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

ST. LUCIA

Area 616 sq. km.

Summary Table

Policy and Legislation

The Department of Forests and Lands of the Ministry of Agriculture has prepared a comprehensive management plan for the country's forests, in collaboration with CIDA (OECS 1986), which is now being implemented. The Forest Management Plan has been accepted by government as the basic policy document for future forestry development; objectives include, inter alia, the preservation and protection of natural forest on slopes greater than 30, along river banks, in critical watersheds, on unstable soils, and which are the habitat of endangered or rare wildlife, in order to prevent erosion, and to provide good water and recreation.

The plan divides forests into three categories; strictly protected; protected with selected production; and production forests. In addition, new legislation and policies concerning forest and land use are recommended which will promote sustainable yield forestry, protection of wildlife, watersheds, sites of natural interest, and land use planning (CIDA, n.d.).

By virtue of the Crown Lands Act Cap. 108, 1946, lands above 180 m are protected. A new ordinance, the Land Conservation Board Ordinance, will address land use. The Forest, Soil and Water Conservation Ordinance Cap. 25, 1946, as amended (1957 and 1983), contains provisions governing the declaration of forest reserves and protected forests on private land (Annex I).

The Department of Forests and Lands, formerly the Forestry Division, of the Ministry of Agriculture, can declare any lands as protected forest if it becomes necessary for the protection of timber resources. However, this is difficult to apply as Cabinet approval is required (Miller et al 1988). The Department is also vested with authority under the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1980, Crown Lands Ordinance, 1946, and the Timber Industry Development Board Ordinance, 1963, to survey and demarcate all Crown land and forest reserves, and control squatting, poaching of timber and wildlife, and to arrest, charge and prosecute violators of the listed ordinances and regulations (Environmental Profile 1991).

In 1975, a draft wildlife act was proposed making provision for the establishment of national parks, wildlife reserves, and national monuments (Swank 1975). Following this, the Wildlife Protection Act No. 9, 1980 was passed, providing for the protection of wildlife, the establishment of wildlife reserves, and effecting St. Lucia's accession to the CITES treaty. Maria Islands Wildlife Reserve was declared using the provisions of this Act.

The National Trust Act No. 16, 1975 provides for a statutory trust to promote, conserve, and manage land and marine areas of special natural (or historic) interest to protect the wildlife which they support (Annex I, McCalla 1990). The Trust has the authority to make bye-laws to regulate activities within areas, called heritage sites or tourist attractions, under its control. A Bill has recently been proposed which seeks to amend the National Trust Act, 1975, to provide for the co-ordination of the planning and administration of areas not vested in the Trust. It also makes provision for the development of management plans, the establishment of a Protected Areas Advisory Board and the use of private lands as protected areas. The Bill also includes a clause for public participation and consultation (Romulus, pers. comm, 1992).

The Beach Protection Act No. 2, 1967, as amended No. 9, 1984, deals with sand removal and other issues affecting beaches, while the Parks and Beaches Commission Act, 1983 provides for the control, maintenance and development of public parks, gardens and beaches (Talbot 1986). However, both acts are limited in scope in providing integrated protection of delicate coastal ecosystems. Consequently, these ecosystems are being damaged irreparably by pollution, over-exploitation, strip and dredge mining.

Under the provisions of the Water and Sewerage Act, 1984, the Water and Sewerage Authority may request that the Chief Forest Officer take action to protect any catchment area threatened by deforestation. The Fisheries Act No. 10, 1984 provides for the creation of marine reserves and fisheries priority areas. This legislation was modelled on a unified draft proposal produced by FAO for the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, and prescribes regulations to control fishing and other activities on reef ecosystems (Annex I).

International Participation

Conventions & Treaties

Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD, 1992)

Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region (Cartagena Convention, 1983)

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

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (LOS, 1982)

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

Programmes & Associations

Caribbean Conservation Association (CCA, 1967)

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

Administration

All government policies relating to wildlife are undertaken by the Department of Forests and Lands and the Department of Fisheries (DoF). The DoF is responsible for all marine life and the management of marine reserves, other than those vested in the National Trust. Although there is an effective legislative framework for management of these reserves under the provisions of the Fisheries Act, 1984, full implementation of regulations is hampered by a variety of circumstances, including limited mobility and communication systems (CCA/IRF 1991). The Fisheries Regulations have been approved recently by the Cabinet of Ministers and will be gazetted soon.

