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Aripo Savannas Strict Nature Reserve- Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) (ASESA), Matura National Park ESA (MNPESA) and Nariva Swamp Managed Resource Protected Area ESA (NSESA)
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.
This is the first time an assessment tool has been applied within target protected areas. The complexity and interconnectedness of threats to the Environmentally Sensitive Areas make effective management challenging. The Management Advisory Committees for the protected areas have determined that more informed and data driven management approaches are needed. The assessment will enhance the effectiveness of management through data collection and analysis to identify gaps and elucidate possible opportunities for the achievement of management objectives. Additionally, this assessment which is suitable for replication, will form a baseline so that in future, progress in achieving management objectives can be assessed from a temporal perspective.
The assessment is needed in order to:
– acquire baseline data for each area;
– facilitate the prioritisation of conservation objectives and priority actions; and
– allow the voluntary stakeholder Management Advisory Committees to more effectively manage the protected areas.
This project will engage consultants who, for each protected area, will:
• Conduct a METT-4 assessment, through stakeholder engagement exercises and a desktop analysis of available data;
• Develop an action plan, based on the results/recommendations of the METT-4 assessment, which outlines the results of the METT-4 assessment, recommends updated priority actions for the management plan and describes the process for implementing the priority actions;
• Develop a communications plan to share the results of the METT-4 assessment locally and globally.
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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Environmental Management Authority
Baraderes-Cayemite Marine Protected Area
To facilitate a METT assessment within the Baraderes/Cayemite Managed Natural Resources Protected Area, comparing the results from the 2019 METT assessment report, to evaluate the changes that have occurred within the 3 years. Goals also include generating interest, input, and involvement among stakeholders and civil society groups, to assist with developing a plan of action that will benefit the marine ecosystem and the local population. This will be used to effectively manage and monitor the Baraderes/Cayemite Managed Natural Resources Protected Area with ANAP.
The priority needs are to further assess the Baraderes-Cayemite Managed Natural Resources Protected Area as there was a previous METT assessment in 2017, which was a baseline assessment. That METT assessment report concluded that there were major challenges in managing this protected area and that these assessments should be conducted every year to monitor progress and provide guidance to improve the management of this protected area. Like the other protected areas of Haiti, the Baraderes-Cayemite Managed Natural Resources Protected Area is quite young and requires very effective interventions that enable the implementation of an adequate management system to deal with the multiple threats facing the biodiversity of the system.
The project will involve the development of a 2021-22 work plan that adheres to the specific goals and criteria required of the METT assessment. The questionnaire that was administered during the previous 2019 METT assessment report, which includes 30 questions with an associated score to measure progress will be reused. There will also be an area for notes and comments associated with each question to elaborate on the rationale for the evaluation, the sources used and the steps to be taken to improve management. In addition, greater emphasis will be placed on the threats and issues facing the endangered megafauna that inhabit the Baraderes/Cayemite Natural Resources Protected Area and the need for outreach/marine education. The surveys will incorporate those areas of concern. Key sites within the Baraderes/Cayemite Natural Resources Protected Area will be identified to conduct workshops where surveys can be distributed to representatives of stakeholders and local civil society groups. Three (5-day) workshops will be conducted with the key stakeholders to gather data and information. The participants will include on-site NGOs, protected area-related agency members (ANAP), community organizations in the area, fishing associations, and other key participants with some influence or dependence on the protected area.
By conducting the METT assessment within the Baraderes/Cayemite Managed Natural Resources Protected Area, the needs of the local communities and the long-term protection of the protected area with them as the primary stewards and beneficiaries will be addressed. This will lead to positive benefits of better management of the park on the fisheries, coastal ecosystems, and livelihoods. By evaluating the needs of the people, we will increase knowledge and capacity in monitoring, protecting, and coastal resources; reduce unsustainable fishing practices. This will better protect the cultural and natural heritage, cave, beach, islet, endemic species, mangroves, on the protected area of greatest biological value in Haiti and promote the resilience of communities in the coastal area and watersheds to climate change. This will strengthen the technical capacity of stakeholders and develop and implement a management plan that includes allocating a budget for the complex are all other priorities chosen for better management of the park, fishing practices to ensure sustainable seafood, and job security for community members.
