Management Success Data Report

January - December 2014

Island: Bonaire

Management: STINAPA Bonaire

Bonaire National Marine Park. Parks:

Washington Slagbaai National Park.

STINAPA Bonaire DCNA Management Success Data Report Jan – Dec 2014 Contents The Dutch Caribbean ...... v Conservation ...... v Park Management Organisations ...... vi Introduction ...... viii Project development ...... viii Purpose of this document ...... viii Project Update ...... viii The Island of Bonaire ...... xiii The Protected Areas of Bonaire ...... xiv The Context of the PAs of Bonaire ...... 15 Background ...... 15 Values ...... 17 Threat classification ...... 28 Objectives for the Year ...... 35 STINAPA Mission ...... 35 STINAPA Goals...... 35 Governance ...... 37 Board members ...... 37 Board operations ...... 37 Capacity ...... 38 Human resources ...... 38 Physical resources ...... 43 Legal resources ...... 44 Information sources ...... 46 Finances ...... 47 Operational Management ...... 49 Management ...... 51 Administration ...... 51 Income Generation ...... 51 Field Administration and Maintenance ...... 51 Education ...... 52 Outreach ...... 52 Monitoring - Research ...... 53 Law enforcement ...... 53 Advice ...... 54 Working with stakeholders ...... 54 Projects ...... 55 Appendix ...... 56 Glossary ...... 57 Threat classification ...... 58

October 2015 ii STINAPA Bonaire DCNA Management Success Data Report Jan – Dec 2014 Figures Figure 1 Location of the Dutch Caribbean Islands ...... v Figure 2 Dutch Caribbean Park Management Organisations ...... vi Figure 3 The main aspects of context, capacity and operational management that contribute to the working of a Park...... ix Figure 4 Features of Bonaire ...... xiii Figure 5 The main habitats found in Washington Slagbaai National Park ...... 17 Figure 6 The main habitats found in Bonaire National Marine Park ...... 17 Figure 7 IBAs of Bonaire ...... 19 Figure 8 Main threats facing Bonaire National Marine Park ...... 31 Figure 9 Threats facing Washington Slagbaai National Park ...... 33 Figure 10 Division of staff full time positions (FTP) between Management, Office and Field positions...... 38 Figure 11 Staff time division between Marine and Terrestrial work...... 39 Figure 12 Staff capacity; academic qualification and years of service...... 41 Figure 13 Balance sheet for STINAPA 2014...... 47 Figure 14 Income and Expenditure for STINAPA 2014...... 48 Figure 13 Division of STINAPA’s staff time between MPA and TPA (total 41,856 hours) ...... 49 Figure 14 BNMP staff time division (total 22,184 hours)...... 49 Figure 15 WSNP staff time division (total 19,672 hours)...... 50

Tables Table 1 Dutch Caribbean Park sizes ...... vii Table 2 Details of Bonaire National Marine Park ...... 15 Table 3 Details of Washington Slagbaai National Park ...... 16 Table 4 Ramsar sites on Bonaire...... 18 Table 5 IBA data for Bonaire ...... 19 Table 6 Species numbers of conservation importance on Bonaire...... 20 Table 7 Flagship species ...... 24 Table 8 Special interest habitats ...... 24 Table 9 Other environmental values ...... 25 Table 10 Economic values ...... 26 Table 11 Cultural, Recreational and historical values ...... 26 Table 12 Threat categories (IUCN Red List) ...... 28 Table 13 Details of threats facing Bonaire National Marine Park ...... 32 Table 14 Details of ‘threats’ facing Washington Slagbaai National Park ...... 34 Table 16 The STINAPA Bonaire Draft Action Plan for 2014 ...... 36 Table 16 The Board of STINAPA 2014 ...... 37 Table 18 STINAPA provisions for staff ...... 37 Table 18 Staff of STINAPA 2014 ...... 38 Table 20 Extra qualifications of staff (26 staff members)...... 40 Table 21 Staff capacity scoring method ...... 41 Table 21 Consultants and researchers used by STINAPA...... 42 Table 23 Physical resources available to STINAPA...... 43 Table 24 Aspects of Legal resourcing...... 44 Table 24 Guidelines...... 45 Table 25 Information available ...... 46 Table 26 Fees structure of STINAPA...... 48 Table 27 Representation by STINAPA staff members ...... 54 Table 29 STINAPA stakeholder relationships ...... 54