The Department of Forests and Lands, formed in 1985 from the former Forestry Division (established in 1946), is headed by the Chief Forest and Lands Officer (formerly Chief Forest Officer), who is assisted at middle management level by two senior assistant officers, one each for conservation and operations. Field work is divided into five forest ranges, each under the charge of a range officer, plus staff (CCA/IRF 1991). The Department of Forests and Lands is responsible for managing the 1,600 ha Central Forest Reserve, Crown lands, Queen's Chain (land extending 60 m inland from the mean high water mark), and the Pitons.

The Parks and Beaches Commission, a statutory body created in 1983 and responsible to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism, manages tourist beaches and regulates beach vendors. It has an advisory role over certain uses in the coastal zone, including the removal of coral and on any matters related to protection of the sea-coast from erosion (OECS 1986).

The St. Lucia National Trust, a statutory body that receives support from the government, is the main non-governmental organisation (NGO) concerned with environmental issues, and is the principal institution responsible for protected areas. Amongst other activities, it has primary management responsibility for Pigeon Island National Park, Maria Islands Nature Reserve and Fregate Islands Nature Reserve (opened but not officially designated).

The Trust has the authority to make by-laws to regulate all activities within these areas to protect the resources, preserve order and prevent nuisances (OECS 1986). The Trust has been involved in the development of the Plan for a System of Protected Areas for St. Lucia, and is the local implementing organisation for the Caribbean Heritage Programme (IRF 1991).

Other important NGOs are the St. Lucia Naturalists' Society, whose primary area of activity is environmental education, and the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust which has supported the establishment of the St. Lucia Parrot Sanctuary, amongst other initiatives.

Biodiversity

St. Lucia is part of the Lesser Antilles in the Windward Islands group. The island is of volcanic origin, and mountainous with rugged relief, culminating in Mount Gimie at 3,117 m (DRD 1989). The dry season lasts from January to April and the rainy season from May to November. Approximately 20% of the island is classified as "uninhabited wildland" (ECNAMP 1980), which coincides with highland supporting rain forest and moist forest. Only 22% of land has less than 10 slope, while 50% of the land has slopes of more than 20 (Miller et al 1988).

Beard (1949) was the first to classify forest resources by cover types with ecological descriptions of each. The principal types identified today are rain forest and lower montane forest (16,752 ha, or 13% of total area), montane thicket (1,501 ha, or 1% of total area), elfin woodland (329 ha, or 1% of total area), secondary forest/mixed agriculture (78,440 ha, or 61% of total area) and dry scrub woodland (30,911 ha, or 24% of total area) (CIDA, n.d.).

Another estimate of cover has been made (Piitz 1983), indicating rain forest/lower montane forest (6,780 ha), montane thicket (608 ha), elfin woodland (133 ha), secondary forest (31,745 ha, comprising 29,378 ha agricultural land and 1,872 ha of open woodlands) and dry scrub woodland (12,510 ha). Some 200 ha of mangroves occur, mainly along the east and north-west coasts (Scott and Carbonell 1986). It has been estimated that 80% of St. Lucia is under some form of forest or mixed agriculture (CIDA, n.d.).

Estimates of the rate of deforestation have been made, varying between an annual loss of 0.2% overall forest cover (Stevenson 1986) to 2.0%. Such changes as have occurred can be attributed, in part, to the partially regulated harvesting of individual species, illegal squatting by landless farmers in forested regions, agricultural practices, and the several hurricanes which have impacted directly on the forest this century. Increasing population pressure, urban developments, and development of access roads have exacerbated the problem (IRF 1985).

The island has several small wetland sites (Scott and Carbonell 1986), the most important of which are Bois d'Orange, Aupicon Pond, Esperance, Marigot Bay, Marquis, Praslin and Savannes, St. Urbain, Trougascon, and Volet. Although their total area is small, the wetlands are important as nursery sites and as staging posts for migrant birds. Charles and Butler (1986) note that all wetlands are seriously threatened. Coral reefs and coral veneers are found on all of St. Lucia's coasts; available information is summarised in UNEP/IUCN (1988).

