Guy Harvey

CARIBBEAN CHALLENGE INITIATIVE 2013

In May 2013, many of the heads of government of numerous Caribbean nations will be meeting in the British Virgin Islands to enact a meaningful program of increased conservation and protection for coral reefs and their inhabitants. The Nature Conservancy is working with environmental advocate Sir Richard Branson to achieve the Caribbean Challenge Initiative.

As far back as 2008, the Bahamas got with several other Caribbean countries and launched a region-wide campaign to protect the health of the Caribbean lands and waters. These Caribbean nations have committed to protecting 20% of the coastal and shallow reef habitat by 2020 from commercial fshing that uses fsh traps, gill nets, bottom fshing and longline fshing. While we recreational fshermen have long promoted conservation through catch and release and only keeping what we might want to eat, many of the commercial techniques result in excessive by-catch or reef damage that ultimately afects the entire eco-system.

Of course, creating a cooperative of Caribbean nations raises the question of funding. Without a source of dedicated, sustainable fnance, any park, no matter what size or how visionary, and no matter how well meaning were the people who created it…no enforcement means no protection, which translates into a waste of time and diminished resources.

Currently, where I live in the Cayman Islands, we already have 25% protection for shallow reef areas out to the insular dropof that restricts commercial fshing. We all know the damage that unregulated commercial fshing and poaching has caused throughout the Caribbean so protecting vital reefs is a critical part of any plan. When I was snorkeling the shallow reefs in the Silver Bank observing humpback whales, I did not see a fsh over 12 inches long and we were 90 miles from any land! Apparently, commercial aquarium fshermen using liquid cyanide to stun the fsh has wiped out the population and also decimated reef growth. GUY HARVEY, PhD

Due to increased population and is an internationally-acclaimed consumers in the Cayman Islands the artist, fsherman, scientist, and Department of Environment has recently world traveler, who devotes proposed a further 20% expansion of much of his time and money existing marine parks if this country toward ocean conservation. wishes to maintain the health of coral reefs, mangroves and related fsheries. There are gaps in terms of enforcement as only seven ofcers are responsible for covering the entire country, but proposed new laws will address this issue included in the new National Conservation Law that will further protect reefs, fsh resources for sustainable recreational fshing,

diving and viewing opportunities in the long term.

From the perspective of getting things done, the Cayman Islands model is now a template for other Caribbean countries. In addition to a well established marine park system, there has been in place since 1998 a system for collection of $4 per person who visits the country. These funds remain in the Environmental Protection Fund, primarily aimed at purchasing land to maintain pristine habitats. Over many years, these funds have grown to more than $40 million USD. However, due to the complex fnancial climate in the Cayman Islands, very little of this money has been spent on defending the environment!

The consensus is for a commitment to develop sustainable fnancing for protected areas through the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund with pledges up to $40 million USD, half of that originating from The Nature Conservancy. The Caribbean Challenge Initiative may result in a transformation of each country’s national park systems with the aim of tripling the amount of marine and coastal habitat currently under protection from commercial fshing. Recreational anglers would have slot sizes and other management to cope with that is currently standard practice in the USA.

In the Cayman Islands, the Department of Environment, together with a host of visiting research scientists, has a great track record of undertaking the basic studies required before designating specifc areas as marine protected areas. Without this scientifc data, it is pointless to enact closures. Time and area closures for specifc species at certain times of year, such as snapper and grouper SPAG (Spawning Aggregation) sites, are perfect examples of efective management policies. As more of these sites are discovered by scientists, so the protection web will spread.

In the United States, there are now slot sizes for many fsh species caught commercially and recreationally (see article, Support for Slots, page 46). These are some of the sustainable practices that need to be adopted and enforced throughout the Caribbean. Catching and releasing large breeders or implementing slot sizes ensures that we’ll be able to keep a fsh or two for the grill without depleting the resource. The value of sportfshing, particularly the catch and release type, is major and has become very popular through the Caribbean. Interactions with sharks, rays, wild dolphins and fsh are extremely popular and generate much needed foreign exchange for those countries that have adopted this form of ecotourism. These activities are sustainable because they are non-consumptive for the most part. The value of a living game fsh, a living shark, living reefs and back reef areas as well as mangroves goes well beyond the socio-economic value of these systems to respective islands and countries.

It is our collective responsibility to conserve the marine environment and maintain the biodiversity of the planet. I hope the governments of all Caribbean nations have the fortitude to do the right thing and embrace the Caribbean Challenge Initiative. Tight Lines! Guy Harvey PhD