Roseau, June 19, 2010- The findings of a University of the West Indies (UWI) research project on the Soufriere/Scott’s Head Marine Reserve (SSMR) in Dominica and the lessons that it provides as one of only two marine areas with legislated local area management authorities in the Eastern Caribbean were highlighted at a workshop on Monday, July 19 in Roseau, Dominica.
The research was done by the Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies (CERMES) of the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, in collaboration with The Nature Conservancy (TNC)– a leading US conservation organisation with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Some of the recommendations coming out of the research are:
1) Get a legal-administrative review of SSMR/ Local Area Management Authority (LAMA) legislation, by-laws and procedures to fix inconsistencies and ensure all is in place to support the new management plan.
2) Re-structure the LAMA to have a small executive board of core stakeholders surrounded by a broader stakeholder advisory group, both of which have clear terms of reference
3) Develop a communications strategy and plan for the LAMA after doing communication needs and capacity assessments to determine what is needed and the capacity to deliver it
4) Network the LAMA closely with community and business development agencies that can assist in meeting the needs of the residents without overburdening the LAMA with demands
5) Establish a SSMR Foundation or something similar as a means of growing revenue not to be immediately spent and channelling any excess funds into community development activities.
The research was done over a 9 month period and will be completed by September 2010. On Monday, July 19, the researchers met with community, government, private sector and other stakeholders to get feedback on the findings. A regional panel discussion on Tuesday 20 July will go beyond Dominica to further examine the communication between marine science and marine policymakers and other key audiences.
Speakers for Tuesday’s regional panel discussion include:
Andrew Magloire, Chief Fisheries Officer, Dominica Fisheries Division
Patrick McConney, Senior Lecturer, Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies (CERMES), The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados
Nicole Leotaud, Executive Director, Caribbean Natural Resources Institute, (CANARI), Trinidad
Indi Mclymont-Lafayette, Regional Director of Media and Environment, Panos Caribbean, Jamaica
Roland Baldeo, MPA Coordinator, Grenada Fisheries Division
The discussion will be held at the Garraway Hotel on the Dame Eugenia Charles Boulevard. Following the workshops, research fieldwork and communication analysis in Dominica, the application of lessons to Grenada is the next phase of the project. The findings of the LAMP will ultimately be used to advance the work being carried out by TNC’s Marine and Coastal Biodiversity Threat Abatement in the Eastern Caribbean Project, which is being funded through a grant from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The TNC’s primary strategy is to help countries meet and then exceed their commitments to the Program of Work for Protected Areas (PoWPA) under the Convention for Biological Diversity (CBD) that will result in an effectively managed network of marine protected areas.
About 4% of the Eastern Caribbean’s marine shelf is under some form of protection. However, less than 20% of these areas are judged to be effectively managed. TNC has said that to improve the management of marine biodiversity resources, there must be increased capacity for managing the marine environment in zones of use; policies and regulations that support management of marine biodiversity; economic development, benefit sharing, involvement of users in biodiversity management; and educational outreach to involve the public, business interests and policy decision makers. LAMP contributes to these initiatives.
Rouseau, June 19, 2010- The findings of a UWI research project on the Soufriere/Scott’s Head Marine Reserve (SSMR) in Dominica and the lessons that it provides as one of only two marine areas with legislated local area management authorities in the Eastern Caribbean were highlighted at a workshop on Monday, July 19 in Rouseau, Dominica.
The research was done by the Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies (CERMES) of the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, in collaboration with The Nature Conservancy (TNC)– a leading US conservation organisation with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Some of the recommendations coming out of the research are:
1) Get a legal-administrative review of SSMR/ Local Area Management Authority (LAMA) legislation, by-laws and procedures to fix inconsistencies and ensure all is in place to support the new management plan.
2) Re-structure the LAMA to have a small executive board of core stakeholders surrounded by a broader stakeholder advisory group, both of which have clear terms of reference
3) Develop a communications strategy and plan for the LAMA after doing communication needs and capacity assessments to determine what is needed and the capacity to deliver it
4) Network the LAMA closely with community and business development agencies that can assist in meeting the needs of the residents without overburdening the LAMA with demands
5) Establish a SSMR Foundation or something similar as a means of growing revenue not to be immediately spent and channelling any excess funds into community development activities.
The research was done over a 9 month period and will be completed by September 2010. On Monday, July 19, the researchers met with community, government, private sector and other stakeholders to get feedback on the findings. A regional panel discussion on Tuesday 20 July will go beyond Dominica to further examine the communication between marine science and marine policymakers and other key audiences.
Speakers for Tuesday’s regional panel discussion include:
Andrew Magloire, Chief Fisheries Officer, Dominica Fisheries Division
Patrick McConney, Senior Lecturer, Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies (CERMES), The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados
Nicole Leotaud, Executive Director, Caribbean Natural Resources Institute, (CANARI), Trinidad
Indi Mclymont-Lafayette, Regional Director of Media and Environment, Panos Caribbean, Jamaica
Roland Baldeo, MPA Coordinator, Grenada Fisheries Division
The discussion will be held at the Dominica Fisheries Division in Roseau. Following the workshops, research fieldwork and communication analysis in Dominica, the application of lessons to Grenada is the next phase of the project. The findings of the LAMP will ultimately be used to advance the work being carried out by TNC’s Marine and Coastal Biodiversity Threat Abatement in the Eastern Caribbean Project, which is being funded through a grant from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The TNC’s primary strategy is to help countries meet and then exceed their commitments to the Program of Work for Protected Areas (PoWPA) under the Convention for Biological Diversity (CBD) that will result in an effectively managed network of marine protected areas.
About 4% of the Eastern Caribbean’s marine shelf is under some form of protection. However, less than 20% of these areas are judged to be effectively managed. TNC has said that to improve the management of marine biodiversity resources, there must be increased capacity for managing the marine environment in zones of use; policies and regulations that support management of marine biodiversity; economic development, benefit sharing, involvement of users in biodiversity management; and educational outreach to involve the public, business interests and policy decision makers. LAMP contributes to these initiatives.
Very good article by DNO. The research work conducted by UWI and findings as reported should be read and digested by Charles Savarin, Minister of National Security. Just recently, last week to be exact, the Minister vilified and blasted UWI and in particular Dr. Severin, Director of the UWI Centre in Dominica, in the most derogatory manner. He commented that UWI was doing nothing re addressing issues of national and regional importance and always criticizing GOVT. One would swear that Dr. Severin was a Security threat. UWI has over the years done exemplary work all over the Caribbean as far as human resource development, research and information sharing are concerned. What a shame Minister Savarin. Any Dominican who exercises his or her right to comment on matters of importance are taken to task and viciously attacked by those thin-skinned politicians. They just refuse to accept the truth or listen to the other side of any story. Dominica needs more independent thinkers, like Dr. Severin, who are fearless in expressing their views. Again Shame on you Minister Savarin. Do you really think you could scare people like us? Never. Not in yours or your party’s lifetime. What is worse Charles Savarin unleashed that attack on UWI during the budget speech in Parliament. SHAME, SHAME, SHAME on YOU.