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Portland Bight Protected Area
This BIOPAMA Rapid Response Grant will address directly the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Portland Bight protected area. The grant supports the following activities:
Continued enforcement through monitoring and patrol of the fish sanctuaries to reduce the level of poaching through training of C-CAM staff, partners and community members (e.g., Fisheries law and SMART technology) and covering the costs of equipment, salaries and fuel. The funds will be utilized to reduce the potential negative impact of COVID-19 on C-CAM ‘s operations and upgrade the field station office with sanitization spaces, signage and support staff training.
Updating C-CAM’s strategic and financial plans will include planning for future potential shocks to move the organization towards sustainability. C-CAM will also be installing appropriate signage throughout the PBPA to continue the public awareness activities which are key to providing information about no-take areas or where endangered species (e.g., crocodiles) inhabit. The funds will also be used to undertake the audit to maintain C-CAM’s financial transparency and assist in its ability to continue to attract financial support
The project will help to maintain enforcement and monitoring operations in the Portland Bight Protected Area at usual levels despite COVID -19 and budget cuts. This will be achieved through the provision of training and equipment, including mobile phones and two-way radios, equipment maintenance, and the installation of signage which will improve the team’s capacity for protected area management. The involvement of community monitors, volunteer game wardens and partner agency representatives in the training aims to improve the overall management of the protected area while ensuring stakeholder buy in and collaborative monitoring with community members seeks to ensure project sustainability.
Making C-CAM’s offices COVID-19 adapted which will ensure safe space for staff and visitors which facilitate continued working operations.
The strategic and funding plans will be updated to include COVID-19 implications which will improve sustainability planning to look at long term supported for protected areas management. The financial audit report for 2020 will allow C-CAM to maintain transparency in managing the Portland Bight Protected Area to include reporting to stakeholders and donors.
Download the project infofiche.
The Caribbean Coastal Area Management Foundation (C-CAM)
Pointe Sable Environmental Protection Area (PSEPA)
Pigeon Island National Landmark (PINL)
The project will address the following priority needs:
The project aims to improve the Saint Lucia National Trust’s monitoring and management capacity to continue key conservation initiatives during this period of economic downturn.
Project activities include the recruitment of rangers and a programme officer for the Pointe Sable Environmental Protection Area (PSEPA) as well as the procurement of surveillance and monitoring equipment for conservation activities within the target areas. Appropriate staff training will be provided in use of equipment to ensure the conservation of key resources in the PSEPA. Increased monitoring activities and surveys will be conducted for the offshore islands, marine turtles and other endangered wildlife.
National COVID-19 response protocols require increased sanitization of the Pigeon Island National Landmark (PINL) amenities and availability of sanitisation products for use by visitors. This grant will provide funding to procure the required products and personal protective equipment for staff to undertake their duties safely and reduce the spread of COVID-19.
This project will directly support the management of two protected areas managed by the Saint Lucia National Trust (SLNT), namely PINL and PSEPA. The PSEPA is a large area with limited human resources, the SLNT is unable monitor the entire area as frequently as required. Therefore the increased capacity to use remote monitoring devices provided by this project will enable more frequent monitoring in order to capture changes in the area. The project will also facilitate increased monitoring of offshore islands and their species to enable early detection and eradication of threats. The increased monitoring of the PSEPA will improve turtle nesting data collection, reduce illegal poaching and improve the hatchling survival rate of marine turtles, especially the leatherback, hawksbill and green turtles.
PINL is the main income generation site managed by the SLNT and the revenue generated from PINL is used to maintain PINL and other protected areas managed by the SLNT. This project will improve the monitoring capacity on PINL and offset some of its COVID-19 related operating costs, thereby helping the SLNT to weather the financial downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and indirectly contributing to the conservation of other protected areas in Saint Lucia.
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Saint Lucia National Trust (SLNT)
Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary
Victoria Peak Natural Monument, Half Moon Caye Natural Monument
Blue Hole Natural Monument
Management Effectiveness
The project will build BAS’ capacity to effectively manage and use the four high priority protected areas as landscape and seascape models
— Centres of Excellence– for other protected areas in Belize, with a focus on promoting improved long term biodiversity conservation, protection, provision of ecosystem services, and socio-economic benefits across the Belize NPAS.
