CRITICAL ASPECTS OF PROTECTED AREAS GOVERNANCE: ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES

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CRITICAL ASPECTS OF PROTECTED AREAS
GOVERNANCEST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES

• Brian R. Johnson

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Governance Situation

• A single comprehensive system of protected areas
  do not yet exist in St. Vincent and the
  Grenadines
• Several categories of Protected Areas, however,
  have been provided for and designated in separate
  pieces of legislation which are administered by
  separate an autonomous agencies

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The St. Vincent and the Grenadines National Trust

• Responsible for conserving the tangible natural
  and cultural heritage of the country.
• Legal Mandate St. Vincent and the Grenadines
  National Trust Act, chapter 329, 1969.
• It works as a Statutory Body under the Ministry
  of Urban Development, Culture, Labour an
  Electoral Matters.
• The Trust was dormant for a while and is
  presently trying to revitalize itself.

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The Fisheries Division

• Falls within the Ministry of Agriculture,
  Forestry and Fisheries.
• The Chief Fisheries Officer reports to the Chief
  Agricultural Officer
• Legal Mandate Fisheries Act No.8, 1986.
• The Division manages fisheries in the territorial
  waters of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
• Also responsible for implementing the following
  legislation
• The Maritime Areas act No.15, 1983
• The Fisheries Regulations (SRO) No.1, 1987.
• The Fish Processing Regulations of 2001
• The High Seas Fishing Act of 2001

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The Fisheries Division (contd)

• The legislation provides for the declaration of
  Fishing Priority Areas, Marine Reserves, and the
  regulation of research and other use activities.
• Provision is also made for the responsible
  Minister to establish a Fisheries Advisory
  Committee.
• Also responsible for the implementation of the
  Marine Parks Act No. 9 of 1997. This Act was
  passed to enable the declaration of the Tobago
  Cays Marine Park.

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The Forestry Department

• Also falls within the Ministry of Agriculture,
  Forestry and Fisheries.
• The Director of Forestry reports directly to the
  Permanent Secretary.
• Legal Mandate to protect, conserve and develop
  the forest and wildlife resources.

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The Forestry Department

• It operates under the Forest Resources
  Conservation Act No. 47 of 1992 and the Wildlife
  Protection Act No. 16 of 1987.
• Provision is made for the establishment of
• a Wildlife Conservation Advisory Authority,
• a Wildlife Conservation Fund,
• Wildlife Reserves,
• Forest Reserves,
• Cooperative Forests,
• Conservation Areas Conservation Councils for
  specific sites,
• a Forestry Development Fund and,
• a Conservation Area Fund.

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National Parks, Rivers and Beaches Authority

• Was initiated at the beginning of 2002 under the
  National Parks Act No. 33 of 2002.
• It falls under the Ministry of Tourism, Youth
  and Sports.
• A three (3) year Tourism Development Project
  which will establish the National Parks Authority
  fully and the system of National Parks is
  expected to commence by February, 2007.

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National Parks, Rivers and Beaches Authority

• The primary responsibilities of the Authority
  when established will be to
• preserve, manage, protect and develop the
  natural and cultural heritage of St. Vincent and
  the Grenadines, including the historical and
  cultural heritage of the country.
• It also has the mandate to establish National
  Parks,
• operate facilities for national enjoyment and
  tourists,
• promote and advance conservation,
• educate the public,
• regulate activities in National Parks and buffer
  zones, and to
• undertake restorative measures in marine areas.

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The Physical Planning Unit

• Falls within the Ministry of Finance and Planning
• Legal Mandatethe Town and Country Planning Act
  No. 45 of 1992, through a Physical Planning and
  Development Board.
• The Physical Planning Unit oversees and regulates
  development in the county and plays a major role
  in allocating lands for Protected Areas.

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Central Water and Sewerage Authority

•  
• A Statutory Body
• Legal Mandate operating under the Central Water
  and Sewerage Authority Act No. 17 of 1991.
• Responsibilities
• the conservation, use, an apportionment of the
  water resources of the country.
• It can establish protected areas for the
  preservation of water supplies.
• Existing understanding between the Authority and
  the Forestry Department
• Forestry would manage the watershed resources
  which feed the water sources
• CWSA would concentrate on harnessing and
  distribution of the water.

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Other Agencies

• Ministry of Finance and Planning
• responsible for the approval of capital projects
  and recurrent expenditure and the allocation of
  funds for implementation.
• The St. Vincent Electricity Services Limited
  (VINLEC)
• empowered by law to utilize rivers for
  electricity generation.
• The Ministry of Health and the Environment
• plays an environmental coordinating role through
  its Environmental Services Unit.
• focal point for the conservation on Biological
  Diversity (CBD), the United Nations Framework
  Convention on climate change combating
  Desertification (UNCCD).

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Other Agencies

• Cabinet had set up a National Environmental
  Advisory Board (NEAB) in the Ministry of Health
  and the Environment to
• assist the Environmental Services Unit in
  coordinating Environmental Management in the
  country.
• In 2005, the Government of St. Vincent and the
  Grenadines signed a Memorandum of Agreement with
  the Nature Conservancy, the University of the
  West Indies and Rare Center for Tropical
  Conservation to collaborate in implementing a
  Program of Work for Protected Areas in St.
  Vincent and the Grenadines.

