry system there are 15 legally notified forest reserves that cover 6,368 sq. km., or 28% of total area. The majority of the land in these forest reserves is broad-leaved forest although there is also some open woodland and pine.

Approximately 22% of the land in these reserves is recognised unofficially as protection forest, with a further 33% described as inaccessible. Despite this a number of these reserves have lost forest to illegal agriculture, and at least one has been degazetted. None of the existing forest reserves has a formal management plan and it is unclear to what extent they will contribute to conservation in the long-term (Hartshorn et al 1984, USAID 1988).

Tourism is growing exceptionally fast in protected areas and has doubled between 1987 and 1989. Unless properly managed this could seriously threaten sites. However, tourism also presents a great potential source of revenue for a sector that is particularly short of funding. In 1992, the government of Belize approved in principle a Belize Revenue Generation Strategy for Protected Areas (Salas, pers. comm., 1992).

Several innovative conservation projects have been implemented. For instance, in 1985, following a survey of the black howler monkey range, the 777 ha Community Baboon Sanctuary was established. This involves more than 60 private land-owners who have pledged to leave parts of their land undisturbed. Tourism has been especially encouraged in the area to provide jobs for local people (Simons 1988). There are two other large private nature reserves: Shipstern Nature Reserve and Rio Bravo Conservation Area (Zisman 1989).

Chief Forest Officer, Department of Forestry, Ministry of Natural Resources, Belmopan (Tel: 8 22711; FAX: 8 22333)

Fisheries Administrator, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, PO Box 148, Belize City

Belize Audubon Society, 29 Regent Street, PO Box 1001, Belize City (Tel: 2 77369; FAX: 2 78562)

Coral Cay Conservation, The Sutton Business Centre, Restmor Way, Wallington, Surrey SM6 7AH, UK (Tel: 081 669 0011; FAX: 081 773 0406)

Department of the Environment, Ministry of Tourism and the Environment, Independence Hill, Belmopan. Telephone: (501-8) 23393 to 4 (501-8) 22816 Fax: (501-8) 22862

Hartshorn, G.S., Nicolait, L., Hartshorn, L., Bevier, G., Brightman, R., Cal, J., Cawich, A., Davidson, W., DuBois, R., Dyer, C., Gibson, J., Hawley, W., Leonard, J., Nicolait, R., Weyer, D., White, H., and Wright, C. (1984) Belize Country Environmental Profile. A Field Study. USAID Contract No. 505-0000-C-00-3001-00. 151 pp.

Hartshorn, G.S. and Green, G.C. (1985) Belize. Wildlands conservation in North-Central America. September. 6 pp.

IUCN (1988) Coral Reefs of the World, Volume 1: Atlantic and Eastern Pacific. IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre, Cambridge, UK. 373 pp.

OFI (1989) Belize Tropical Forestry Action Plan. Report by Oxford Forestry Institute. Unpublished. Oxford Forestry Institute, Oxford, UK. 273 pp.

PFB (1992) Programme for Belize. Newsletter 6. Programme for Belize, Suffolk, UK.

USAID (1988) Tropical forests/biodiversity. Annex to USAID/Belize FY 89-90 Action Plan, March. 26 pp.

Van Rest, J. (1986) Partners in development: Belize. Horizons. Spring. pp. 13-17.

WWF-US (1989) The establishment of the conservation division and expansion of a protected areas system in Belize. Unpublished report submitted to the Biodiversity Support Programme.

Zisman, S. (1989) The Directory of Protected Areas and Sites of Nature Conservation Interest in Belize. Occasional Publications No. 10, Department of Geography, University of Edinburgh, UK. 110 pp.

Definitions of protected area designations, as legislated, together with authorities responsible for their administration.

Brief description: Chapter 110 provides the Minister with the power to establish sites, sometimes known as crown reserves, on an ad hoc basis. A number of these remain today as bird sanctuaries.

Bird Sanctuary No information is available concerning regulations, although Zisman (1989) states they may be considered as IUCN Management Category IV. All sites are small (between 0.4 and 21 ha).

Brief description: Section 9(A) enables the designation of marine nature reserves.

Administrative authority: Fisheries Unit, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries

Marine Nature Reserve The hunting, killing or taking of certain species of marine mammals and crocodiles is prohibited. Only one site has been designated. This site was declared to prevent over-fishing and to protect the coral resources largely because of their value to tourism, fishing and as a genetic resource. The existing site has been zoned, with Zone (A) being closed to fishing and coral collecting and two further zones where regulations are less strict.

Brief description: Provides for the creation of national parks and other protected areas which collectively comprise the National Parks System. Definitions for the different management categories to be employed and prohibited activities common to all of them, are given.

Administrative authority: Chief Forest Officer, Forest Department, Ministry of Agriculture.

National Park An area set aside for the protection and preservation of examples of natural or scenic value, considered to be of national significance, for the benefit and enjoyment of the public. Entry is permitted only for scientific research, recreational or educational purposes, with prior authorisation from the Minster of Natural Resources.

Nature Reserve An area set aside for the protection of biological communities or species, to allow the continuation of natural processes in an undisturbed state, and to ensure that ecologically representative examples of the natural environment are available for purposes of scientific research, education and the maintenance of genetic resources. Entry is prohibited unless under the authority of the Ministry, and following regulations given in the legislation.

Wildlife Sanctuary An area set aside for the protection of nationally significant species, or groups of species, biotic communities, or physical features that require human manipulation for their continuing survival. Hunting or capture of wildlife and the destruction of bird or reptile nests or eggs are prohibited.

Natural Monument An area set aside for the protection of nationally significant features of special interest or unique characteristics for the purpose of education, research and public enjoyment. Disruption of features of the national monument is prohibited, but the monument may be used for educational, interpretation and research purposes.

Activities prohibited in all four categories include: hunting or capturing wildlife species, fishing, destroying or collecting floral specimens, and the construction of structures for permanent or temporary residence or other purposes. The Minister may issue permits to appropriate organisations, scientists or suitably qualified professionals for the collection of specimens.

Name of area	IUCN & National Mgmt. Categories		Presence of Marine or Coastal Zones	Area ha	Year Established
Bladen Branch	I	NR		39,256	1990
Society Hall	I	NR		2,729	1986
Subtotal	2		0	41,985
Hol Chan	II	NMR	YES	411	1987
Chiquibul	II	NP		107,607	1991
Half Moon Caye	II	NM	YES	3,925	1982
Subtotal	3		2	111,943
Rio Grande	III	NR	YES	2,340	1968
Subtotal	1		1	2,340
Cockscomb Basin	IV	WS		102,400	1986
Crooked Tree	IV	WS		1,470	1984
Caracol	IV	AR		20,000	not avail.
Subtotal	3		0	123,870
Chiquibul	VIII	FR		184,955	1991
Columbia River	VIII	FR		44,789	1954
Commerce Bight	VIII	FR		1,200	1989
Deep River	VIII	FR		31,647	not avail.
Freshwater Creek	VIII	FR		29,593	1960
Grants' Work A	VIII	FR		3,439	1986
Machaca	VIII	FR	YES	2,300	not avail.
Manatee Lagoons	VIII	FR	YES	3,300	not avail.
Mango Creek	VIII	FR	YES	23,224	not avail.
Maya Mountains	VIII	FR		52,124	1984
Mountain Pine Ridge	VIII	FR		51,282	1920
Sibun	VIII	FR		42,966	1987
Silk Grass	VIII	FR		2,641	1920
Sittee River	VIII	FR		37,938	1977
Swasey Bladen	VIII	FR		6,200	1958
Subtotal	15		4	517,598