The project has five objectives with activities carried out to attain the latter, highlights include:
At the end of the project, two management zones (CBWS/VP and HMC/BH) will be prepared for Green List Certification – a first for Belize. BAS will have improved its capacity to effectively manage and use four high priority protected areas (CBWS/VP & HMC/BH) as landscape and seascape models — Centres of Excellence — for other protected areas in Belize and the region. These areas will have systems in place for improved long-term biodiversity conservation, protection and provision of ecosystem services, and socioeconomic benefits across Belize’s National Protected Areas System.
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Belize Audubon Society (BAS)
Golden Stream Corridor Preserve
Improved protected area management through the bolstering of Ecotourism Belize’s (ETB) sustainability and impact through investment in equipment and infrastructure.
Shared local indigenous culture and supported Golden Stream Corridor Preserve (GSCP) buffer communities through innovative ecotourism initiatives.
Ya’axché Conservation Trust’s social business initiative, EcoTourism Belize (ETB) facilitates sustainable ecotourism to local and international audiences, of which the proceeds are directly reinvested into conservation and community development across southern Belize. This project focuses primarily on boosting natural and cultural ecotourism offerings within Golden Stream Corridor Preserve (GSCP), Ya’axché’s private protected area, and the surrounding buffer communities.
Through this project, a new restroom facility will be constructed and the current bunkhouse providing visitor accommodations on the grounds of GSCP’s ranger station will be updated and improved through new paint, ceiling fans, bed linens and furnishings, as well as through the addition of a screened veranda. To increase the diversity of available lodging and appeal to a wider audience, two tents will be purchased to provide camping opportunities within GCSP. The visitor grounds will be further improved through the installation of directional signs indicating visitor facilities. Ecotourism offerings which allow visitors to experience GSCP and the intact ecosystems protected by the Preserve will be enhanced through the purchase of kayaks, canoe paddles and binoculars, and GSCP’s self-guided nature trails will be demarcated with new signs for ease of visitor use. To provide convenient transportation from guest accommodations to tour sites, a tour van will be purchased.
In addition to the GSCP-based ecotourism activities offered, ETB partners with local indigenous women’s groups so that they can share their cuisine, crafts, music and Maya culture with interested visitors. Therefore, this project provides capacity building for these women through workshops focused on hospitality and customer service.
The livelihoods of many buffer communities are highly dependent and rely on the land, water and biological diversity found locally. Ecosystem services provided through Ya’axché’s ability to safeguard Golden Stream Corridor Preserve (GSCP) include clean water and air, game species, flood control, pollination and non-timber forest products. Through investment in capacity building, infrastructure and equipment, Ecotourism Belize (ETB) will develop consistent and environmentally responsible tourism programs, empowering local indigenous women and communities and leading effective biodiversity conservation of Golden Stream Corridor Preserve (GSCP) and the larger Maya Golden Landscape (MGL). This will allow ETB to emerge post-Covid-19 in a strong position, for the first time, to generate consistent income for Ya’axché’s conservation and development initiatives across southern Belize’s protected areas.
Through infrastructure investment within GSCP, two zones (Zone 1 for General Use; Zone 2 for Education and Recreation) demarcated in the PCA’s management plan will have improved infrastructure and sustainable access for visitors, allowing ETB to reach a larger population of visitors and elevating the visitor experience. Furthermore, through ownership of equipment, ETB’s ecotours within GSCP will no longer hinder patrolling or field research, allowing for more effective protected area management.
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Ya’axché Conservation Trust
1-mile San Antonio Rd. Toledo, Belize C.A.
