Celebrating 25 Years of Action for Biodiversity

Saint Lucia has known successful species restorations, notably for the Saint Lucia parrot, the latanyé palm and the Saint Lucia whiptail lizard [ ] 192 Success of the Soufriere Marine and Piton Management Areas The Soufriere watershed and coastal region is located in an area that is very ecologically diverse and with an econ- omy predominantly based on agricul- ture, fishing, and tourism—now the main growth sector in Saint Lucia. In 1999, conflicts between tourism users and traditional users in the fishing and agriculture industries gave rise to the legal declaration of marine reserves and fishing priority areas, including the Soufriere Marine Management Area and the Piton Management Area (PMA). The sustainable development framework for Soufriere identified protected areas as a means for con- serving biodiversity and other natural, cultural and historical resources. More recent efforts to address these issues and conflicts have placed greater emphasis on increased community participation in development, and the establishment of a sound institutional framework, with initiatives such as the preparation of a land use plan for the Soufriere region, the establishment of a community-based organization known as the Soufriere Regional De- velopment Foundation and the estab- lishment of the Soufriere Marine Man- agement Area (SMMA). The inclusion of the PMA on the World Heritage List represents the culmination of these pioneering and innovative efforts. The SMMA management frame- work is fully participatory, comprising a board and stakeholder committee, a key functional mechanism in the management of the SMMA demon- strating a prototype for public-pri- vate sector partnerships in natural resource management, particularly at community level. The stakehold- er committee demonstrates how co-management can assist in promot- ing regulatory legitimacy and compli- ance in light of limited resources for monitoring and enforcement. The achievements of this manage- ment response have been numerous, including the co-existence of users with minimal conflict; a general increase in fish stocks in marine reserves and fishing areas and a reflection of these increases in fish- ermen’s catches; self-sustainability with regards to operating costs; in- ternational recognition; community support; and an enhanced awareness in resource users. A number of lessons have been gained from this management re- sponse. Notably, that the adoption of an ecosystems approach requires a consultative and participatory process of resource management. This has led to the enhanced co-existence of users in a shared coastal zone, and increased commitment to the con- servation, sustainable use and more equitable sharing of benefits from the use of resources of the SMMA. Furthermore, involvement of commu- nity members and resource users has helped to increase ownership for the SMMA initiative, through the direct involvement of resource users in man- agement and has provided the forum for open and continuous communica- tion and information exchange. S aint Lucia is a small volcanic island located within the Lesser Antillean Arc of the Caribbean Archipelago. The country is characterized by steep, rugged landscapes with deep valleys and fast flowing rivers. Surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, the island’s coastlines, particularly the east coast, are deeply indented by near-vertical cliffs with a number of narrow sandy beaches. The island’s tropical location has endowed it with a number of habitats, and rich terrestrial and marine biodiversity. Some of these biological resources are endemic to the country — more than 200 species occur nowhere else, including 7 per cent of the resident birds and 53 per cent of the reptiles. St. Lucia Catherine Edmund St. Lucia