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	0	0	0
Category II	0	0	0
Category III	0	0	0
Category IV	2	1	8,284
Category V	0	0	0
Categories VI-VIII	0	0	0
Biosphere Reserves	0	0	0
World Heritage Sites	0	0	0
Ramsar Sites	0	0	0
Total	2	1	8,284

A national park system has been considered, but is not fully approved or implemented. Draft legislation for creating such a system is being circulated for review, but as yet only Tobago Cays National Park has been designated (CCA 1991). Proposals for conservation action, including enactment of recently drafted conservation legislation, and assigning of adequate funds and resources for the enforcement of this legislation, are given by Johnson (1988).

The protected areas system is reviewed, and numerous recommendations given for action to prevent environmental degradation, in CCA (1991). Short term recommendations which relate specifically to improvement of the protected areas system include: control of illegal activities in water catchment areas, forest reserves and marine conservation areas; control of sand mining; and control of coastal erosion. A long-term recommendation is for the development of an integrated national parks and protected areas system, to evaluate all presently designated protected areas, deleting (at least for the present time) those that may be of minimal value and adding other areas which are not presently protected.

Protected areas legislation dates back to the 18th century, when St. Vincent's first forest reserve, King's Hill, was set aside by Order No. 5, 1791. This is thought to be the first piece of legislation providing for protected areas in the Americas. More than a century later the Birds and Fish Protection Ordinance 1901 was passed, under which the Governor General could designate any area as a sanctuary, affording year round protection from hunting for all species. In 1912, all land above 330 m in elevation was designated as Crown land to be reserved by law to protect forests in the upper watersheds. However, the legal definition of Crown lands in various acts is very vague and virtually useless for the purposes of land management.

The Forests Act (Cap. 23, 1945) provides the responsibilities of the Forestry Division to protect and manage the nation's forests and wildlife. This act also authorises the government to declare any Crown land to be a forest reserve, protecting the land from transfer to private ownership, and provides for certain lands to be strictly protected. The Crown Lands Forest Reserve (Declaration) Order, 1948 set aside three areas, La Soufrière, Mesopotamia and Colonarie as forest reserves, but according to sources within the Forestry Division (Weekes, pers. comm., 1992) these reserves no longer exist.

Under Proclamations 43, 1947 and 82, 1950, six areas were declared as bird sanctuaries. In 1987, the Wildlife Protection Act (No. 16, 1987) (Annex I) was passed, which repealed and in part replaced the Birds and Fish Protection Ordinance, defined and established wildlife reserves (including all the areas previously gazetted as bird sanctuaries). It set aside a large central block of St. Vincent as a parrot reserve. Penalties for contraventions against the Wildlife Protection Act include fines of up to US$2,000 for a first offence and US$4,000 for a second, or to imprisonment for a term of one year or both. Despite legislation and severe fines only the parrot reserve remains.

The Town and Country Planning Act (No. 8, 1976), as amended, provides for the control and guidance of land use and development. Under this Act, consideration for environmental conditions and the future need for, and availability of, land for natural areas and forestry reserves is given. It appears this authority has not yet been used. In addition, the Central Water and Sewerage Authority Act (No. 6, 1978) authorises the establishment of protected areas to safeguard water resources.

The legal base for marine protected areas is relatively strong. The Fisheries Act (No. 8, 1986) (Annex I) is modelled on the unified draft prepared by the FAO and passed by most islands in the region. It authorises the Minister of Trade, Industry and Agriculture to declare any area of fishery waters and adjacent land as a marine reserve, and also provides for the duties of the Fisheries Division to protect these areas. Penalties for infringements to articles in the fisheries act concerning marine reserves comprise fines of up to US$1,000. Under the fisheries act, nine marine conservation areas were established, one on St. Vincent and the remainder on islands throughout the Grenadines. Under the Mustique Conservation Act, 1989 the entire island of Mustique, including its marine environment, is designated as a conservation area.

Draft forest conservation legislation (proposed Forest Conservation Act) was due to be enacted in 1990. Provisions for the designation of national parks had originally been included within this new draft legislation. However, an administrative decision was made recently to draft a separate bill for national parks (CCA 1991).

