An Analysis of Issues Affecting the Management of Coral Reefs and the Associated Capacity Building Needs in Puerto Rico MAY 2013 Puerto Rico Capacity Assessment SUSTAINAMETRIX : PDF LOGOS PDF files for word processing documents American Samoa Capacity Assessment sm_logo_medium.pdf* sm_logo_large.pdf sm_logo_xlarge.pdf sm_logo_xlarge_bw.pdf** *STATIONERY SIZE sustainaMEtRix sustainaMEtRix sustainaMEtRix sm_logo_horiz_small.pdf* sm_logo_horiz_medium.pdf sustainaMEtRix sm_logo_horiz_large.pdf sm_logo_horiz_xlarge.pdf sm_logo_horiz_xlarge_bw.pdf** sustainaMEtRix *RECOMMENDED SIZE FOR HEADERS sustainaMEtRix sustainaMEtRix sm_trisk_xsmall.pf sm_trisk_small.pdf sm_trisk_medium.pdf sm_trisk_large.pdf sm_trisk_xlarge.pdf sm_trisk_xlarge_bw.pdf** **BLACK&WHITE LOGOS (NOT SHOWN) SUSTAINAMETRIX : PDF LOGOS PDF files for word processing documents sm_logo_medium.pdf* sm_logo_large.pdf sm_logo_xlarge.pdf sm_logo_xlarge_bw.pdf** *STATIONERY SIZE sustainaMEtRix sustainaMEtRix sustainaMEtRix sm_logo_horiz_small.pdf* sm_logo_horiz_medium.pdf sustainaMEtRix sm_logo_horiz_large.pdf sm_logo_horiz_xlarge.pdf sm_logo_horiz_xlarge_bw.pdf** sustainaMEtRix *RECOMMENDED SIZE FOR HEADERS sustainaMEtRix sustainaMEtRix Governance Response to Ecosystem Change Defining Features of Governance negotiations, the reserve designation improved the climate for the treaty !e long term trends in the resources and human activity in the Upper Gulf and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization between 1950 and 2005 have all been in the wrong direction for effective (UNESCO) designated over 3 million acres (12,000 km²) of the Upper ecosystem based management and for the protection of the vaquita. Gulf of California and the Colorado River Delta as a Biosphere Reserve. Within this 3 million acres, over 1 million acres (4,000 km²) nearest the Colorado River Delta are designated as the Reserve “core area”, with For decades SEMERNAT andsm_trisk_xsmall.pf CONAPESCA have often been in open conflict based on differences in philosophy and their approach to fisheries the remaining 2 million acres (8,000 km²) of open water and shoreline and the vaquita issue have beensm_trisk_small.pdf at the root of a dysfunctional governance designated as a “buffer area.” Federal Mexican governmental agencies with sm_trisk_medium.pdfsystem in the Upper Gulf. "e in- administrative authority over the Biosphere Reserve include the National Commission of Protected Natural Areas (CONAMP) and the Secretary sm_trisk_large.pdfstitutional and legal framework has tolerated corruption and inefficiency, of the Environment, Natural Resources and Fisheries (SEMARNAT). sm_trisk_xlarge.pdfwhile breeding resentment and con- Concern over protection of the vaquita continued and a Vaquita Refuge sm_trisk_xlarge_bw.pdf**flict. In the Upper Gulf, competi- was established in 2006 in which fishing activities are subject to regulations tion and conflict has at times been aimed at reducing the use of gill nets and decreasing the by-catch of the **BLACK&WHITEintense among LOGOS agencies (NOT of SHO governWN)- industrial trawlers. Beginning in 2005, international conservation NGOs ment serving diAnfferent constituenAnalysis- have ofthreatened Issues boycotts of the seafood harvested from the Upper Gulf to cies and interests – particularly the force actions designed to protect the vaquita. environmental agency (SEMER- NAT) and the fisheries authorityAffecting (CONAPESCA). Upperthe Gulf Management fishermen Current Structure of Coral Reefs have periodically resorted to demonstrations, highway blockages and other "e Upper Gulf is currently divided means to protest and demandand the cancelationthe Associated of governmental actions that Capacity into four subareas, Buildingeach of which has Needs they see as unacceptable threats to their livelihoods and their values. "e its own administrative structure with once prized and lucrative totoaba fishery collapsed in the late 1950sin duePuerto to distinct Rico objectives and rules. "e over exploitation. During a research congress held in Hermosillo in 1988 four management regimes are; a proposal was made to the federal Fisheries agency that the Upper Gulf "e Upper Gulf of California and should be closed to fishing and that an education campaign be launchedPREPARED in River FOR: Colorado Delta Biosphere the hope that the two actions would save the totoaba from extinction. Yet Reserve created in 1993 as a multi the fisheries agencyCoral had noReef intention Management of closing off Network one of the nation’s in Puerto rich- Ricouse & Reserve NOAA’s in which Coral the vaquita Reef Conservation Program est fishing grounds given the economic, social and political consequences would be protected. Administered by the federal National Commission of of such an action. Protected