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Governance Goals

• Process for the establishment of a defined and
  operational system of Protected Areas in St.
  Vincent and the Grenadines has started.
• This hopefully will address
• improved coordination among stakeholders
• Defragmented legislation an administrative
  responsibility.
• Common goals and principles among sectors
• Sustainability of use
• Conservation
• Research
• Education
• Alternative livelihoods
• Employment

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Governance Goals

• Desirable changes in Protected area Governance
  (articulated through a stakeholders workshop)
• A clearly articulated policy on Protected Areas
• A functioning resource management system
• A well-informed public who is aware of the
  significance of Protected Areas.
• Coordination
• Greater community involvement
• Vastly improved monitoring a research
• Cost-recovery
• Standards (e.g. branding).

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Design Principles for a Modified Institutional
Structure

• A To be relevant, effective, and cost-effective
  in a resource constrained environment (human and
  financial) the following are taken as the design
  principles for a new and modified framework for
  Protected Area System in St. Vincent and the
  Grenadines
• Retention of Responsibilities
• Non-Duplication
• Capacity Building
• Collaboration and Partnership
• Optimum Revenue Generation.

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Design Principles for a Modified Institutional
Structure

• These principles should be used not only to
  design a modified structure but also to evaluate
  performance over time.
• The need for a coordinating mechanism has been
  brought more and more into focus in recent times.
  Thus the resuscitating of NEAB
• The two initiatives already mentioned
• the Tourism Development Project and
• the Collaborative Agreement between Government an
  the nature Conservancy and the other partners
• are expected to have high impact

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SWOT Analysis

• Strengths
• Political support and initiative
• Memorandum of Understanding with TNC etc. re
• Protected Areas Management.
• Some trained, competent and talented officers
• Some organisations have knowledge, experience and
  expertise.
• Supporting legislations and organizational
  resources dedicated to protected Areas Management.

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SWOT Analysis

• Weaknesses
• A shortage of human resources
• Overlapping legal mandates
• Lack/limited coordinating mechanisms
• Absence of policy or effective mechanisms to
  raise funds for resource, protected area and
  heritage sites management
• Fragmentation of responsibilities among several
  Organizations

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SWOT Analysis

• Opportunities
• Local/visitor demand for services/products
  provided b y PAs.
• International Environmental organisations and
  NGOs are supportive of Protected Areas.
• Suitable human resource is available for training
  and capacity development.
• Initiatives like the MOU with TNC and the Tourism
  Development Project are excellent opportunities
  for the establishment and development of an
  effectively managed National Protected Area
  System.
• Climate Change may enhance ecosystem and species
  diversity as well as the attractiveness of the
  Protected Area.
• Benefits and services may be further diversified
  and increased.

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SWOT Analysis

• Threats
• Climate Change may pose threats to ecosystem,
  species and endanger their survival through
  change in temperature and/or rain fall patterns.
• Climate Change may precipitate/facilitate an
  increase in invasive species to the detriment of
  indigenous ones.
• Volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, etc. could have
  adverse effects on protected areas - short or
  long term.
• Sea level rise could affect coastal and marine
  areas.

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The End

• THANK YOU

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Training Analysis (cont)

• Training conducted for formal courses at the
  national level should be certified by a training
  institution perhaps a local person could be
  authorized to provided such certification. Such
  certification can upgrade the academic
  qualifications of staff members which can be
  important to allow for promotion as well as
  acceptance at training institutions.
• - Formalise training linkages between training
  institutions and national training
  departments / - Forestry Departments.
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• 5.      New staff are usually recruited at the
  Forest Guard (grade 2) and Forestry Officer 1
  (grade 3) levels. These are the two lowest
  positions within the organization.

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Training Analysis (cont)

• The requirements for the grade 3 position are
•  
•          Minimum of 5 GCE Olevels / CXC
  subjects including Maths, English and,
  preferably, Natural Science subjects
•  
•          Should be medically fit.
•  
• Forest Guards used to be recruited with much
  lower qualifications and still do to some extent
  but we have made attempts to take persons who
  have a better chance of accessing formal training
  at an institution. We have also made attempts to
  upgrade this position but have had to accept a
  policy of phasing it out over a period of time.
•  
• The major constraint to recruitment is the
  availability of staff position on the
  establishment. The Government is reluctant to
  provide new positions unless deemed to be
  absolutely necessary.
•  
•  
• 6. Approximately 1 dozen over the next 5-10
  years.\
•  
• 7. Training is required at all levels short
  term (specific) medium and long term general and
  specialized degree, diploma, certificate, short
  courses (regional / national), in-service.
•  
• Coordinated research is important at both
  regional and national scales.
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Training Analysis (cont)

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• Provide for the exchange of professionals and
  exchange between Forestry organsiations in the
  region. Such persons can be sent to countries on
  request or where needed.
•  
•          Such persons can be sent to countries
  on request or where needed.
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•          There should be concerted efforts to
  coordinate, collaborate and integrate such
  training effectively.
•  
•          There should be a specific focal point,
  especially where there are multiple training
  institutions
•  
•          Provision should be made for periodic
  re-assessment of training needs and requirements.
•  
•          International training needs and
  requirements as well as demand for trained
  persons should be interfaced and integrated.
•  
•          Training and education should be
  dynamic and responsive to changing needs in the
  region.
•  
•          It would be useful to have a system of
  evaluation of the trained person on return to
  his/her country or organization to monitor the
  effectiveness / usefulness or utilization of the
  training.
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Training Analysis (cont)

• There is no current formal linkage with any
  training institutions. However, there is
  informal linkages with ECIAF and UWI.
•  
• Individual officers have maintained linkages,
  with the institutions where they were
• trained, e.g ECIAF, Paul Smiths College in New
  York, Sir Sandford Fleming College in Ontario.
•