The Protected Landscape Approach - Centre for Mediterranean ...

13. Protected landscapes and seascapes and their relevance to SIDS in the Caribbean
The case of the Soufriere Marine Management Area
The Soufriere Marine Management Area (SMMA) remains St. Lucia’s most successful marine
protected area, though it was born out of serious resource-use conflicts.
Located on the south-west coast of the island of St. Lucia is one of the Caribbean’s and the
world’s most outstanding areas of natural beauty. The area is part of the Soufriere Volcanic
Centre, which experienced major volcanic activity 5–6 million years ago, with the most recent
being a phreatic blast in the Sulphur Springs Area in AD1766. Offshore are St. Lucia’s best
coral reefs, which attract many divers every year and two of the world’s most scenic volcanic
mountains in Gros Piton (777m) and Petit Piton (743m). Many researchers and visitors
consider these natural monuments among the best and most unique in the world and worthy of
World Heritage designation. 2
The area is inhabited by over 7,000 people who live in the Administrative Quarter of
Soufriere and in the town of the same name. In the past they depended on agriculture, fishing,
and coconut oil production for survival, all of which have been in a depression for some time. In
more recent times, tourism has emerged as the saviour of the area, as Soufriere has become the
most visited part of the island. The area is known not only for its scenic coastline but also for its
very high unemployment, underemployment and poverty.
In the early 1990s the use of offshore resources came under increasing pressure between
different resource users. According to Wulf (1999), the Manager of the Soufriere Marine
Management Area, there were many environmental problems which included the:
“degradation of coastal water quality, with direct implications for human health and for
the protection of the reef system;
depletion of the near-shore fisheries resources;
loss of the economic, scientific and recreational potential of coral reefs, particularly in the
context of diving tourism;
degradation of landscapes and general environment quality, notably on or near beaches;
and
pollution generated by solid waste disposal in ravines or directly in the sea.”
In addition to these environmental problems, the specific problems of resource management
according to Wulf (ibid) manifested themselves in the form of:
“conflicts between commercial dive operators and fishermen over the use of, and the
perception of impact on, the coral reefs;
conflicts between yachts and fishermen because of anchoring in fishing areas;
conflicts between the local community and hoteliers over the access to beaches;
conflicts between fishermen and authorities at both the local and national levels over the
location of a jetty in a fishing priority area; and
2
The Pitons Management Area, which includes a terrestrial and marine component, was declared a
World Heritage Site at the 28 th session of UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee in Suzhov, China,
June–July, 2004.
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