Improved management effectiveness and governance indices at the end of action by 2023
This project will address the following objectives based on the protected areas associated with the project:
The implementation of this project will bring significant positive change for the protected areas (Gladden Spit Silk Cayes Marine Reserve, Sapodilla Cayes Marine Reserve including the Cayman Crown Site and the Port Honduras Marine Reserve) associated with the project. Foremost, by providing information on spawning aggregation sites and engaging local actors for their protection: Policies will be put in place, in countries where this is necessary, for the full protection of spawning aggregation sites or temporary protection during spawning seasons; the law will be applied during spawning periods in spawning sites, not only in already protected areas but also in new areas proposed at Cayman Crown; local fishermen will adhere to no-fishing guidelines according to the rules set out in the spawning aggregation sites; and the number of fish documented in these areas during the spawning period will be stable or increase for all species.
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Toledo Institute for Development and Environment (TIDE)
Belize Southern Environmental Association and Healthy Reefs for Healthy People
Three Bays Marine Protected Area, Haiti
Haiti’s marine protected areas are relatively new, with all having been declared after 2013. With either no, or at best, extremely limited resources available, this project will address a critical need to increase capacity (human and equipment) to monitor and manage resources within the MPA as well as address the need to provide environmentally friendly and sustainable alternative income generating opportunities for local stakeholders in order to enhance local management of the marine protected area.
In order to complete project objectives members of the Agence Nationale des Aires Protégées (ANAP), FoProBiM, and local university students will be trained in environmental sciences, coastal and marine resources and basic biology, non-lethal (un-armed) environmental law enforcement engagement, laws relating to coastal and marine resources and marine protected areas, and how to operate various types of equipment (boats, motors, snorkelling, and communications equipment).
FoProBiM will provide training to 20 local stakeholders in apiculture as an alternative livelihood and provide them with 100 hives and apicultural equipment in order to begin honey production.
Without this project the opportunity to provide a presence throughout the marine protected areas through the training of human resources within ANAP, the Gad Ekolojik, FoProBiM, local Universities, and the local communities to begin to ensure proper and sustainable monitoring, surveillance, educational and enforcement activities would remain severely limited, if not non-existent. All of these groups will be provided a total of 10 days of training: 2 days each of environmental; non-lethal (un-armed) environmental law enforcement engagement and laws; how to operate various types of equipment; “water” classes (snorkelling, swimming, etc.), and; field work including wildlife ID, boat patrols, hiking, etc.). To support the development of presence throughout the MPA the acquisition of equipment to strengthen both ANAP’s and FoProBiM’s capacities to undertake surveillance, monitoring, research, and enforcement activities by increasing their mobility is a crucial component of this project. Without this presence, and the increase in surveillance it affords, the continued illegal and unsustainable exploitation of resources would continue. The second component of this project is the continued development and strengthening of environmentally friendly and sustainable non-extractive income generating apiculture with 2 local communities and 2 associations to provide livelihood generation in order to reduce unsustainable resource extraction while protecting biodiversity.
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Fondation pour la Protection de la Biodiversité Marine (FoProBiM)
Portland Bight Protected Area
The objective of this project is to use the METT-4 process to identify priority actions for the PBPA using an adaptive management approach that assesses the threats and the effectiveness of previous management actions quantitatively, through data analysis and seeks to identify and address potential and actual risks.
The Portland Bight Protected Area is managed on behalf of the Government of Jamaica by the Caribbean Coastal Area Management Foundation, which leads a coalition of other government agencies that have various responsibilities within the area. The management plans for the PBPA was developed using participatory processes, but it is needs to be updated as it covered the period 2013-18.
The Government of Jamaica also requires protected areas to carry out annual METT assessments but there is no specific mechanism to link METT assessments to management and operations plans. METT assessments are carried by multi-agency teams but are based on qualitative rather than quantitative assessments. METT assessments for the PBPA as a whole were carried out as follows: in 2015, 2018 but no METT was done in 2020.
The new METT-4 methodology provides an approach that could incorporate monitoring data in an adaptive management framework. The recent development of the METT-4 process, provides an important opportunity to bridge the gap between the METT, adaptive management and the updating of management plans. The requirement to use quantitative data offers the opportunity to enhance the METT approach and implement the adaptive management process.
Large amounts of monitoring data have been collected for the PBPA by the various management partners but these data have not been collated, stored in an accessible format, analysed or applied. This project will provide a very important opportunity to gather and analyse the data and for the agencies to work collaboratively to develop practical and measurable management recommendations that can be incorporated in new management plans. The approach developed through this project will establish the procedures to be applied in the future.