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Fondation Haiti Ocean Project and Aquadev
Mahé and Aldabra Atoll, Seychelles, Southern Africa
Aldabra Atoll:
• Aldabra Atoll UNESCO World Heritage site (WDPA ID: 5004)
• Aldabra Atoll Special Reserve (DPA ID: 1342)
• Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance (WDPA ID: 555542730)
• BirdLife Important Bird Area (IBA, 2001, ID: SC020)
• Indian Ocean South East Asia (IOSEA) Site of Importance for Marine Turtles (designated 2014, 10th site to be listed)
• International Marine Mammal Area (IMMA, 2020)
Enhance the management and governance of priority protected areas by addressing existing limitations.
The priority actions are two-fold:
1) establish comprehensive biosecurity and quarantine measures (priority action 1),
2) Develop a rapid-response plan for eventual arrivals of invasive species (priority action 2).
Activity 1: Establish dedicated biosecurity officer positions in both sites (Mahé, Aldabra) to implement the Aldabra biosecurity plan.
Activity 2: Strengthen quarantine facilities and procedures on Mahé and to Aldabra and biosecure air and sea transportation by modernizing and containerizing all supplies.
Activity 3: Finalize surveillance plans & emergency response protocols including implementation of emergency response plan.
Activity 4: Maintain and increase institutional capacity with training, including adapting local and international best practices.
The project enables Seychelles Islands Foundation (SIF) to further strengthen its biosecurity measures to securing Aldabra’s status of being the largest atoll in the world without any alien avian fauna. Maintaining and continuously increasing institutional capacity is a fundamental and never-ending task, as much as implementing biosecurity measures and nature conservation management is an ongoing effort. There is always more that can be done, especially to prevent invasive alien species incursions in today’s world of globalisation with perpetually increasing invasive alien species numbers and abundance. On a much larger scale, the example of the coronavirus illustrates how easily unwanted organisms are transported and spread, despite extensive containment efforts. Similar problems exist with invasive alien species, being one of the most important drivers of biodiversity loss on islands. The proposed action will support SIF’s determination to ensure the greatest possible protection of Aldabra’s native flora and fauna as well as to maintain one of the world’s least impacted areas by humans, especially in a world where native species and biodiversity hotspots are in severe decline.
Specific change will include all cargo outbound to Aldabra will be fully biosecure packed and no high-risk species travel to Aldabra. This will lay the groundwork for future invasive alien species eradications to take place which will result in outstanding scientific research opportunities to study the significant ecological changes following such an eradication. Biosecurity reports for each transport will be provided. Operational surveillance and response plans will be implemented.
Highly trained committed staff on both sites and continuous strengthening of biosecurity knowledge of new recruits will be developed.
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Seychelles Islands Foundation (SIF)
Portland Bight Protected Area (including Three Bays, Salt Harbour and Galleon Harbour fish special fisheries conservation areas)
The management plans for the Portland Bight Protected Area (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.
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 the organisation’s work, to support operations planning and to leverage funding.
This project will build capacity through talent acquisition which will be followed by an inception meeting with team members and stakeholders to discuss the project, get their agreement for data sharing as well as their potential role and get feedback to improve the overall actions. The team will identify data needs and agree on strategy to gather data including the database and data collection form. The team will then continue the development of the database along with collecting and analysing data with the support of the Research Assistant and GIS consultant.
The lead consultant will produce a draft data summary report and have that data verified through relevant consultation sessions. The Project Lead will hold participatory thematic workshops to complete METT4 using data report (governance, biodiversity and management). Finally, there will be the preparation and dissemination of the State of the Portland Bight Protected Area (PBPA) report as well as other relevant project reports.
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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Wallings Nature Reserve
Enhancing protected area management.
