The Benefit of Portland Bight Fish Sanctuaries to the South Coast

Population

Stefano Chin

Jamaica is terribly affected by over fishing, especially the fishing villages on the south coast. The local Environmental organizations that are responsible such as the Caribbean Coastal Area Management Foundations (C-CAM) and others, through the establishment of Fish Sanctuaries and Specialized Fisheries Conservation Areas (SFCA), have taken a step forward to conserve and protect the Portland Bight Protected Area so that fishermen and consumers will benefit in the future.

Overview

The word ‘Sanctuary’ according to the Oxford English Mini Dictionary, means nature reserve.

“A Fish Sanctuary is a coastal area where no fishing is allowed so that fish (and other sea life) have a sea haven to breed and grow to increase the fish stock and keep it healthy.” (Breds - The Treasure Beach Foundation, 1998).

What Are Fish Sanctuaries?

http://c-fish.org/where-we-work/

Salt Harbour Fish Sanctuary

Galleon Harbour Fish Sanctuary

Three Bays Fish Sanctuary

http://www.breds.org/projects_ongoing.php?n=101

The Caribbean Coastal Area Management Foundations (C-CAM) operates in the Portland Bight Protected Area.

The following table displays the size and location of the Sanctuaries that C-FISH (Caribbean Fish Sanctuary Partnership Initiative) is currently supporting with grants.

SFCA(Specialized

Fishery Conservation

Areas)

Size (Km2)

Main Fishing Community Surrounding SFCA

Approximate Number of Fishers

Approximate Number of Inshore Fishers

Total Population of surrounding Communities

Galleon Harbour

17.14 Old Harbour Bay, Salt River, Mitchell Town, Hellshire, Rocky Point

 4,500 Unknown 10,500

Salt Harbour 12.03 Old Harbour Bay, Salt River, Mitchell Town, Hellshire, Rocky Point

4,500 Unknown 10,500

Three Bays 12.03 Old Harbour Bay, Salt River, Mitchell Town, Hellshire, Rocky Point

4,500 Unknown 10,500

http://c-fish.org/where-we-work/

“Created in 1999, this 1876-sq-km protected area comprises Jamaica’s largest natural reserve with 210 km of dry limestone forest and 83 sq km of wetlands as well as precious coral reefs” (Koss, 2008).

Its boundaries extend westward from the Kingston Harbour across St. Catherine and Clarendon parishes as far as Canoe Valley Wetland, on the border with Manchester parish.

According to Hatziolos, Looten, Fodor, World Bank, International Centre for Living Aquatic Resources Management (1998), the waters in the Portland Bight support about 4,000 fishers (25% of Jamaica’s fishers).

Portland Bight Protected Area(PBPA)

The Old Harbour Bay fishing community is situated in a flood plain and so is affected by flooding in the rainy season. The likely hood of a disaster occurring is also high, as it is a village of many wood shacks.

However, “this large fishing village, facing Portland Bight, 3 km south of Old Harbour, is the site of the south coast’s largest fish market” (Koss, 2008).

Portland Bight Protected Area(PBPA) Cont.

1. It gradually increase the fish population that is affected by over fishing and habitat degradation.

2. The quality of the catches will improve, both in terms of fish size and variety.

3. Due to the 'spill over' effect, adjacent marine areas benefit as excess fish from the reserve will migrate into these areas where fishing is allowed.

Benefits of the Portland Bight Fish Sanctuary to the South Coast

Photo taken from snapshot of the video Caribbean Fish Sanctuaries

A CARIBSAVE Partnership Production, 2010.

Photo taken from snapshot of the video Caribbean Fish Sanctuaries

A CARIBSAVE Partnership Production, 2010.

4. Nidia Chacon, the Manager for Cay Caulker Marine Reserve, which is a small island off the coast of Belize stated in an interview that “Marine Reserve is a management tool, a fishery tool for them (fishermen) to ensure that there will be more (fish) for the future” (Caribbean Fish Sanctuary video, 2010).

5. It forces fishermen to think about alternative ways of living and earning and to be creative.

6. Increased recreational and eco-tourism opportunities

Benefits of the Portland Bight Fish Sanctuary to the South Coast Cont.

“Biological goods(such as fish) and ecological services (such as nutrient cycling) generated from effectively managed MPAs can be thought of in financial terms, where the MPA is a ‘bank account’ that preserves the natural ‘capital’ that society depends on for the future........” (Pomeroy, Parksand Watson, 2004)

Sanctuaries provide a long term benefit

Fishermen have short term problem

What would you do to ensure that tourists visit the South Coast?

JUST FOR THOUGHT.......

Coral Reefs: Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainable Management.

Unless the South Coast is developed and attractions are introduced, then we won’t have tourist and then Community tourism and Eco-tourism will not work.

More Public Education for Fishermen

Eco-heritage trail

Mangrove tours

Salt marsh tour

Snorkeling tour

Picnic on the coral cays, etc.

A CARIBSAVE Partnership Production, 2010. Caribbean Fish Sanctuary Video.

Koss, R., 2008. Lonely Planet , Jamaica (Country Guide). http://books.google.com.jm/books?

id=9EpkpIshXsUC&pg=PA103&dq=Portland+Bight+Protected+Area+in+Jamaica&hl=en&sa=X&ei=HpToUZXrNYS69gTH14CAAw&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Portland%20Bight%20Protected%20Area%20in%20Jamaica&f=false

Breds - The Treasure Beach Foundation, 1998. WHAT IS A FISH SANCTUARY? From: http://www.breds.org/projects_ongoing.php?n=101

Reference

Pomeroy R., Parks J., and Watson L., 2004. How is your MPA doing? A Guidebook of Natural and Social Indicators for Evaluating Marine Protected Area Management Effectiveness. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.

Hatziolos M., Looten A., Fodor M., World Bank, International Centre for Living Aquatic Resources Management, 1998. Coral Reefs: Held at the World Bank, Washington, D.C., October 9-11, 1997 : proceedings of an associated event of the fifth annual World Bank Conference on Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Development: Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainable Management.

Reference Cont.