Boxes Box 1 Contextual aspects of PA management...... ix Box 2 Capacity aspects of PA management ...... x Box 4 Bonaire National Marine Park Statement of Significance ...... 17 Box 5 Washington Slagbaai National Park Statement of Significance ...... 17 Box 5 Terrestrial IUCN Red List species ...... 20 Box 6 Marine IUCN Red List species ...... 21 Box 8 Marine CITES listed species ...... 22 Box 9 Terrestrial CITES listed species ...... 22 Box 10 Endemic species ...... 23 Box 11 IUCN status of threats classification scheme ...... 29 Box 12 DCNA scale of threats classification scheme ...... 29 Box 13 IUCN / DCNA method of classifying main stresses caused by threats to PA’s ...... 29 Box 14 WWF method of classifying pressures and threats ...... 30 Box 15 Management by objectives ...... 35 Box 16 Working with stakeholders...... 54

October 2015 iii STINAPA Bonaire DCNA Management Success Data Report Jan – Dec 2014 Acronyms

AIS Automatic Identification System (for identifying the status and movements of registered marine vessels) AMFO Antilliaanse MedeFinancierings Organisatie AGOA French Antilles Marine Mammal Sanctuary BZK Dutch Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations CARMABI Caribbean Research and Management of Biodiversity Foundation CI Conservation International CIEE Council of International Education and Exchange CITES Convention for International Trade in Endangered Species CMM Commissie Marien Milieu CTB Curaçao Tourism Board DCNA Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance DROB/DROV Island Spatial Planning Department EEZ Exclusive Economic Zone EZ Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs FPNA Fundacion Parke Nacional Arikok GCFI Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute IMARES Dutch research institute connected to Wageningen University IAC Inter American Convention for the Conservation of Sea Turtles IUCN NL International Union for Nature Conservation, Netherlands JAZ Island Legal Department LVV Island Agriculture and Fisheries Department MPA Marine protected area NFSXM Nature Foundation St. Maarten NFWF National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, USA based funding organisation NIOZ Nederlands Instituut voor Onderzoek der Zee, research institute in the Netherlands NPL Nationale Postcode Lotterie – Dutch Postcode Lottery PA Protected area PBCF Prince Bernhard Culture Funds PBNF Prince Bernhard Nature Funds PMO Park Management Organisation SCF Saba Conservation Foundation SCSCB Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds SEMP St. Eustatius National Marine Park SSV Special Security Service STCB Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire STENAPA St. Eustatius National Parks Foundation STINAPA STINAPA Bonaire TCB Tourism Corporation Bonaire TNC The Nature Conservancy USA TPA Terrestrial protected area UNA University of the Netherlands Antilles, based on Curacao UNEP CAR United Nations Environment Programme – Caribbean Regional Office WIDECAST Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Network WTT World Turtle Trust, Hawaai USA WNF Wereld Natuur Fonds – World Wildlife Fund, Netherlands WWF World Wildlife Fund

October 2015 iv STINAPA Bonaire DCNA Management Success Data Report Jan – Dec 2014 The Dutch Caribbean With their population of less than 300,000 and land area of 80,000 hectares (200,000 acres), the Dutch Caribbean islands are remote, tiny and as a consequence easily overlooked. But their natural heritage is rich and diverse making them the ‘hotspot’ for biodiversity within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Dutch Caribbean boasts a range of unique, threatened and endangered habitats and species ranging from primary rainforest to magnificent coral reefs. The islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao alone are home to over 200 endemic species and subspecies, which live nowhere else in the world.