Management

Currently, protected areas cover just under 9,500 ha. A number of marine reserves were declared in 1986, two were vested in the National Trust in 1982, and a number of other sites have been declared in recent years. In total, however, excluding the forest reserves, only 0.3% of St. Lucia is included within protected areas. van't Hof (1993) reported that management capacity for MPAs along the Soufriere Coast is non-existent due to lack of local awareness, participation and support for MPA's established in 1986, and continuing conflicts between user groups. Other issues limiting management effectiveness include personnel and training deficiencies, and an inadequate revenue generation scheme. George (1994) reports that there has been a revision of the Fishery Priority Areas and Management Areas. They have been redefined as they were the original source of conflict.

The first step for establishment of a management and protection framework for forest resources occurred when, in recognition of the need to protect water catchment areas, Castries Waterworks Reserve was established in 1916. Following forest surveys in the early to mid-1940's, the government held title to a little over 2,000 ha of forested land, including a number of reserves. From 1982, under a CIDA-sponsored Forest Management and Conservation Project, the entire forest reserve was surveyed and demarcated, with a total of some 7,496 ha (11% of total area) included in the system.

Proposals for strengthening the system further are given in CCA/IRF (1991), in particular the need to classify and evaluate potential protected areas more systematically, establishment of priorities which assess high risk as opposed to less threatened sites, evaluation of tourism potential, development of an acquisition schedule, and the development of management criteria which minimise and regulate intrusions or disturbances within protected areas.

Presently, the St. Lucia National Trust, in collaboration with 12 other governmental and non-government organisations have developed a Plan for a System of Protected Areas (published in December 1992). The document is a product of an intense and creative participatory process of investigators and consultation involving many communities, agencies and people throughout St. Lucia.

The project has defined nine management categories, including; Forest Reserve, Wildlife Reserve, Marine Reserve, Nature Reserve, National Landmark, Historic Area/Historic Site, National Park, Protected Landscape and National Trail. Most categories encourage appropriate and compatible use of the land and do not preclude human habitation, with the exceptions being Forest, Wildlife, Marine and Nature Reserves. Within these categories twenty-seven management areas were defined (St. Lucia National Trust 1992; Romulus, pers. comm., 1991).

Contacts

Central Planning Unit, New Government Buildings, Waterfront, CASTRIES Tel: (809) 452-3688

Department of Forests and Lands, c/o Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Fisheries and Co-operatives, CASTRIES Tel: (809) 450-2231 Fax: (809) 450-2287

Department of Fisheries, c/o Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Fisheries and Co-operatives, CASTRIES Tel: (809) 452-3987 (809) 452-6172 Fax: (809) 452-3853

Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI), Clarke Street, VIEUX FORT Tel: (809) 454-6060 Fax: (809) 454-5188

St. Lucia National Trust, PO Box 595, CASTRIES Tel: (809) 452-5005 (809) 453 1495 Fax: (809) 453-2791

St. Lucia Naturalists' Society, PO Box 783, CASTRIES

Ministry of Planning, Development and Environment, Government Buildings, PO Box 709, CASTRIES Tel. (809) 452-2611 Fax: (809) 452-2506

References

Beard, J. (1949) The natural vegetation of the Windward and Leeward Islands. Oxford Forestry Mem. No. 21. Clarendon Press, Oxford. (Unseen)

CCA/IRF (1991) St. Lucia: environmental profile. Caribbean Conservation Association, St. Michael, Barbados/Island Resources Foundation, St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. 332 pp.

Charles, G.L. and Butler, P. (1986) Saint Lucia, In: Scott, D.A. and Carbonell, M. (Eds.). Directory of Neotropical wetlands. IUCN, Cambridge and IWRB, Slimbridge. 684 pp.

CIDA (n.d.) Forest management and conservation: St. Lucia - Caribbean Sea. Project report. Canadian International Development Agency, Ottawa. 14 pp.

CIDA (1987) Forest management and conservation. Project no. 868/12151. Inception report, St. Lucia, Ottawa, Canada. (Unseen)

DRD (1989) Proposal for the development of the Pitons National Park. Department of Regional Development, Organisation of American States. 78 pp.

