Caye Caulker Forest and Marine Reserve
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Caye Caulker Forest and Marine Reserve- Integrated Management Plan 2004-2009 *** Prepared For Belize Coastal Zone Management Institute/Authority and Belize Fisheries Department By Ellen M McRae, Consultant, CZMA/I ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 7 LIST OF TABLES 8 LIST OF MAPS 9 LIST OF ACRONYMS 10 1. INTRODUCTION 12 1.1 BACKGROUND INFORMATION 12 1.1.1 Habitat Suitability—Rationale for Area’s Selection 12 1.1.2 History of Caye Caulker’s Protected Areas 14 1.1.3 Current Status 15 1.1.4 Legislative Authority 15 1.1.5 Context 17 1.2 GENERAL INFORMATION 17 1.2.1 Purpose and Scope of Plan 17 1.2.2 Location 18 1.2.3 Access 19 1.2.4 Land Tenure and Seabed Use 19 1.2.5 Graphic Representation 20 1.2.5.1 Mapping 20 1.2.5.2 Aerial Photographic and Satellite Imagery 20 1.2.5.3 Other Remote Imagery 21 2 PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT 21 2.1 GEOLOGY, SUBSTRATE AND BATHYMETRY 21 2.2 HYDROLOGY 22 2.3 TIDES AND CURRENTS 23 2.4 WATER QUALITY 23 2.4.1 Seawater 23 2.4.2 Groundwater and Surface Waters on the Caye 24 2.5 CLIMATE AND WEATHER 25 2.5.1 General Climate Regime 26 2.5.2 Rainfall 26 2.5.3 Extreme Weather Events 26 3 BIOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT 29 3.1 EMERGENT SYSTEMS 29 3.1.1 Littoral Forest 29 3.1.1.1 Flora 31 3.1.1.2 Fauna 33 3.1.1.3 Commercially Harvested Species 36 3.1.1.4 Rare, Threatened and Endangered Species 37 3.1.1.5 Threats to Systems 38 3.1.2 Mangroves 39 3.1.2.1 Flora 40 3.1.2.2 Fauna 40 3.1.2.3 Commercially Harvested Species 42 3.1.2.4 Rare, Threatened and Endangered Species 43 3.1.2.5 Threats to System 44 3.2 SUBMERGED SYSTEMS 45 3.2.1 Seagrass and Other Lagoon Systems 45 3.2.1.1 Flora 45 3.2.1.2 Fauna 45 3.2.1.3 Commercially Harvested Species 47 3.2.1.4 Rare, Threatened and Endangered Species 48 3.2.1.5 Threats to system 49 3.2.2 Coral Reef Systems 52 3.2.2.1 Flora 54 3.2.2.2 Fauna 54 3.2.2.3 Commercially Harvested Species 56 3.2.2.4 Rare, Threatened and Endangered Species 57 3.2.2.5 Threats to system 57 4 SOCIOECONOMIC FRAMEWORK AND EXISTING USES 60 4.1 THE COMMUNITY OF CAYE CAULKER 60 4.1.1 Overview of Settlement and History 60 4.1.2 Current Ethnicity and Community Makeup 61 4.2 OCCUPATION AND LIVELIHOOD; CURRENT USE 61 4.2.1 Tourism 61 4.2.1.1 SCUBA 62 4.2.1.2 Snorkeling 62 4.2.1.3 Sportfishing 63 4.2.1.4 Natural History 64 4.2.2 Commercial Fishing 65 4.2.2.1 Spiny Lobster Trap Fishery 65 4.2.2.2 Diving Fishery-Mixed Species 66 4.2.2.3 Hook and Line Fishery 67 4.2.2.4 Bait Fishery 67 4.2.3 Environmental Monitoring and Research 67 4.2.3.1 Scientific Research 68 4.2.3.2 Monitoring 68 4.2.3.3 Undergraduate Research Projects 69 4.2.4 Education 69 4.2.5 Forestry and Agriculture 70 5 CONSTRAINTS, OBSTACLES AND MANAGEMENT DIFFICULTIES, CURRENT AND POTENTIAL 70 5.1 OVERALL 70 5.1.1 Infrastructure Deficiency 71 5.1.2 Financing 71 5.1.3 Staffing 72 5.1.4 Co-management Situation 73 5.1.5 Community Awareness 73 5.2 FOREST RESERVE 74 5.2.1 Current problems 74 5.2.2 Potential impacts: 75 5.3 MARINE RESERVE 76 5.3.1 Current Problems and Constraints for CCMR 76 5.3.2 Potential Problems and Constraints for CCMR 78 6 MANAGEMENT PLAN-GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS AND FRAMEWORK 78 6.1 Responsible Parties 78 6.2 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES 79 6.3 DEMARCATION OF PERIMETER 80 6.4 ZONING PLAN AND REGULATIONS 82 6.4.1 Description of Zone Boundaries 82 6.4.2 Buffer Zones 86 6.4.3 General Rules of the Marine Reserve 88 6.4.4 Preservation Zone (Core) 89 6.4.5 Conservation 1 – Limited Visitation 89 6.4.6 Limited Extraction 89 6.4.7 Conservation 2 – (Shark/Ray Site) 90 6.4.8 General Use Zones 90 6.4.9 General Use of Forest Reserve 91 6.4.10 Template Laws and Suggested Penalties 91 6.4.11 Expansion and Reclassification 92 6.4.12 Mapping Revisions 96 6.5 MONITORING AND RESEARCH 96 6.5.1 Marine Reserve 96 6.5.1.1 Monitoring 96 6.5.1.2 Research 98 6.5.2 Forest Reserve 98 6.5.2.1 Restoration 98 6.5.2.2 Monitoring 99 6.5.2.3 Research and Monitoring 99 6.5.3 Socioeconomic Data and Resource Use 100 6.5.4 Management Effectiveness 101 6.5.4.1 Monitoring 101 6.5.4.2 Evaluation Matrix 101 6.6 SURVEILLANCE AND ENFORCEMENT 102 6.6.1 Forest Reserve 103 6.6.2 Marine Reserve 104 