JAMAICA

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JAMAICAS ECOLOGICAL GAP ASSESSMENT

• December 2007

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Workshop Objectives

• Present the National Ecological Gap Report
• Solicit feedback regarding the proposed
  Conservation Area Portfolio
• Prioritize the proposed areas in the Portfolio by
  assessing feasibility

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The Current Protected Areas
18 of Lands 15 of Waters
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Why Identify Gaps?
When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he
finds it attached to the rest of the world. -
John Muir

• Building sustainability into Jamaicas future
• Ensuring functionality of the island ecosystem
• Meeting Jamaicas global commitment to
  conservation and sustainability

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Marine Conservation Targets
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Terrestrial Coarse-filter Conservation Targets
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Terrestrial Fine-filter Conservation Targets
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Freshwater Conservation Targets
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Overlapping Targets
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The Human Footprint
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Conservation Goals

• Expressed as the percentage of the total extent
  of the Target that needs to be conserved in order
  to maintain its viability or functionality.
  Where and How much?

• Targets can be set using the following
  parameters
• Knowledge of current target distribution
  (Terrestrial)
• Knowledge of biological functions
• Surrogate measures such as rarity or broader
  range abundances (Freshwater)
• The CBD 10 goal and its caveats.

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Marine Conservation Goals
Marine Conservation Targets Goals
Sandy shores 20
Rocky shores 20
Mangroves 50
Estuarine areas 20
Seagrass beds 30
Corals and Coral reef 10 30
Soft bottom communities 20
Cays 30
Offshore banks 10
Seabird nesting and roosting areas 50
Overwintering shorebird areas 30
Turtle nesting beaches 50
Manatees 50
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Terrestrial Coarse-filter Conservation Goals
Terrestrial Ecosystem Targets Current Extent (ha) Goals
Dry Forest Fairly Dry Forest Mesic Forest Wet Forest on Alluvium Very Wet Forest Montane Cloud Forest Montane Summit Savanna Non-mangrove Wetlands Mangrove Wetlands lt 20,000 90
Dry Forest Fairly Dry Forest Mesic Forest Wet Forest on Alluvium Very Wet Forest Montane Cloud Forest Montane Summit Savanna Non-mangrove Wetlands Mangrove Wetlands 20,000 75,000 80
Dry Forest Fairly Dry Forest Mesic Forest Wet Forest on Alluvium Very Wet Forest Montane Cloud Forest Montane Summit Savanna Non-mangrove Wetlands Mangrove Wetlands 75,000 100,000 60
Dry Forest Fairly Dry Forest Mesic Forest Wet Forest on Alluvium Very Wet Forest Montane Cloud Forest Montane Summit Savanna Non-mangrove Wetlands Mangrove Wetlands gt100,000 40
Inshore cays NA NA
Offshore cays NA NA
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Terrestrial Fine-filter Conservation Goals
Terrestrial Conservation Targets Goals
Endemic Cave Bats 50
Threatened Parrots 50
Threatened Frogs 50 100 depending on species
Threatened Reptiles 50 100 depending on species
Jamaican Hutia NA
Giant Swallowtail Butterfly 50
West Indian Whistling Duck 50
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Freshwater Conservation Goals
Freshwater Conservation Targets Total Goals
Streams 0 100 Km 50
Streams 100 500 Km 25
Streams 500 1000 Km 15
Streams gt 1000 Km 10
Lake/Ponds 845 ha 25
Eastern Wetlands 221 ha 50
Western Wetlands 12,894 ha 25
Eastern Springs 109 10
Western Springs 417 10
Eastern Caves 9 50
Western Caves 214 10
Fine-filter (species-based) Targets NA 50
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Conservation Gaps?

• Representation Gaps How much of critical
  biodiversity is protected?
• Ecological Gaps Is that which is protected
  ecologically healthy?
• Management Gaps Is that which is protected
  under effective management?

