The Soufriere Marine Management Association

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The Soufriere Marine Management Association

• Saint Lucia

Phone [phone] Fax [phone] Email
SMMA_at_candw.lc
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Overview

• Background
• The Creation of a Management Agreement/Area
• Institutional Review
• The new SMMA
• First Successes
• Constraints
• Lessons learned

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St. Lucia

• about 157,775 inhabitants (2001)
• Between 60 and 61 West Longitude and 13 and
  14 North Latitude
• 238 square miles
• approx. 1,300 miles southeast of Florida
• 21 miles to Martinique
• 24 miles north of St. Vincent

SMMA
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Soufrière

• established 1746
• approx. 7665 inhabitants (2001)
• relatively isolated for much of this century
• until late 1970s large scale producer of cocoa,
  citrus, bananas, coconuts and ground provisions
• fragile economy
• high unemployment rate
• Tourism
• favorite destination of
• yachters, scuba divers and day trippers
• range of attractions in vicinity of town
• volcanic cones, waterfalls, tropical forrests,
  solfaratas, sheltered bays and coral reefs

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Soufrière

• Fishing Industry
• particular dependent on coastal resources
• furthest away from the migratory routes of
  valuable ocean species such as tuna, dolphin and
  kingfish
• relies heavily on transient schools of coastal
  pelagics balahoo, jacks and sardines
• December to July trawling for pelagic species
• rest of the year reef fishing with bottom set
  gears such as fish traps (pots) and gill-nets
• (gill nets were banned in the SMMA in September
  1998)

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Background

• Conflicts
• increasing competition between recreational users
  and fishermen over access to resources
• most acute conflicts between divers and pot
  fishermen and between seine fishermen and yachts
  anchoring in seine fishing areas
• Degradation of resource base
• result of over-exploitation of the reefs
• a) over fishing
• b) improper fishing practices
• c) destruction of reef from anchoring
• d) land based sources of marine pollution

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The Creation of a Management Agreement

• Participatory Planning and Negotiation Process
• need for change from open access situation to
  system of managed use to ensure sustainability
  and compatibility of various activities
• meeting of key agencies involved in national
  initiative for system for Protected Areas in mid
  1992 recommending consultative process to
  resolve situation
• support of proposal for demarcating the 1984
  established MRs and FPAs by USAID funded ENCORE
  project

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The Creation of a Management Agreement

• formation of small committee involving SRDF, DOF
  and CANARI to devise new dynamic approach to
  undertake a consultative process aimed at
  generating agreement between all users and
  relevant management agencies on measures to
  resolve existing conflicts
• identification of stakeholders and relevant
  participants
• a) yachters, b) divers, c) fishermen, d)
  planners,
• e) tourism entrepreneurs, f) port authority,
• g) fisheries and h) tourism officials
• nomination of representatives of stakeholders

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The Creation of a Management Agreement

• initial meetings Oct. 27th, and Nov. 3rd, 1992,
  starting with a clean slate (pre-existing
  arrangements such as MRs and FPAs subject for
  review)
• Generation of map reflecting uses, conflicts and
  condition of resources along 11 km coastal
  stretch between Anse Jambon and Anse LIvrogne
• field reviews by boat
• drawing of maps
• elaboration of key issues
• control and developing of yachting
• location and management of MRs
• development and management of fishing activities
• recreational access to beaches for locals and
  pollution concerns

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The Creation of a Management Agreement

• set up of working groups to address each issue
• recommendations already reflected an initial
  degree of compromise between the many
  stakeholders
• 3rd day of consultation was set for early 1993,
  leaving several months to compile and circulate a
  draft document reflecting agreements
• draft document contained background information
  and also outlined a proposed marine management
  area with rules and regulations as agreed by the
  participants of the consultation
• multi-agency management authority as mechanism
  for overseeing implementation of management area
  being suggested

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The Creation of a Management Agreement

• Authority to comprise representatives from all
  key user groups, management authorities and
  relevant NGOs
• Recommendation of user fees for the use of MRs by
  divers and use of mooring buoys set up for yachts
  and dive boats
• March 4th, 1993 review of draft recommendations
  on zoning, user fees, rules and regulations
• Final document entitled Agreement on the Use and
  Management of the Marine and Coastal Resources in
  the Soufriere Region, St. Lucia

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Zoning and Management Agreement

• area was called Soufriere Marine Management Area
  (SMMA) to be managed by a Technical Advisory
  Committee (TAC) comprising key management
  authorities and user groups.
• In late 1993 the agreement was presented to the
  Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Tourism,
  who tabled it before the Cabinet of Ministers in
  February 1994 and approval for the declaration
  and demarcation of the proposed zones, user fees,
  and declaration of Soufriere as a Port of Call
  for pleasure craft was granted on March 14th,
  1994