The six islands form two distinct groups which are not only separated by more than 900 kilometres (560 miles) of open water, but are also linguistically, culturally, geologically and ecologically divided.

The Windward Islands of Saba and St. Eustatius are volcanic in origin with lush vegetation ranging from seagrapes and aloe in the coastal areas to ferns and mountain mahogany trees at altitude. There are coral reef pinnacles, patch reef and fringing reef and St. Maarten also has numerous salt ponds and mangrove stands.

By contrast the Leeward Islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao have semi-arid vegetation consisting largely of cactus, acacia and other trees and plants that thrive in dry conditions. Bonaire and Curaçao are unique in being true oceanic islands as they are separated from South America by a deep-water trench. Aruba on the other hand was formerly part of the South American mainland. Bonaire’s reefs are considered some of healthiest in the Caribbean. All three islands have fringing coral reefs, seagrass and mangrove stands as well as extensive bays and saliñas.

Conservation Nature conservation is nothing new to the Dutch Caribbean. The first terrestrial protected area, or “park” in the Dutch Caribbean, was established over 40 years ago on Bonaire on the 9th of May 1969 and was followed in 1978 with the Christoffel Park on Curaçao and in 1979 by the creation of the first marine park in the Dutch Caribbean, the now famous Bonaire National Marine Park. Other islands quickly followed suit and the goal is to create at least one terrestrial and one marine park on each island in order to optimally protect and preserve the island’s natural heritage whilst allowing for wise and sustainable use of these resources, particularly by tourism.

Common constraints on Dutch Caribbean parks include limited and at times unreliable government support, lack of funding and poor spatial planning on the islands. The main threats include development pressure, particularly in the coastal zone, invasive species and overuse such as overgrazing by free roaming goats, sheep, cattle and donkeys. There are entrenched local issues over land tenure and persistent over harvesting of marine resources such as grouper, lobster and conch.

Figure 1 Location of the Dutch Caribbean Islands

October 2015 v STINAPA Bonaire DCNA Management Success Data Report Jan – Dec 2014 Park Management Organisations Each of the parks within the Dutch Caribbean is managed by a not-for-profit nongovernmental organization or foundation which has a co-management arrangement with local stakeholders. The following table gives a comparative overview of the established parksDutch within Caribbean the Dutch Caribbean. protected areas Figure 2 Dutch Caribbean Park Management Organisations

Island Mgmt. Body Park Features

Fundacion Parke This terrestrial park covers approximately 18% of Aruba and includes rough hills of lava and Nacional Arikok Parke Nacional limestone rocks formed from fossilized coral. The island’s highest hill, Mount Jamanota (188 Aruba Arikok metres/ 617 feet), is within the protected area. The park is home to various species of cacti, Est. 2000 approximately 50 species of trees and is the last refuge of Aruba’s endemic rattlesnake. (3,400 hectares/8,400 acres*)

The frst natural sanctuary in the Dutch Caribbean, this park encompasses almost 19% of Washington Slagbaai the island and includes its highest point, Mount Brandaris. The park is a haven for migra- National Park tory birds, the island’s endemic parrot, and famingo, iguana and nesting sea turtles. (5,600 Est. 1969 hectares/14,000 acres*) STINAPA Bonaire Bonaire National The park extends around all of Bonaire and Klein Bonaire and encompasses the islands’ con- Bonaire Marine Park tinuous fringing coral reefs, seagrasses and mangroves. The park is home to more than 340 Est. 1979 species of fsh, more than all of the Florida Keys. (2,700 hectares/6,700 acres*)

Klein Bonaire An uninhabited satellite island of Bonaire’s western shore, Klein Bonaire is an important Est. 2000 stopover for migrating birds. Its shores are nesting grounds for the globally endangered Hawksbill and Loggerhead sea turtles. (600 hectares/1,500 acres*)

