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Brazil Shelf LME (Sea Around Us 2006)

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Brazil Shelf LME (Sea Around Us 2006) Sustainable Management of the Shared Living Marine Resources of the Caribbean Sea Large Marine Ecosystem (CLME) and Adjacent Regions Caribbean Large Marine Ecosystem Regional Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis - DRAFT - May 2011 Table of contents 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................................................................................................... 8 2. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. 16 2.1. BACKGROUND TO THE CLME REGION ............................................................................ 16 2.1.1. Global and regional significance of the CLME .............................................................. 16 2.1.2. Purpose of the Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis ...................................................... 18 2.2. STRUCTURE OF REGIONAL TDA ...................................................................................... 19 3. METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................................. 20 3.1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................ 20 3.2. SUMMARY OF THE PRELIMINARY TDA (2007) ................................................................ 20 3.3. APPROACH ADOPTED FOR THE CLME TDA .................................................................... 21 3.3.1. Background ..................................................................................................................... 21 3.3.2. Ecosystem approach to fisheries assessment and management ..................................... 21 3.4. GOVERNANCE AND STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS ................................................................. 24 3.5. IDENTIFICATION AND ANALYSIS OF TRANSBOUNDARY ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AND ROOT CAUSES ............................................................................................................................ 24 4. REGIONAL ANALYSIS ....................................................................................................... 26 4.1. CLME CLIMATE AND OCEANOGRAPHY ............................................................................ 26 4.2. CLME ECOLOGICAL FEATURES ....................................................................................... 27 4.3. SOCIO-ECONOMIC BACKGROUND ..................................................................................... 29 4.3.1. Fishing industry in the CLME ........................................................................................ 32 4.3.2. Aquaculture .................................................................................................................... 36 4.3.3. Tourism in the CLME region .......................................................................................... 37 4.3.4. Land-based coastal activities ......................................................................................... 38 4.3.5. Offshore energy operations ............................................................................................ 38 4.3.6. Marine transport operations........................................................................................... 38 4.4. GOVERNANCE ANALYSIS ................................................................................................. 40 4.4.1. Regional Governance ..................................................................................................... 40 4.4.2. Stakeholders in governance ............................................................................................ 44 5. THE CLME FISHERIES ECOSYSTEMS .......................................................................... 49 5.1. REEF ECOSYSTEM ............................................................................................................ 50 5.1.1. Introduction to the Reef Ecosystem ................................................................................ 50 5.1.2. Reef Ecosystem services ................................................................................................. 52 5.1.3. Description of the current reef fisheries ......................................................................... 54 5.1.4. Analysis of the Current Situation .................................................................................... 56 5.1.5. Governance in the Reef Fisheries Ecosystem ................................................................. 65 5.2. PELAGIC ECOSYSTEM ...................................................................................................... 66 5.2.1. Introduction to the Pelagic Ecosystem ........................................................................... 66 5.2.2. Pelagic ecosystem services ............................................................................................. 67 5.2.3. Description of the current pelagic fisheries ................................................................... 68 5.2.4. Analysis of the current issues ......................................................................................... 72 Page 1 5.2.5. Governance in the Pelagic Fisheries Ecosystem ............................................................ 79 5.3. CONTINENTAL SHELF ECOSYSTEM .................................................................................. 80 5.3.1. Introduction to the Continental Shelf Ecosystem ............................................................ 80 5.3.2. Services provided by coastal ecosystems in the CSE ...................................................... 83 5.3.3. Description of shrimp fisheries in Jamaica, Panama, Nicaragua and Belize ................ 85 5.3.4. Analysis of the current issues situation........................................................................... 85 5.3.5. Governance in the Continental Shelf Fisheries Ecosystem ............................................ 90 5.4. KNOWLEDGE GAPS IN THE CLME FISHERIES ECOSYSTEMS ............................................. 91 5.4.1. Unsustainable fisheries ................................................................................................... 91 5.4.2. Habitat degradation........................................................................................................ 92 5.4.3. Pollution ......................................................................................................................... 92 5.5. COMMON AND CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES AFFECTING THE CLME FISHERIES ECOSYSTEMS . 92 5.5.1. Synthesis of common issues ............................................................................................ 93 5.5.2. Cross-cutting issues ........................................................................................................ 95 6. ANALYSIS OF ROOT CAUSES OF CONCERNS AND ISSUES ................................... 98 6.1. KEY TRANSBOUNDARY ISSUE I: UNSUSTAINABLE FISHERIES ........................................ 101 6.2. KEY TRANSBOUNDARY ISSUE II: HABITAT DEGRADATION ............................................ 102 6.3. KEY TRANSBOUNDARY ISSUE III: POLLUTION ............................................................... 104 7. PRIORITY ACTIONS FOR THE STRATEGIC ACTION PROGRAMME ................ 106 7.1. CROSS-CUTTING GOVERNANCE ACTIONS ....................................................................... 106 7.1.1. Advances in ocean governance to be considered ......................................................... 108 7.2. POTENTIAL ACTIONS TO PROTECT REEF AND PELAGIC FISHERY ECOSYSTEM ................ 109 7.2.1. Unsustainable fisheries ................................................................................................. 109 7.2.2. Habitat degradation...................................................................................................... 109 7.2.3. Pollution ....................................................................................................................... 110 7.3. POTENTIAL ACTIONS TO PROTECT CONTINENTAL SHELF FISHERY ECOSYSTEM ............. 110 7.3.1. Unsustainable fisheries ................................................................................................. 111 7.3.2. Habitat degradation...................................................................................................... 112 7.3.3. Pollution ....................................................................................................................... 112 Annexes References / bibliography Page 2 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Selected socio-economic data for the CLME region: Total population, GDP/Capita, Human Development Index), contribution of fisheries and aquaculture to national GDP, and travel and tourism to national GDP of CLME countries ......................................... 30 Table 2. Socio-economic importance of the fisheries sector in CLME countries ........................ 34 Table 3. Aquaculture production (tonnes) in Central America ..................................................... 36 Table 4. Selected key institutional players in the CLME project area at the local, national, sub- regional/regional and international levels identified in the PDF-B phase of the project based on their potential role in CLME Project activities (Source: Parsram (2007) ....... 46 Table 5. Ecosystem services provided by coastal ecosystems ...................................................... 52 Table 6. Annual economic contribution (million US$) of ecosystem services
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