ECNAMP (1980) St. Lucia Preliminary Data Atlas. Eastern Caribbean Natural Areas Management Programme. Caribbean Conservation Association and the School of Natural Resources of the University of Michigan. 18 pp.

ECNAMP (1989) Annual report-1988. Eastern Caribbean Natural Area Management Programme, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands and Vieux Fort, St. Lucia. 17 pp.

George, S. (1994) Coastal conflict resolution: A case study of Soufriere, St. Lucia. A paper presented to the Gulf & Caribbean Fisheries Institute Conference,13 February 1994, 18pp.

IRF (1985) Wildlife assessments in the Caribbean. Island Resources Foundation, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. p.127-p.157.

IRF (1988) St. Lucia Country Environmental Profile. Prepared by the Island Resources Foundation in co-operation with the Caribbean Conservation Association. Draft.

IRF (1991) Directory of environmental NGO's in the Eastern Caribbean. Island Resources Foundation, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Pp. 27-31.

McCalla, W. (1990) Final report on legislative and institutional aspects of parks and protected areas in St. Lucia. Prepared for the St. Lucia National Trust. 66 pp.

Miller, G.A., Fujita, M.S. and Ford, L.B. (1988) Biological diversity and tropical forests assessment. Annex. to RDO/C Action Plan FY 88-89. USAID/RDO/C, Bridgetown, Barbados.

OECS (1986) St. Lucia, description of national legislation related to natural resources management (first stage analysis). Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States - Natural Resources Management Project, Castries. 17 pp.

Piitz, P. (1983) Forest inventory report. Prepared for CIDA for the St. Lucia-CIDA Forest Management Assistance Project. Ottawa, Canada. (Unseen)

Putney, A. and Renard, Y. (n.d.) Working to strengthen human capacity to manage living natural resources critical to development. Caribbean Natural Resources Institute, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands and Vieux Fort, St. Lucia.

Scott, D.A. and Carbonell, M. (Eds.) (1986) Directory of Neotropical wetlands. IUCN, Cambridge and IWRB, Slimbridge, UK. 684 pp.

Stevenson, S. (1986) St. Lucia environmental study. Prepared for CDC/IUCN, Gland, Switzerland.

Swank, W.G. (1975) Draft Wildlife Act-St. Lucia. FAO, Rome. 16 pp.

Talbot, J.L. (1986) Assessment of environment and natural resource project needs for St. Lucia. USAID, Bridgetown, Barbados. 50 pp.

UNEP/IUCN (1988) Coral Reefs of the World. Volume 1: Atlantic and Eastern Pacific. UNEP Regional Seas Directories and Bibliographies. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK/UNEP, Nairobi, Kenya. 373 pp.

ANNEX I: LEGAL INSTRUMENTS

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

Title: Saint Lucia National Trust Act

Date: 26 September 1975

Brief description: To establish a body corporate to known as the St. Lucia National Trust.

Administrative authority: St. Lucia National Trust

Designations:

Objectives of the National Trust include the preservation of beauty or natural or historic interest, including the flora and fauna found therein.

Source: Original legislation

Title: Forest, Soil and Water Conservation Act

Date: 1946, amended (1957 and 1983).

Brief description: Contains provisions governing the declaration of forest reserves and protected forests (on private land).

Administrative authority: Ministry of Agriculture

Designations:

Forest Reserve Such areas are managed for water and wildlife conservation, and timber production.

Sources: CIDA (n.d.); CCA/IRF (1991)

Title: The Fisheries Act

Date: 1984

Brief description: Provides, among other measures, for the creation of marine reserves.

Administrative authority: Department of Fisheries

Designations:

Marine Reserve Such are declared in order to protect important flora and fauna, promote scientific research, or preserve natural beauty. Prohibited activities, except when necessary for proper management of the reserve, include, fishing; taking or destroying any flora or fauna; extracting sand; and causing pollution or constructing structures. The Minister is authorised to make specific regulations for the management and protection of such areas.

Source: OECS (1986)

ANNEX II: ST. LUCIA PROTECTED AREAS LIST

NR = NATURE RESERVE

R = RESERVE

S = SANCTUARY

FR = FOREST RESERVE

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Preface | 1. Introduction | 2. Relevant Issues... | 3. Status of Protected Areas Systems | 4. Conclusions... | 5. References | Country Profiles