This terrestrial protected area contains rare and endangered species in less disturbed Christofel Park habitat. Some of Curaçao’s fora and fauna are found only within its boundaries. Mount CARMABI Est. 1978 Christofel, the island’s highest point (375 metres/1,230 feet), is in the centre of the park. Foundation (2,300 hectares/5,700 acres*)

Shete Boka Park protects the island’s rocky, high-energy north coast, including several pock- Curaçao Shete Boka Park et beaches where globally endangered sea turtles come to nest. (470 hectares of coast- Est. 1994 line/1,200 acres*)

Curaçao The Curaçao Underwater park extends along the island’s southeastern contour from the Underwater Park high-water mark to a 60-metre depth. Just of the leeward shore is a pristine fringing reef. Est. 1983 (600 hectares/1,500 acres*)

Saba’s terrestrial protected areas consist of the national park—stretching from the Pirate Saba National Park Clifs in the northeast to the cloud forest at the peak of Mount Scenery, the highest peak and trails (Est. 1999) in the Kingdom of the Netherlands (877 metres/2,877 feet), and 16 historic trails. (Saba Saba National Park—35 hectares/86 acres; Mount Scenery Reserve—six hectares/15 acres*) Conservation Foundation Saba National The Saba National Marine Park surrounds the island, stretching from the high-water mark Marine Park to a depth of 60 metres, and protects spectacular coral pinnacles, the seabed and overlying Saba ONSERVA C T Est. 1987 waters. (800 hectares/2,000 acres*) A IO B N A S

F Saba Bank, just fve kilometres from Saba, is a submerged atoll, the third largest of its kind in O U N NDATIO Saba Bank the region, and is incredibly rich in biodiversity. A fat-topped seamount rising 1,800 metres National Park (5,900 feet) from the sea foor, it is crowned by a ring of growing coral reef. The bank is home Est. 2010 to more than 200 species of fsh, including two species discovered in 2009 and 12 newly discovered species of marine algae. (268,000 hectares/662,000 acres*)

This park consists of the Quill, a dormant volcano, and Boven, an area of hills on the northern St. Eustatius Quill/Boven National Parks tip of St. Eustatius. Almost all of the 482 wild plant species of the island are found within the National Park park, along with lush secondary rain forest and cloud forest. Eight hiking trails along the Foundation Est. 1997 (STENAPA) Quill and seven in Boven have been open since 2000. (540 hectares/1,350 acres*) St. Eustatius St. Eustatius National The park protects an area from the high-water mark to a 30-metre depth contour around Marine Park the island. Within the park are stands of rare black coral and two actively managed no- fsh- Est. 1996 ing reserves. Humpback whales regularly pass through as they follow their migration route. (2,750 hectares/6,800 acres*)

Nature Foundation Man of War Shoal The Marine Park is a sanctuary to some of the most pristine marine environments of St. St. Maarten St. Maarten Marine Park Maarten. The park is a home or migratory stopover for whales, dolphins, numerous species Est. 2010 of shark, sea turtles and hundreds of fsh species. (3,100 hectares/7,600 acres*)

*all fgures rounded Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance October 2015 Safeguarding nature in the Dutch Caribbean vi STINAPA Bonaire DCNA Management Success Data Report Jan – Dec 2014 Park areas The size of a protected area affects the amount and types of biodiversity protected as well as the level and diversity of threats the area faces. These in turn greatly affect the burden placed on the capacity of the park management organisations to carry out operations. The following data is the most recent information to be extracted form the DCNA GIS project

The largest terrestrial park in the Dutch Caribbean is the Washington Slagbaai National Park covering 5,643 hectares and 20% of the Island of Bonaire. The largest marine park by far is the Saba Bank National Marine Park at 2,652 square kilometres. Table 1 Dutch Caribbean Park sizes Protection Island area % protected hectares hectares Aruba 3,500 19,300 18 Bonaire 5,643 28,800 20 Terrestrial Curaçao 2,293 44,400 5 Saba 43 1,300 3 St. Eustatius 540 2,100 26 St. Maarten 0 3,473 0