6.6.3 Marine Buffer Zone (Waterborne Impacts) 104 6.6.4 Monitoring Potential Development 105 6.7 INTERPRETATION AND EDUCATION 105 6.7.1 Need For Presence of CCFR/MR within the Community 106 6.7.2 Trail System and Watchtower 106 6.7.3 CCF/MR Headquarters/Station 107 6.7.4 Interpretive Materials 107 6.7.5 Community Outreach 108 6.7.5.1 Decision Makers 108 6.7.5.2 Tourguide Training 108 6.7.5.3 Youth/ School 108 6.7.5.4 Community/Tourist Programmes 109 6.7.6 Museum Displays 109 6.7.7 Participation of Co-Management Group 109 6.8 ADMINISTRATION AND MAINTENANCE 110 6.8.1 Organisational Structure 110 6.8.2 Staffing and Volunteers 111 6.8.3 Training, Seminars and Workshops 111 6.8.4 Infrastructure 112 6.8.4.1 Forest Reserve 112 6.8.4.2 Marine Reserve 114 6.8.4.3 Headquarters/Research Station 115 6.8.4.4 Village Office/Fishermen’s Museum 116 6.8.4.5 Boats 117 6.8.4.6 Equipment for Research and Monitoring 118 7 FINANCIAL SCENARIO 118 7.1 Current Situation 118 7.1.1 Forest Reserve 119 7.1.2 Marine Reserve 119 7.1.3 Earning Potential 120 7.2 Sustainability Plan 120 7.2.1 Sales of CCFR/MR-related items. 120 7.2.2 Design of itineraries based around CCFR/MR 121 7.2.3 Simple research and maintenance activities with tourists 121 7.2.4 Visiting Researchers 121 7.2.5 Student groups 121 7.2.6 Video programmes 122 7.2.7 Partnerships 122 7.2.8 Website 122 7.2.9 Lectures by Staff and Others Directed at Tourists 122 7.3 Statement of Financial Need and Budget Presentation 122 7.3.1 Forest Reserve 123 7.3.2 Marine Reserve 125 7.3.3 Headquarters/Research Station 126 7.3.5 Education 129 7.3.6 Boats 130 7.3.7 Research Equipment/Items 131 7.3.8 Sustainability 132 7.3.9 Personnel 133 8 IMPLEMENTATION 134 9 REFERENCES 136 Cover photos © Ellen McRae 2004. Top: L- Pillar Coral (Dendrogyra cylindricus); R-Great Egret (Ardea albus) Bottom: L-Beach Morning Glory (Ipomoea pes-caprae); R-Baitfishing with castnet Acknowledgements The author wishes to express gratitude for the following, without whom this document would have been far more difficult to prepare: The authors of the progenitor documents, including Andrea Parham of the BFD (1996) and PCV Amanda French (2002); CCFR/MR staff, who cooperated closely; Active members of FAMRACC, working to keep co-management alive; Members of the Siwa-ban Foundation, for fast work in contributing to emergency needs of the Pas (sandfly netting, perimeter buoy anchors, support); Persons from the Caye Caulker Tourguide Association for volunteering time and energy to assist with duties such as surveying, mooring anchor installation attempts; Various agencies and individuals for data input regarding aspects of the area’s history and environment, including: National Meteorological Service; Fisheries Department; Forestry Department; Lands Department; Pesticides Control Board; Department of the Environment; Hol Chan Marine Reserve; Belize Tourist Board; Caye Caulker Tourguide Association; Caye Caulker Watertaxi Association; Belize Audubon Society; Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System Project; Caye Caulker RC School Dr. Ed Burkett, marine ecologist; Bryce Kendrick, mycologist; Members of my family, whose patience abounded while I was buried in the document; particularly my husband Orlando, who keeps teaching generations of Reserve staff and volunteers how to prepare buoy lines by eyesplicing; this also includes my brother-in- law and sister, without whose computer expertise in the face of frustrating incompatibilities the final version of the document would have been slower yet; Arthur and Barbara Dilucchio, without whose computer knowledge this final document could not have materialised. And most of all to the people of Caye Caulker, who have acted on their belief that their children, grandchildren and beyond have a right to the resources receiving protection within CCFR/MR. List of Tables 1. Mean range values of 4 water quality stations……………………...23 2.Salinity at various water depths at Caye Caulker………………….. 24 3. Nutrient levels before and after heavy rainfall………………..……..25 4. Water quality in selected Caye Caulker locations…………………..……..25 5. Hurricanes affecting Caye Caulker within the past 50 years.……..27 6. Successional stages of littoral vegetation……………………..……..31 7. Essential fruit-bearing plants of littoral forest and thicket….……..33 8.