#Status of Coral Reefs 2002 - International Coral Reef Action Network

Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2002
Dominican Republic
The most damaging activities are prohibited or regulated under existing Environmental
Laws, but there is no financial support to implement these laws, educate the public, or
enforce compliance. Therefore environmental protection and management is given low
priority and intense fishing continues. Tourism may prove to be the best management
mechanism and some coastal resorts have adopted reef areas close to their sites for
conservation (e.g. installed fish attraction devices to assist the local fishermen). The
Government, via the navy and drug enforcement agency, are attempting to enforce
fishing gear regulations, but this protection is minimal.
Haiti
The outlook for the marine and coastal environment remains bleak, with only one
organisation attempting to monitor, research, and protect the marine environment. The
Fondation pour la Protection de la Biodiversite Marine is under-funded and overwhelmed.
Jamaica
More than 10% of the land area is legally protected and several important marine areas
have been declared as MPAs. The National Environment Planning Agency (NEPA) in the
Ministry of the Environment is responsible for the management of the MPAs under the
main planning instrument for conservation and development, the Jamaica National
Environmental Action Plan, 1999-2002. NEPA has been restructured with more emphasis
on monitoring, education and enforcement. However, many MPAs do not have effective
management, and funding for MPAs continues to be a major challenge, with NGOs playing
a more important role in MPA management and attracting funds. Regulations to ensure
that user fees support protected area management have not been enacted and this further
delays effective management. There is a proposal to create a MPA in Port Antonio and
include the offshore cays, which are protected through the ‘Morant and Pedro Cays Act’ of
1907, however, enforcement is very difficult on these remote cays.
Turks and Caicos
The government is taking steps to reduce the potential danger to coastal habitats from
unregulated development. In 1992, a park system was approved to preserve critical natural
areas, manage the harvest of renewable resources, and promote income-generating
ecotourism. There are 33 National Parks on the islands (marine parks, land parks, nature
reserves, historical sites and sanctuaries). Significant steps have been taken to build
capacity within the government sector to increase enforcement of fisheries and national
parks legislation, and improve maintenance of MPAs. Funding of the Department of
Environment and Coastal Resources has increased and new patrol vessels have been
purchased and staff hired. A new unit, the Protected Areas Unit is being established to
oversee the management of protected areas. There is active management in the National
Park in Grand Turk and the Fishery Reserve, 2 Nature Reserves and a National Park in
South Caicos. Management plans are being developed for 2 MPAs in Providenciales and 1
in West Caicos. Most dive operators now install moorings to prevent anchor damage, and
enforcement has improved dramatically since 2000 with regular prosecutions.
The benefits of MPA management have been demonstrated in increased fish stocks in the
Admiral Cockburn Land and Sea National Park off South Caicos. The density of queen
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