Connections 19 January 2004
An electronic bulletin about interdisciplinary research, teaching and outreach at the
Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies (CERMES)
Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences, University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus
Doing more in 2004
Counterpart International is interested in pursuing
CERMES Connections wishes all of our partners and
their Pacific `Coral Gardening' concept in the
colleagues prosperity and progress in this new year.
Caribbean. The Barbados Marine Trust is one of the
We hope to be doing more in 2004 for and with you.
local organisations interested in the techniques.
Our connections in the Caribbean and beyond are
growing stronger and more diverse. We have some
FAO Working Party on
new projects and publications to unveil. Read on ...
Small-scale Fisheries
Caribbean sea level change
This Working Party (WP), convened under the FAO
The threat of sea level change from global warming is
Advisory Committee on Fisheries Research (ACFR),
the basis of a new study by Dr. Eugene Ramcharan.
met in Bangkok 18-21 November to:
His aim is to determine the extent to which Caribbean
·
sea levels have changed over the past 1,000 years.
Undertake an evaluation of the role and
To complement existing data from Barbados and
importance of small-scale fisheries;
Trinidad, field trips were undertaken to collect
· Elaborate a research agenda for the sector;
sediment cores from tidal mangroves in the Caroni
· Review strategies and mechanisms to bridge the
Swamp in Trinidad, Bon Accord lagoon in Tobago,
gap between research and action; and
and Tyrrel Bay in Carriacou. Samples from these
· Provide views on key elements that should be
cores will be dated using radiocarbon techniques and
included in the Code of Conduct guidelines on
the data compared to known climatological events so
small-scale fisheries.
as to assess their influence on sea levels. The
research results are expected to support efforts to
Dr. Robin Mahon participated and presented a
predict future sea level change and its impacts on
background paper on `Small-Scale Fisheries, Past
Caribbean coastal ecology and settlements.
Experience and Future Solutions' co-authored with
Dr. Douglas Wilson (Institute for Fisheries
Coral gardening in the Caribbean?
Management and Coastal Community Development,
Dr. Austin Bowden-Kerby, from The Foundation of
Denmark) that looked at the management regime for
the Peoples of the South Pacific (FSPI) in Fiji, visited
small-scale fisheries in CARICOM countries and
CERMES on 10 December 2003 with Susan Mahon
discussed five critical management issues.
of Counterpart Caribbean, and their colleagues from
Discussions at the WP were heavily weighted
Counterpart International, Margaret Hayward and
towards poverty alleviation issues in the large small-
Alexandra Cousteau.
scale fisheries of Africa and Asia. This flags the need
Dr. Bowden-Kerby
for SIDS scientists and managers to pay greater
presented his BBC
attention to documenting their fisheries issues and
documentary on
presenting them forcefully in international meetings.
resort wastewater
treatment in Fiji, then
Sustainable Grenadines
followed up with a
In the previous issue we introduced the project
slide show on coral
`Sustainable Integrated Development and Biodiversity
rehabilitation for
Conservation in the Grenadine Islands', better known
Acropora species in
as `Sustainable Grenadines' and funded primarily by
the Caribbean.
the Lighthouse Foundation of Germany. The project's
Phase 2 got off to a start recently with its first
The rehabilitation
Steering Committee Meeting, in Union Island, on 9
techniques for coral
December 2003. Among the key issues discussed
are based on his
were the location and staffing of the project
Dr. Bowden-Kerby displays
extensive fieldwork in
implementation unit in the Southern Grenadines.
a frame with corals grown
Puerto Rico.
from fragments
The Holetown Watersheds Group (HWG) cleaned-up
the area in May 2000 as part of the Greening of
Barbados programme. As a CORECOMP activity the
process of creating the beach park has started. The
site development-planning phase is underway. Hotels
and businesses in the area have pledged donations
toward the preparation of the site development plan.
Area residents are also being mobilised to make this
a true community undertaking. Responses have
been encouraging. Stay tuned for future updates.