The METT-4 would support the preparation of new management plans and the streamlining of the monitoring programme. It would be packaged into an attractive and readable “State of the PBPA 1998-2021 Report” which would be used to promote our work, to support operations planning and to leverage funding.
The project will greatly enhance the conservation of the PBPA, through supporting adaptive management and conservation planning. The collation and analysis of data from multiple sources will improve and adapt the METT process for the PBPA. This will ensure that the METT4 assessment for 2022 will include a better reflection of the work that has been done and the actions needed to improve conservation programmes. The process of obtaining and collating data will strengthen partnerships. It will allow C-CAM to identify gaps in monitoring programmes and to make recommendations and seek funding to ensure that monitoring efforts are targeted towards the most significant adaptive management targets. The results of the METT will inform a revised PBPA management plan, which is being developed under another project. The State of the Portland Bight Environment Report will showcase the work of C-CAM and its partners in the PBPA. This will increase engagement of stakeholders and will support project development and funding.
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Caribbean Coastal Area Management Foundation
• Aripo Savannas Strict Nature Reserve, Long Stretch Reserve
• Matura National Park, St. David Reserve and Eastern Extension Matura
• Nariva Swamp Managed Resource Protected Area
Small Technical Grant for Assessment for improved protected areas management and governance (STGA)
To identify or update result-oriented priority actions for improved protected and conserved areas management and governance, through new or updated quantified management and governance assessments and their associated enhancement plans.
Consultants will, for each protected area:
The project’s implementation will facilitate the establishment of a framework for a quantitative assessment of the status of the three (3) Environmentally Sensitive Areas, with the aim of improving their management. Outputs from the METT-4 assessments will focus different state bodies and other stakeholders on priority management actions and help develop opportunities for inter-agency cooperation to achieve management goals.
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EMA – Environmental Management Authority
• Wallings Nature Reserve
Small Technical Grant for Assessment for improved protected areas management and governance (STGA)
Enhancing protected area management
The METT tool will assist the team to better manage the reserve. There will be better collaboration between Wallings Nature Reserve and key stakeholders and government agencies and the creation of a priority action plan for the next five years for the activities to be implemented by the management team at Wallings Nature Reserve.
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Wallings Nature Reserve
•Miguel Domingo Fuerte Natural Monument
•Parque Nacional Sierra Martín García
•Parque Nacional Francis Caamaño
•Parque Nacional Anacaona
•Refugio de Vida Silvestre Laguna Cabral
•Monumento Natural Pico Diego de Ocampo
•Reserva Científica Salcedoa
•Reserva Científica Quita Espuela
•Reserva Científica Guaconejo
Enhance the management and governance of priority areas by addressing existing limitations (supporting new PAME/PAGE assessment tools, strengthening on-site infrastructure/equipment for patrolling, poaching control, developing capacity of staff).
We are looking to obtain an analysis based on this STGA that clearly and objectively provides the priorities for action to improve the management and governance of these protected areas, and the performance of current management mechanisms. We will identify the priorities to maintain management effectiveness in the medium and long term and determine opportunities for improvement, such as strengthening the relationship with the communities and promoting the sustainable use of resources. We will also analyse the potential environmental and social risks for the implementation of the actions. This analysis will also serve as input for: i) updating or preparing management plans for these protected areas, as appropriate; ii) inclusion of stakeholders in management committees; iii) highlighting the importance of proper management and achieving commitments with decision-makers: iv) obtaining inputs and identifying priority activities for fundraising; v) promote actions with the REDD + Program.
The updated METT Assessments will help determine priorities for action that will be used to improve the management and governance of protected areas and the performance of current management mechanisms. This analysis will also serve as input for: i) updating or preparing management plans for these protected areas, as appropriate; ii) inclusion of stakeholders in management committees; iii) highlighting the importance of proper management and achieving commitments with decision-makers: iv) obtaining inputs and identifying priority activities for fundraising; v) promote actions with the REDD + Program.
Download the project infofiche.
SOH Organización