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)

Protocol Concerning Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife for the Wider Caribbean (SPAW, 1990)

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

Primary responsibility for the environment has shifted recently, at least symbolically, to the recently formed Ministry of Health and the Environment. Although an organisational basis for the Ministry's new environmental responsibilities has not yet been introduced. Responsibility for forest and wildlife reserves in practice rests with the Forest Division, and marine reserves with the Fisheries Division. Enforcement in all cases is hampered by the lack of sufficient manpower in designated agencies, and by the fact that forest guards and fisheries officers do not have powers of arrest (CCA 1991).

The Forest Act, 1945 does not provide guidance on managing and conserving forest resources, nor does it include concepts such as management plans and zoning for various purposes. The staff level of the Forestry Division, within the Ministry of Agriculture, Industry and Labour is currently at 34, although this is being increased to approximately 50. The Forestry Division is responsible for implementation of the Wildlife Protection Act, and hence for the protection of wildlife reserves, as well as for forest reserves. The proposed Forest Conservation Act, when enacted, will provide for the creation of a new forest department, the introduction of modern forest concepts, such as management plans and conservation "zones", and the provision of a more integrated approach to forest management and watershed protection (CCA 1991).

The St. Vincent National Trust, although a statutory body, functions in many ways as a non-governmental organisation (NGO), to conserve and protect the historical and natural heritage of the country. The Trust has recently been reactivated, with first aims being the establishment of a National Registry to include historic sites, natural features, and cultural objects worthy of preservation as part of the natural patrimony. A first step was the completion in 1990 of a UNESCO funded project to inventory national archaeological and historical places (CCA 1991). Another local NGO, the Jems Progressive Community Organisation, has conservation as one of its areas of interest, and one recent project concerned Kings Hill Forest Reserve.

St. Vincent is a rugged, mountainous island with deeply dissected valleys and steep hillside slopes, except for the relatively flat areas found on the east coast. The northern end of the island is formed by the active volcano, La SoufriPre (1,219 m), which last erupted in 1979, while the southern section comprises of the remains of several extinct volcanoes. The Grenadines comprise about 32 islands, three-quarters of these being on the Grenadine platform, about 30-40 m deep. The islands comprise low dry hills, white sand beaches and extensive coral reefs (CCA 1991).

Much of St. Vincent's vegetation has undergone major changes as a result of agricultural practices. Significant stands of primary forest, some of it tropical rain forest, remain on the largely inaccessible interior mountain ridges and at the heads of the deep, steep valleys of the leeward coast. Some isolated stands of rain forest are located between 300 m and 490 m. Almost all land below 330 m is under permanent cultivation, although many steep slopes above this have also been cleared and planted by shifting agriculturists. Secondary vegetation is a common feature due both to shifting cultivation, and in some areas, to recent volcanic activity.

In 1984, forests covered 13,000 ha or 38% of the land. Five per cent of the total land area was primary forest, 25% secondary forest, dry scrub forest and plantation forests, and a further 8% of the land palm forest and dwarf forest. A few very small areas of mangroves remain, although it is probable that there never were extensive areas of this habitat. Vegetation on the Grenadines consists mostly of badly degraded secondary, dry scrub and brush, with mangroves on several islands. Coral reefs occur in patches around St. Vincent, and throughout the Grenadines (CCA 1991, UNDP/IUCN 1988).

The existing protected natural areas are a disparate collection of water catchments, wildlife reserves, forest reserves, and marine conservation areas that cover nearly 8,300 ha, 21% of the country's landmass. Included within these is St. Vincent Botanical Garden (part of Government House Grounds Wildlife Reserve), the oldest botanical garden in the Western Hemisphere, established by the military Governor of the Windward Islands in 1765 (CCA 1991)

In general, management of protected areas is ineffective. The proclamations declaring six bird sanctuaries were never enforced, and the laws prohibiting the cultivation of Crown lands (including Forest Reserves) are not adequately enforced. Some declared "wildlife reserves" are actually developed tourist resort islands with greatly altered habitats and continuous human disturbance. The value to wildlife of such reserves is not documented (CCA 1991). This is due to numerous difficulties, including the sale or granting of leases to Crown land above 330 m; outdated forest legislation; forest officers having no powers of arrest; lack of surveys and demarcation of boundaries on the ground; and road development, opening new areas to cultivation. Besides patrolling forest reserves and some reforestation of illegally cleared areas, little actual management of forest reserve is currently practised. A five year (1989-1994) Can$4.5 million forestry programme, funded by CIDA, is currently addressing many of these problems.