Caribbean Coastal Co-management
Guidelines Project comes to an end
The project Steering Committee (Left to right) Mr
This project of the Caribbean
Ashwa Stewart, President, Union Island Museum
Conservation Association
and Ecological Society; Mr. Cecil Ryan, Manager,
involved CERMES staff as
Projects Promotion Ltd.; Ms Theresa Bartholomew,
the principal investigators
Secretary, Mayreau Environmental Development
since early 2002. A series of
Organisation; Mr. Hansel Henry, PRO, Canouan
output documents is now in
Island Council and Club Nuevo; Mr. Brian Richards,
press for paper and electronic distribution, but mainly
Dive Master, Mustique Island Company; Ms Lydia
the latter. They should be on CCA and CERMES web
Ollivierre, President Anglican Youth Group of Bequia;
sites soon for free download. Below is a list of them:
Dr. Robin Mahon, CERMES, UWI, Barbados; Mr.
Benson Patrice, President, Carriacou Environmental
· McConney, P., R. Pomeroy and R. Mahon. 2003.
Committee; Mr. Sylvester Tannis, Administrative
Guidelines for coastal resource co-management
Officer for the Northern Grenadines, Bequia; Ms
in the Caribbean: Communicating the concepts
Cecilia St. Ignac, President, Petite Martinique New
and conditions that favour success. [56pp]
Woman's Movement; Mr. Werner `Max' Nagel,
· McConney, P. 2003. Grenada case study:
President, Grenada SCUBA Divers Association,
legalisation of beach seine traditional rules at
Carriacou; Mr Dennis Gay, Ministry of Carriacou and
Gouyave. [70pp].
Petite Martinique Affairs, Carriacou
·
McConney, P. 2003. Grenada case study: the
CORECOMP Holetown project
lobster fishery at Sauteurs. [65pp].
· McConney, P., R. Mahon and C. Parker. 2003.
CORECOMP is CERMES' Coastal Resources Co-
Barbados case study: the sea egg fishery. [74pp].
management Project. Among its activities are a
· McConney, P., R. Mahon and H. Oxenford. 2003.
series of small projects aimed at demonstrating
Barbados case study: the Fisheries Advisory
successful co-management in various locations in the
Committee. [77pp].
Caribbean and Central America. Several small
· McConney, P., R. Mahon and R. Pomeroy. 2003.
projects are being implemented in Barbados.
Belize case study: Fisheries Advisory Board in
The beach behind the Holetown Government
the context of integrated coastal management.
Complex in St. James is a high visibility area for
[70pp].
tourists and local beach users. At present it suffers
· Pomeroy, R.S. and T. Goetze. 2003. Belize case
from several problems that make the area unsightly.
study: Marine protected areas co-managed by
Some are environmentally unacceptable: stagnant
Friends of Nature. [69pp].
water, garbage, etc. Proximity to the sea means that
· Pomeroy, R., P. McConney and R. Mahon. 2003.
the problems in this area can also affect the marine
Comparative analysis of coastal resource co-
environment.
management in the Caribbean. [30pp].
However, this tiny parcel of open coastal land in a
A follow-up project, in which the CCA is involved,
highly built-up area has the potential to become an
started recently to promote the use of these outputs
attractive small recreational and nature site that can
and those of other similar projects in the Caribbean.
also play a role in the conservation of the adjacent
CERMES is in the process of developing training and
marine environment. The objective of the project is
teaching materials around these products. For further
to link the northern and southern areas of Holetown
information you can contact Dr. Patrick McConney at
with a structured amenity area and community park
nrmoutreach@caribsurf.com.
that will serve local residents and visitors alike.
CERMES Phone (246)-417-4316; Fax (246)-424-4204; cermes@uwichill.edu.bb; www.cermes.cavehill.uwi.edu
Mailing address: CERMES, University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, St. Michael, Barbados