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The Creation of the Management Area

• Implementation Process
• TAC created Technical Working Group (TWG)
  comprising the SMMA Manager, DOF, CANARI with
  other technical experts co-opted as necessary to
  provide impetus for the implementation of the
  agreement
• a) generating workplans, b) budgetary information
  for approval by the TAC, and
• c) evaluating the implementation process
• descriptive assessment of the entire SMMA up to a
  depth of 70 feet by the DOF to exercise the exact
  limits for delimitation of the MRs and FPAs

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The Creation of the Management Area

• Management Plan
• a workshop to generate the management plan for
  the SMMA was held on September 3rd, 1994. TAC
  members, local experts, regional experts and
  funding agencies were present
• the cabinet of Ministers approved the Management
  Plan of the SMMA on November 15th, 1995

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The Creation of the Management Area

• Funding
• USAID ENCORE provided funding for demarcation of
  MRs and FPAs
• French Mission for Cooperation provided funds for
  moorings, a patrol boat, communication equipment,
  equipment for the SMMA office, and salaries for
  the manager and wardens for 3 months, services of
  a national service volunteer for 16 months. In
  October 1996 the FFEM project for the
  institutional strengthening of the SMMA started,
  administered by a French Technical Assistant
• Caribbean Conservation Association (CCA)
  contributed to marine resource monitoring and
  public awareness literature
• all three agencies and local government
  contributed to SMMA brochure, moorings flyer, and
  video

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The Creation of the Management Area

• Infrastructure
• 42 mooring buoys and 22 demarcation buoys were
  installed by John Judy Halas from EMI in 1994
• signs were installed in February 1995 and
  reinstalled in March 1997 and 1999 due to severe
  storm damage
• the Management Area was published and a color
  brochure and an insert detailing the mooring buoy
  system was printed in early 1995 (updated and
  reprinted in 1998 and 2002)
• Acquisition of own mooring installation equipment
  in 1996
• Conducted several local and regional buoy
  installation projects
• Presently 66 moorings and 13 demarcation buoys
• Office was constructed under FFEM project, but
  destroyed by hurricane Lenny in November 1999

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The Creation of the Management Area

• Launching of SMMA
• official opening on July 1st, 1995
• event highlighted objectives and operations
  within the SMMA
• employment of 4 rangers to support French
  volunteer, who operated as initial manager
• training of SMMA officers by relevant management
  authorities
• SMMA manager was hired in August 1995
• additional support staff (administrative
  assistant, accountant and PRO) was hired upon
  stabilization of revenue generation

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Institutional Review

• Crises in 1996 and 1997, exacerbated by economic
  and political changes, lead to an institutional
  review
• Process of questioning, evaluation and
  reorganization facilitated by CANARI and funded
  through the FFEM project
• Structural problems
• Initial process failed to develop a clear
  consensus of vision, mission and objectives
• Agreement was not a binding contract
• TAC too large and dispersed to be an effective
  decision making body
• New agreement to be guided by
• clear mission
• transparent management structure
• politically, institutionally and financially
  autonomous
• management and enforcement to be locally based

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The New SMMA

• Lessons learned from review
• Arrangements such as the SMMA require a formal
  sharing of responsibilities
• Review revealed tendency that the more powerful
  and organized groups and sectors assume their
  authority while the most marginalized groups do
  not
• SMMA therefore needed a clear and strong legal
  basis to guaranty the rights and stipulate the
  responsibilities of all
• Features of the new SMMA
• The Soufriere Marine Management Area remains the
  portion of coast between Anse lIvrogne in the
  south and Anse Jambon in the north, from the
  shore to a depth of 75 meters
• SMMA declared as a local Fisheries Management
  Authority under the 1984 Fisheries Act
• Management of the area is now governed by a new
  agreement defining vision, mission, objectives,
  regulations, zoning, programs and institutional
  arrangements of the SMMA
• zoning and regulations were maintained, and a
  detailed map identifying all zones forms part of
  the new agreement

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The New SMMA

• Features of the new SMMA (continued)
• The coordination of management is the
  responsibility of the Soufriere Marine Management
  Association, a not-for-profit company under the
  Companies Act (No. 2003/079)
• The Association comprises all agencies which have
  a demonstrated management functioning the Area
• five community and non governmental members
• St. Lucia Dive Association
• St. Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association
• Soufriere Fishermens Co-operative
• Soufriere Regional development Foundation
• Soufriere water taxi association
• Five government agencies
• Ministry of Planning, Fisheries and Tourism
• National Conservation Authority
• Air and Sea Ports Authority
• One or two individuals nominated by the District
  Representative and the Cabinet of Ministers
• Establishment of a Stakeholder Advisory
  Committee
• Broad based advisory body, providing a forum for
  all stakeholders to express their needs, views
  and concerns, meeting at least once a quarter

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The New SMMA

• The mission of the Soufriere Marine Management
  Area is to contribute to national and local
  development, particularly in the fisheries and
  tourism sectors, through the management of the
  coastal zone of Soufriere, based on the
  principles of sustainable use, cooperation among
  resource users, institutional collaboration,
  active and enlightened local participation, and
  equitable sharing of benefits and
  responsibilities among stakeholders.