Areas (CONANAP) which is part of SEMARNAT. PREPARED"e Vaquita BY: Refuge created in 2006 that is now recognized as includ- Biosphere Reserve ing only a portion of the vaquita’s range. "e refuge, created for wildlife Concerns for the vaquita and shrimp trawling interactionGlenn increasedG. Page, and President/CEO, protection, wasSustainaMetrix formed by an internal agreement in SEMARNAT and is prompted the delineation of a reserve inStephen the Upper B. Gulf Olsen, to include Director the Emeritus,administered Coastal by CONANP Resources in particular Center by the staff of "e Upper Gulf of Colorado River Delta. In in June 1993, Mexican president Carlos Salinas California and Colorado River Delta Biosphere Reserve. de Gortari established the Biosphere ReserveDavid in the northernNemerson, gulf as Chiefa po- Science"e Upper Officer, Gulf Fisheries SustainaMetrix Reserve where fishing activity is severely restrict- litical move to facilitate negotiations for the approval of the North Ameri- ed which is the “Core Zone” of the Upper Gulf of California and Colorado can Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).Audrey While Swanenberg,not part of direct EcosystemNAFTA GovernanceRiver Delta Biosphere Analyst, Reserve. SustainaMetrix "e approximately half of the Upper Gulf that is not included within Taylor Maddalene, Ecosystemeither Governance, of the three management SustainaMetrix areas. With advice, input and guidance by the members of the Puerto Rico Jurisdictional Capacity Assessment Team: Damaris Delgado, Ernesto Díaz, Raimundo Espinoza, Edwin Hernández, Nilda Jiménez, Craig Lilyestrom, Álida Ortiz, Antares Ramos, and Tauna Rankin 4 sustainaMEtRix JHU @ Eastern, 1101 E 33rd St, Suite E301, Baltimore, MD 21218 | Phone: (443) 451-7211 or (443) 604-6812 | sustainametrix.com Table of Contents Acknowledgements 1 Summary of Major Findings and Recommendations 2 Table of Recommendations 6 Section One: Introduction 21 1.1 Scope and Purpose of this Assessment 21 1.2 Our Approach: Ecosystem-based Management 22 1.3 Our Approach: Adaptive Capacity 25 1.4 Additional Capacity Assessment Tools 26 Section Two: The Context for Coral Reef Management in Puerto Rico: Trends and Current Conditions 30 2.1 Major Drivers of Reef Condition 30 2.2 Recent Shifts in the Condition of Puerto Rico’s Reefs 32 2.3 Trends in the Societal Connection to, and Use of, Coral Reefs 33 2.4 The Governance Context for Coral Reef Management 34 Section Three: Process and Outcomes for Building Adaptive Capacity 38 3.1 Introduction 38 SUSTAINAMETRIX : PDF LOGOS 3.2 Status of Coral Reef Management in Terms of the Management Cycle 38 PDF files for word processing documents 3.3 Status of Coral Reef Management Using the Outcomes Framework 40 3.4 The Current Status of the 1st Order Enabling Conditions 42 sm_logo_medium.pdf* Section Four: Capacity Building Recommendations for More Effective Coral Reef sm_logo_large.pdf Management in Puerto Rico 44 sm_logo_xlarge.pdf sm_logo_xlarge_bw.pdf** 4.1 Scope of Available Financial Resources 44 *STATIONERY SIZE 4.2 Group 1 Recommendations: Politically Challenging Goals to Improve Formal Commitment to Coral Reef Conservation 45 4.3 Group 2 Recommendations: Using a Common Management Framework to Pursue sustainaEcosystem-basedMEtRix Management at Priority Sites 53 4.4 Group 3 Recommendations: Tractable Projects 63 Section Five: Developing a Strategy for Building Adaptive Capacity in Puerto Rico to sustainaMEtRix Improve Managementsustaina of Coral Reefs MEtRix 69 5.1 Short- and Long-term Capacity Building Strategies 69 sm_logo_horiz_small.pdf* sm_logo_horiz_medium.pdf sustainaMEtRix i sm_logo_horiz_large.pdf sm_logo_horiz_xlarge.pdf sm_logo_horiz_xlarge_bw.pdf** sustainaMEtRix *RECOMMENDED SIZE FOR HEADERS sustainaMEtRix sustainaMEtRix sm_trisk_xsmall.pf sm_trisk_small.pdf sm_trisk_medium.pdf sm_trisk_large.pdf sm_trisk_xlarge.pdf sm_trisk_xlarge_bw.pdf** **BLACK&WHITE LOGOS (NOT SHOWN) 5.2 Three Phases of the Assessment of Coral Reef Management Capacity 70 5.3 Key Considerations For Developing A Post-Assessment Action Plan 71 5.4 Grouping Recommendations 73 5.4 Principles of Building Adaptive Capacity 74 Literature Cited 77 Appendix A: Timeline 79 Appendix B: Glossary 86 Appendix C: For More Information 89 Appendix D: Interviews 92 Appendix E: Portfolio of Training Modules 94 Appendix F: Collaboration Evaluation and Improvement Framework (CEIF) for Improving High Quality Collaboration 96 SUSTAINAMETRIX : PDF LOGOS PDF files for word processing documents sm_logo_medium.pdf* sm_logo_large.pdf sm_logo_xlarge.pdf sm_logo_xlarge_bw.pdf** *STATIONERY SIZE sustainaMEtRix sustainaMEtRix sustainaMEtRix sm_logo_horiz_small.pdf* sm_logo_horiz_medium.pdf sustainaMEtRix ii sm_logo_horiz_large.pdf sm_logo_horiz_xlarge.pdf sm_logo_horiz_xlarge_bw.pdf**