Tobago Cays Marine Reserve established in 1987 still lacks effective management in spite of extensive planning support provided by OAS. Problems include lack of trained personnel, impacts from divers and snorklers, fishing and sewage and agricultural runoff, coastal development. Organisational problems include inadequate structure, staffing and training and a general lack of public support (van't Hof 1993).

Economic and financial analysis of Tobago Cays estimated that by 1998 annual tourism would increase from 33-37,000 to 82,000 with park management, while without management, visitation would only rise to 42,000 per year. Annual operating and initial establishment costs were estimated at US$161,000 and 1 million respectively. Rates of return were estimated at 10-14% (Heyman 1988 cited by Dixon 1993).

With the exception of the Tobago Cays Marine Reserve management plan, no other area has been thoroughly analysed (CCA 1991). Boundaries of nine marine conservation areas have been established on paper, but no action has been taken to enforce prohibitions against fishing, or to regulate other damaging activities in these designated areas. Boundary markers have not been established, and it is considered likely that locals are unaware of the location of the reserves (CCA 1991).

Outstanding sites which are not presently designated as protected areas include many marine sites known for their importance to the dive tourism industry, the proposed Soufrière Volcano National Park and sites on Canouan and Union Island. Coastal protected areas are threatened by the unregulated mining of sand and rocks from beaches for use in the construction industry. Virtually all the beaches which are accessible by road have been mined to some extent, and many beaches are thought to be greatly diminished in width as a result. Severe beach erosion is also caused by hurricanes. Widespread coral deterioration (from disease, yacht damage and pollution) is causing concern, particularly at the famous Tobago Cays reefs (CCA 1991).

Canadian Development Assistance Programme, Forestry Development Project, Ministry of Agriculture, Industry and Labour, Forestry Division, KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent Tel: (809) 456-2410 Fax: (809) 456-2873

Central Planning Unit, Ministry of Finance, Planning and Development, KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent Ministry of Agriculture, Industry and Labour, KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent

St. Vincent National Trust, PO Box 752, KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent Tel: (809) 456-1060

JEMS Progressive Community Organisation, Enhams Post Office, ENHAMS, St. Vincent Tel: (809) 456-9614

Ministry of Health and the Environment, McKies Hill, Kingstown, St. Vincent Tel: (809) 457-2586 Fax: (809) 457-2684

CCA (1991) St. Vincent and the Grenadines Environmental Profile. Caribbean Conservation Association. 222 pp.

Johnson, T.H. (1988) Biodiversity and conservation in the Caribbean: Profiles of selected islands. ICBP Monograph 1. ICBP, Cambridge, UK. 144 pp.

OECS (1986) St. Vincent and the Grenadines, description of national legislation related to natural resources management. Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States - Natural Resources Management Project, Castries. 14 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.

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

Brief description: Provides amongst other things for the establishment of marine reserves and conservation measures.

Administrative authority: Minister to whom matters relating to fisheries have been assigned.

Marine Reserve To afford special protection to the flora and fauna of such areas and to protect and preserve the natural breeding grounds and habitats of aquatic life, with particular regard to flora and fauna in danger of extinction; to allow for the natural regeneration of aquatic life in areas where such life has been depleted; to promote scientific study and research in respect of such areas; or to preserve and enhance the natural beauty of such areas. Activities prohibited without permission include: fishing; destruction of any flora or fauna other than fish; dredging, extracting sand or gravel, discharging or depositing waste or any other polluting matter, or in any way disturbing, altering or destroying the natural environment; or constructing or erecting any buildings or other structures on or over any land or waters within such a reserve. Any of these activities may be permitted by authorisation of the Minister to whom matters relating to fisheries have been assigned, if the doing of such things is required for the proper management of the reserve.

Brief description: Provides amongst other things for definitions of forest reserves.

Wildlife Reserve To be managed as natural areas. Prohibited activities include: hunting of any sort; possession of a gun; disturbing the nest, egg, fry or young of any animal; damage to any tree; cultivation or clearing of land; introduction of livestock; kindling or keeping a fire (unless by a resident of the reserve, with official approval, for food preparation); removing any forest produce. Within which no land may be granted, devised, sold or leased.

Name of area	IUCN & National Mgmt. Categories	Presence of Marine or Coastal Zones	Area ha	Year Established
Tobago Cays Marine Reserve	IV	Yes	3,885	1986
St. Vincent Parrot Reserve	IV		4,399	1987
Subtotal	2	1	8,284