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First Successes

• A 6-year study, conducted by the University of
  York, revealed that since inception of the SMMA,
  fish stocks in the marine reserves have tripled
  and doubled in the fishing areas.
• The attitude of many local fishermen has changed
  from skepticism and rejection of the zoning
  system in 1995, to full support in 2001.
• Though major fishing areas were closed, fish
  catches increased over the years.
• Influenced by the concern of local fishermen over
  diver impact on the coral reefs, an important
  fish nursery within the SMMA at Gros Piton Point
  was declared a sanctuary and closed for all
  activities except approved scientific research.
• In 1997 the SMMA received the British Airways
  Tourism for Tomorrow - IUCN Special Award for
  National Parks and Protected Areas,
• 2000 ICRAN declared the SMMA a Demonstration
  Site, based on its proven ability to effectively
  manage coral reefs.

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Constraints

• Though involved community members and
  organizations on a local, regional and
  international level closely follow the
  development of the SMMA, visitors and St. Lucians
  generally are not aware of and do not appreciate
  the uniqueness of the institution, which
  constantly leads to infringements of regulations
  by unaware visitors and locals from outside the
  immediate Soufriere community.
• Given the myriad uses and users of the area,
  successful management of Soufrieres marine and
  coastal resources hinges to a great extend on the
  compliance and support of all groups. Harmful
  and destructive practices by any one group
  compromise the integrity of the areas and of the
  very agreement, which led to its establishment.

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Lessons learned

• Institutional Strengthening
• SMMA has proven  workable as long as the
  principles of participatory planning were
  followed.
• Political circumstances threatening the survival
  of the institution could be dealt with because of
  the strong commitment among the various
  stakeholders. 
• Since the existence of the SMMA was originally
  only based on a series of Cabinet conclusions,
  the institution was very vulnerable to outside
  interference,
• Initially the SMMA was also designed too much
  around certain leadership personalities and thus
  failed to clearly define the management
  responsibilities of the relevant institutions,
  which resulted in a "responsibility vacuum".
• The high level of transparency and a focused
  agenda is believed to be the reason that most of
  the stakeholder meetings are very well attended
• The creation of a number of subcommittees to ease
  the workload of the SMMA staff has proven
  unworkable, because of their complexity which
  makes it difficult to convene regular meetings.

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Lessons learned

• Conflict Management
• Key to the SMMAs success in managing conflicts
  on an on-going basis is the very close contact
  which exists among user groups, and between them
  and SMMA management The SMMA plays the role of a
  facilitating link between the user groups, not an
  enforcement agency.
• For of a variety of reasons, it sometimes becomes
  necessary for the SMMA to assist one group in
  formalizing or vocalizing its concerns, but it is
  essential for the SMMA to remain fair, and
  perceived as fair.
• The SMMA has shown that two essential conditions
  for conflict management are
• Direct participation of resource users, because
  community institutions do not always provide
  adequate representation and because
  stakes/interests often vary from individual to
  individual.
• Direct communication among stakeholder groups,
  for example, by allowing fishers to directly
  address conflicting interests to others, such as
  divers, or yachts people.

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Lessons learned

• Communication and Public Sensitization
• Although considerable progress has been made
  (e.g. balancing between enforcement of rules and
  regulations and public relations, establishment
  of newsletter, internet web-site, etc.),
  effective communication between stakeholders,
  community groups and other involved parties
  remains critical.
• Therefore it is essential that the enforcement
  staff continues the sensitization efforts for the
  user groups. The implementation of the
  communications plan remains a high priority.

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Lessons learned

• Involvement/Support of self-regulating User
  Groups/Institutions
• Further support needs to be given to strengthen
  local, self regulating institutions namely the
  Fishermen's Cooperative, St. Lucia's dive
  association Anbaglo and the Water Taxi
  Association, the latter being particularly
  dependent on better recognition by government
  authorities.
• The role of true representation of their sectors
  can not always be fulfilled.

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Protecting the Future... one step at a time.