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Marine Gaps
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Terrestrial Coarse-Filter Gaps
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Terrestrial Fine-Filter Gaps
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Freshwater Gaps
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Management Gaps

• Management Objectives harmonization and
  standardization of protected areas framework
• Governance Models evaluation of co-management
  agreements and performance of management regimes
• Management Effectiveness and Performance
  enabling environment for protected areas starting
  at the policy system level (funding, empowerment,
  resources, capacity building)

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Management Objectives
International (IUCN) Protected Area Categories Government Stakeholder Subsumed Jamaica Protected Area Categories Non-Governmental Organization Stakeholder Subsumed Jamaica Protected Area Categories
Category I Strict Nature Reserve/Wilderness Area IA Strict Nature Reserve Forest Reserve (strict conservation) Forest Reserve
IB Wilderness Area -- --
Category II National Park National Park (recreational focus) National Park
Category II National Park Marine Park (limited use) Marine Park (Negril)
Category II National Park Forest Reserve (recreational focus) Forest Reserve
Category III National Monument Shared by Categories III and IV Tree Preservation Area Protected National Monument Protected National Heritage Protected Cultural and Historical Assets (proposed) Protected National Monument (natural elements)
Category IV Habitat/Species Management Area Shared by Categories III and IV Tree Preservation Area Protected National Monument Protected National Heritage Protected Cultural and Historical Assets (proposed)
Category IV Habitat/Species Management Area Forest Reserve (restoration) Fish Sanctuary
Category IV Habitat/Species Management Area Marine Protected Area Forest Reserve
Category IV Habitat/Species Management Area Fish Sanctuary Morant and Pedro Cays
Category IV Habitat/Species Management Area Game Sanctuary/Reserve
Category V Protected Landscape or Seascape -- Environment Protection Act (human use)
Category V Protected Landscape or Seascape -- Forest Management Area (proposed)
Category VI Managed Resource Protected Area National Park (traditional use of resources) National Park (sustainable use of resources)
Category VI Managed Resource Protected Area Marine Park (fishing use) Marine Park /Marine Protected Area
Category VI Managed Resource Protected Area Environmental Protected Area (only for Negril) Environmental Protection Area (resource use)
Category VI Managed Resource Protected Area Morant and Pedro Cays Morant and Pedro Cays (resource species)
Category VI Managed Resource Protected Area Forest Management Area (proposed) Forest Management Area (proposed)
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Marine Portfolio
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Terrestrial Portfolio
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Freshwater Portfolio
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Integrated Conservation Areas Portfolio
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Integrated Conservation Areas Portfolio

• Complementarity
• Connectivity
• Functionality

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Strategies for Jamaicas Protected Areas System

• Review and finalize the proposed conservation
  area portfolio (addressing fragmentation,
  degradation, current and potential threats,
  biodiversity needs)
• Strengthen the protected area status of existing
  sites (Black River, Cockpit Country, Portland
  Bight and Negril)
• Re-classification of existing protected areas
  into a harmonized and standardized system
• Improved threat abatement actions
• Improved guidelines for sustainable use of
  biodiversity

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Strategies for Protected Areas Policy

• Revise the Policy framework based on clear roles
  and responsibilities
• Adopt a holistic portfolio approach to management
• Implement the proposed conservation area
  portfolio
• Harmonize Jamaicas protected area management
  categories and standardize their application at
  the national scale
• Strengthen the collaborative management mechanism
• Standardize monitoring protocols and protected
  area reporting
• Develop a national scale resource and sustainable
  funding plan
• Develop specific mechanisms and venues for
  dialogues with civil society

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Strategies for Protected Areas Capacity

• Develop institutional capacity building measures
  for protected area managers
• Develop technical capacity building measures for
  protected area managers
• Develop outreach capacities for protected area
  managers
• Establish mechanisms for capacity building such
  as a Conservation Mentorship program

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Key Areas of Research

• Ecosystem Connectivity
• Resource stock assessment
• Biological needs of resources
• Restoration
• Ecological services of ecosystems
• Threats

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Key Messages

• Conservation and Development are like an old
  married couple they may not always like each
  other but neither can do without the other
• Holistic Management says you cant drive a car
  backwards its definitely better to see where
  you are going!
• Policies that Work should keep the wells from
  running dry You aint gonna miss your water
  until your wells run dry.

- Bob Marley
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Key Messages
Don't gain the world and lose your soul, wisdom
is better than silver or gold... Bob Marley