The project will include stakeholder consultations and drafting of an initial assessment, as well as interviews with the staff of the Government of Antigua and Barbuda responsible for Protected Areas management and interviews with the Forestry Unit. A literature review geared towards collating information on the biodiversity and environmental characteristics will be conducted. Additional activities include:
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
Turneffe Atoll Marine Reserve
COVID-19 related emergency.
Project objective: To reduce increased fishing and unsustainable fishing practices in the Turneffe Atoll Marine Reserve (TAMR) to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels.
The project includes six activities:
It’s very important that surveillance and monitoring efforts be conducted in tandem. It is not the intention to stop fishers from making their living. However, they must be made aware that there are ways to earn their living in a sustainable manner.
The Rapid Response Grant will be used to:
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Turneffe Atoll Sustainability Association (TASA)
Three Bays Protected Area
Reforestation of 100 hectares of the Three Bays Protected Area and promotion of integrated soil conservation agricultural practices with 150 smallholders to improve the livelihoods and resilience of local communities in the face of major shocks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, while contributing effectively to the management of protected areas.
The fight against illegal deforestation to increase tree cover and food availability for the local community.
The Soil Conservation and Reforestation project focuses on agroforestry practices to support the effective management and governance of the Three Bays Protected Area, through capacity building and participation of approximately 150 direct beneficiaries. It will include the recruitment of 100 hectares of dereferences (GPS points) among the degraded areas of the interventions of small farmers and establish groupings for the 150 small neighbouring farmers to promote governance, democracy, self-management of certain activities of the SAFICSol-Reforestation project.
The project will prepare, procure and plant 50,000 fruit and forest trees on the 100 hectares and supply short production cycle crops in association to improve food availability and resilience to post COVID-19 shocks.
The project implementation will result in at least 15 new woodlots of reforestation on 100 hectares recruited, the improvement of social and economic relations between beneficiaries, the increased surveillance and good integration of the population in the fight against deforestation for reforestation or reforestation, protection of the biodiversity of the area of intervention and better ecosystem cohabitation between species and actors.
Additionally, the project will lead to the realization of meetings for discussions and decision-making as well as the organization of civil local governance of 150 direct beneficiaries.
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Services de Consultation et de l’Assistance Technique Agricole (SCAgiTech) Reserve
Hol Chan Marine Reserve
The grant addresses the need for financial assistance to sustain operational activities within the Hol Chan Marine Reserve, due to loss in revenues as a result of the COVID19 pandemic.
The project aims to support the effective management and governance of The Hol Chan Marine Reserve through continued patrols and environmental and biodiversity monitoring. With high unemployment rates and an increase in fishing activities it is important to maintain a presence to deter encroachment of fishing into the no-take and conservation areas. Funds will support staff salaries and the purchase of personal and protective equipment for staff members.
The project will include the development of strategies for financial diversification that allow management to cope with the current financial limitations because of COVID-19 and recover financial stability at a faster rate once the threat of COVID-19 has been reduced.
The project implementation will help to buffer the long-term effects/impacts due to the loss of revenues because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Financial obligations can be met and preventing the Reserve from plunging into a debt hole that would take a long time to recover from. Enforcement, biodiversity monitoring, education and outreach, and visitor management activities will continue to be sustained ensuring that the Reserve meet its conservation objectives.
Indirectly the project implementation will support community livelihoods by ensuring compliance with regulations and protection strategies, securing the livelihoods of over 300 license fishers, over 625 licensed tour guides, and 91 registered tour operators, and their families.
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Hol Chan Marine Reserve
Asa Wright Nature Centre (AWNC)
The AWNC is a local NGO established in 1967 as a wildlife sanctuary and nature centre by a Trust Deed. The objectives of the AWNC are to protect the area, preserve the flora and fauna of the country, and continue and encourage its sustainable use for agriculture, scientific research and environmental education. The Trust was established without an endowment and it depends upon grant funding from donors and income derived from the operation of its lands and buildings, primarily the eco-lodge. The AWNC is not in receipt of any funding from the Government.
