A guide for planners and managers - IUCN

226 MARINE AND COASTAL
PROTECTED AREAS
undesirable scavengers, such as sharks in tropical seas and skuas off Antarctic coasts.
Expensive deepwater dumping in 200-litre (50-gallon) drums may be the only solution
possible for clustered islands, even though it has its environmental dangers. On Rose
Atoll, a wildlife refuge in American Samoa, visitors are allowed only by permission
and in small numbers, and the complete removal of all wastes is demanded to prevent
nutrient additions to the system. Such stringent controls are only possible in a few
cases, and waste disposal poses serious problems when large numbers of people are
involved.
Ecological interactions. Interactions between land and sea, which tend to be broken
by the settlement of people ashore with their associated animals, can be re-established
by recycling wastes on land instead of dumping them at sea. It is probably best to
encourage such local eutrophication of island soils where the sea-land nutrient
transfer regime has been disrupted, rather than to pollute the nearby seas.
Carrying capacity. Carrying capacity is the maximum number of people that should
be allowed on the protected island at any one time. The physical carrying capacity
(i.e., determined by island area, water resources, etc.) needs to be determined, but
this is seldom done. Consideration should also be given to the “aesthetic carrying
capacity” (i.e., the level of visitor use at which visitor enjoyment decreases because
of too frequent contact with others).
Resource thresholds. Resource thresholds are one natural reference for delimiting
the physical carrying capacity. When possible, the number of visitors should be
restricted by the availability of island resources they utilize, for example, water. If water
is not considered a limiting factor, its unchecked use will often be at the cost of other
resources. Where relevant, care should be taken to determine the water dynamics and
water requirements of biota on the island before tapping supplies for people. Low
numbers of visitors can be accommodated by rainwater catchment, while greater
numbers may require the tapping of groundwater supplies, desalination of seawater,
or both. In times of particular stress these arrangements may need to be supplemented
by supplying water shipped in from elsewhere by barge or boat.
Education and interpretation. The management programme should begin plans
for education and interpretation very early in the life of any protected area (ideally,
in advance of establishing it). An early activity, as for any protected area, should be
to establish a corporate identity for the area managers (e.g., badge, logo, uniform,
and a standard sign format). This establishes a corporate image in the eyes of the public
and a healthy team spirit can develop among the management team. Particular user
groups should be singled out for special attention and specific interpretative material
and activities (e.g., brochures, talks, posters, self-guided trails, guided walks, audiovisual
materials, information on regulations, and children’s programmes). Where possible,
emphasis should be placed on materials and activities for children, using the formal
education system as much as possible. The mass media (television, radio, and
newspapers) should be used to contact potential users and, probably more importantly,