You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
negligible. It is recognised however that as tourism increases so too do the threats on the pristine reefs.<br />
There has been damage to fore-reef corals coming from intense dive tourism, especially near<br />
Providenciales, West <strong>Caicos</strong> <strong>and</strong> the western drop-off on Gr<strong>and</strong> Turk (Linton, et al., 2002). Sedimentation<br />
from construction, sewage pollution, anti-fouling paints in marinas, coral breakage by divers <strong>and</strong> anchors,<br />
<strong>and</strong> ship groundings are other impacts threatening the health of coral reefs in TCI. In a letter to the editor<br />
of a local newspaper, Mr. Alex Watts of Providenciales raised concern about illegal activities occurring in<br />
Marine Protected Areas that are increasing the vulnerability of coral reefs. He reported that jet skis<br />
regularly enter <strong>and</strong> tour the restricted areas, <strong>and</strong> it appears that little is done to educate the many tourists<br />
who visit Half Moon Bay area daily about the rules of the MPA. Currently it appears unlikely that<br />
conservation efforts <strong>and</strong> enforcement are able to keep pace with the rate of tourism expansion. As such<br />
adaptation of coral reef ecosystems to climate change will be further impeded unless human <strong>and</strong> financial<br />
resources are committed to building their resilience. A greater involvement of the private sector in the<br />
management of MPAs <strong>and</strong> coral reefs is also required.<br />
Status of fisheries<br />
Fishing has long been an important activity in the economy <strong>and</strong> livelihoods of TCI. What was previously a<br />
subsistence sector, or an industry supplying the limited domestic dem<strong>and</strong> has become an important export<br />
oriented sector, supplying the bulk of visible exports. There are three fishing banks within this marine<br />
territory: the <strong>Turks</strong> Bank, approximately 299 km 2 , the Mouchoir Bank, approximately 958 km 2 , <strong>and</strong> the<br />
<strong>Caicos</strong> Bank, the “fishing capital”, approximately 6,000 km 2 in area (Tietze, Haughton, & Siar, 2006). The<br />
two main species supporting the fishing industry are the spiny lobster (Panularis argus) <strong>and</strong> conch<br />
(Strombus gigas) especially in South <strong>Caicos</strong>, which is the main fishing centre. Conch is subject to the CITES<br />
convention <strong>and</strong> TCI is allocated a quota of 600,000 lbs of conch per annum (Kairi Consultants Limited,<br />
2000a). Lobster <strong>and</strong> conch processing operations offer the single largest sector for the employment of<br />
women in South <strong>Caicos</strong> (Kairi Consultants Ltd, 2000b). Meanwhile, the finfish fisheries have remained<br />
under-exploited by TC Isl<strong>and</strong>ers, since the country has not developed the infrastructure to ship chilled fish<br />
to the main markets (Kairi Consultants Ltd, 2000b). Finfish such as groupers, snappers <strong>and</strong> large pelagics<br />
are consumed locally <strong>and</strong> are part of the tourism sector’s sports fishery.<br />
Recently, TCI Governor Gordon Wetherell noted that there are “significant problems with the conch <strong>and</strong><br />
lobster fisheries in particular but also potentially with the finfish as well.” (Green R. , 2011b). The<br />
governor’s Advisory Council recently expressed concern about the sustainability of the conch fishery since<br />
at the end of this year’s official conch export season, July 15, harvest was barely more than half of its<br />
annual quota, indicating a very poor catch. Exports have thus been extended until August 15 while the<br />
opening of the lobster season has been postponed by one month. Over the past decade it has been noted<br />
that the size of conch l<strong>and</strong>ed has decreased <strong>and</strong> greater fishing effort must be exerted; most conch now<br />
come from more distant <strong>and</strong> deeper waters, suggesting that stocks are declining (Linton, et al., 2002).<br />
Illegal harvesting is also posing a threat to conch stocks. Water sports tour operators have reportedly been<br />
seen removing conch from the Princess Alex<strong>and</strong>ra National L<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> Sea Park in order to entertain <strong>and</strong><br />
feed their guests. Not only is harvest from this location illegal since National Park Ordinance prohibits<br />
removal of anything from a national park but shells of juvenile conch have been found along beaches<br />
indicating that minimum size regulations that guide the conch fishery are also being breached (Green,<br />
2011). The size <strong>and</strong> harvest of lobster stocks have also shown signs of over-harvesting prompting the<br />
Department of Environment <strong>and</strong> Coastal Resources (DECR), on the advice of fishers, to push back the<br />
opening of the lobster season in 2011 by one month. As a result reef fish are now experiencing greater<br />
fishing pressure as fishers look for alternatives to support their livelihood.<br />
74
Change language