As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and the closure of the borders of Trinidad & Tobago, the AWNC’s eco-lodge was closed to visitors in March 2020, and the consequent total cessation of the AWNC’s eco-lodge business occurred in mid-January 2021 in an effort to avoid insolvency. Even if the entire financial reserves of the Trust are drawn down, the basic expenditure required to provide continued protection of the protected lands and support key long-term wildlife monitoring programmes cannot continue beyond early 2022.
If the security patrols are discontinued immediate threats are posed through irreversible damage from potential expansion of encroachment into the protected areas and by illegal hunting. AWNC’s conservation of threatened species will be at risk through termination of ongoing monitoring of oilbirds, bats and other small mammals. Long-term ecosystem health is monitored through these key indicator taxa, which may be at risk of local extirpation (e.g. oilbirds). If lands of the AWNC have to be mortgaged or sold to ensure survival of the Trust, their protection will cease entirely.
The project activities include:
1. Continued monitoring and patrolling of the AWNC protected lands (5.4 sq km) through a combination of compound, mobile and forest patrols. Specifically, the grant will be used to fund the continued employment for 4 security officers for 12 months and the purchase and strategic installation of identification and deterrent signage in all areas where needed.
2. Continuation of key conservation/wildlife monitoring programmes such as include oilbird counts, servicing of deployed camera traps and bat acoustic recorders. Voluntary Board Members will take over these activities in conjunction with various volunteers and other nongovernmental organisations. BIOPAMA funding support is required to maintain access to the survey locations. Each month 2 persons from the nearby community will be hired to clear and maintain the paths and areas around the survey equipment to prevent forest overgrowth and remove any hindrance to the monitoring personnel. They will also contribute to any preventative maintenance required to minimise threats from external pressures such as forest fires.
The COVID-19 emergency highlighted aspects of the AWNC’s operations which made the Trust vulnerable to external shocks and even threatened the very survival of the protected area. In the absence of adequate financial reserves, the failure of the eco-lodge business – the principal source of revenue for the Trust – was shown to have the potential to imperil the whole organization. In order to make its future operations more sustainable, thus sustaining the benefits of BIOPAMA RRG activities beyond the end of the project, the AWNC will undertake restructuring planning with a view to eliminating risks and enabling the Trust to fulfil its conservation mandate.
The “triple bottom line” objectives of the restructuring exercise are to secure the future of the AWNC by putting its operations on a sounder economic basis, whilst maintaining the positive social impact the AWNC has had on neighbouring communities – through the creation of good in-house jobs in conservation – and keeping the environmental objectives of the Trust at the forefront.
The AWNC has already commenced these restructuring activities, however the persistence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the continued absence of any revenue and dwindling financial reserves, means the BIOPAMA funding will provide critical supplementary support for the continued protection of the lands and biodiversity monitoring whilst the Trust continues to work on a sustainable solution.
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Asa Wright Nature Centre (AWNC)
Oracabessa Bay Fish Sanctuary, 555542819;
The project aims to:
The project will protect the gains achieved by the Oracabessa Bay Fish Sanctuary in its 11 years of existence. Financial constraints pose a major operational threat to the protected area and could be disastrous for the local community of Oracabessa and surrounding communities that benefit from spill-over effects. The project will help maintain the current staff cohort comprised of fisherfolk and provide training and equipment to implement new technologies geared at improving operational efficiency.
From the protected area’s establishment in 2010, the fish biomass has increased over 60-fold, after years of overfishing the reefs in Oracabessa Bay whereby catch was found farther out. However, the stability and sustainability of the protected area is at risk, which the project will mitigate.
Although tourism has slowed, the industry will be key to the post COVID-19 recovery of the community. Continued protection of natural resources is paramount in providing the natural framework for the tourism industry to recover. This project will ensure that the conservation efforts continue to function throughout the pandemic. During this project, the marine protected area will benefit directly from the anticipated recovery of the tourism sector. Marketing support will increase customer awareness of the area’s SCUBA diving and snorkelling social enterprise and provide an online platform for better customer engagement.
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The Oracabessa Marine Trust
Oracabessa Eyes Irish Moss Market: https://fb.watch/8Vuvf_EMZd/