Protection Territorial Waters % Protected hectares hectares Bonaire 2,700 348,200 0.78 Territorial Curaçao 1,036 497,700 0.21 Waters Saba 1,300 161,100 0.81 St. Eustatius 2,750 117,400 2.34 St. Maarten 3,100 47,684 6.50

Approximately one-third of the Saba Bank lies within the Saban territorial waters and all of it within the Dutch Caribbean Exclusive Economic Zone. The Saba Bank National Marine Park covers 265,247 hectares (2,652 square kilometres).

October 2015 vii STINAPA Bonaire DCNA Management Success Data Report Jan – Dec 2014 Introduction Project development The Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) aims to support the land and marine protected areas (PA’s) on each of the islands of the Dutch Caribbean, to promote the PAs and nature conservation and to fundraise. Fundraising for DCNA includes attracting grantors, major donors and corporate sponsors with a view to creating a Trust Fund for nature conservation. The islands have already attracted considerable funding from, amongst others, WWF NL, Stichting DOEN and the Dutch National Postcode Lottery.

A critical component of effective fundraising is the ability to demonstrate success. For this reason DCNA has developed a detailed data collection and analysis system, based on the IUCN ‘management effectiveness framework’. This system not only captures baseline data but also acts as a tool for analysing the conservation success, institutional progress and management effectiveness at each of the protected area sites. As the project continues, valuable time series data are obtained every year as the capture sheets used to gain the information are updated. This time series information established in 2004 will reflect changes in the priorities of the PMOs as the time distribution between core management tasks changes as well as the emphasis on different projects and research being carried out.

The ability of the Nature organisations to deal with the pressures they face comes down to their management capacity. This report outlines the context within which management is taking place, the elements of the management capacities of the organisations of the islands and the management activities carried out. Purpose of this document This report presents the information collected during most recent phase of the management success project. The information contained within this document should be used by interested parties to raise awareness about the management activities taking place within the DCNA and the local, regional and international significance of the protected areas. If more information is required by the reader on any aspect of this report, the initial capture sheets for the Island of interest should be referred to prior to contacting the organisation responsible.

It should be noted that this report is part of a work in progress and some data may be unavailable. A separate report; The DCNA Management Success Report, contains all of the data from all of the DCNA islands for comparison.

Management success A desired outcome of the Management Success project is to be able to repeat the data collection process and develop an effective set of time series data on the success of management. In this way the success and effectiveness of any change in management practice or policy should be detectable and accountable. The definition of ‘effective management’ of protected areas is currently under debate within the international conservation community, although the following definition is often used by those involved with PA management; “The efficient and orderly use of human and material resources on a planned basis directed to achieve management objectives” (Deshler, W.O. 1982)1. This project will continue to develop criteria for defining effective management within an adaptive management framework where successes can be judged against clearly defined goals and objectives for each of the protected areas. In January 2008 a consultant was used to collect the data for the project within a two-week time frame. This provided the first full set of data, a valuable snapshot of the PA management for 2007 and crucial feedback for the data collection process directly from the PMOs involved.

Project Update During 2014-2015 new data collection methods were tested based around the “Survey Monkey” web based questionnaire tool. This was largely found to be an ineffective method of collecting data and the gaps had to be filled by direct consultations with park managers. The managers of the parks of the Dutch Caribbean also reviewed the Operational Management tasks developed as part of the management success project; this lead to a revised framework for data collection. The latter part of 2015 will see the project address data collection issues and integrate the input from managers into the data collection framework.

1 Deshler, W.O. 1982. A systematic approach to effective management of protected areas in ‘World National Parks Congress, Bali, IUCN Commission on National Parks and protected areas’.

October 2015 viii STINAPA Bonaire DCNA Management Success Data Report Jan – Dec 2014

Understanding how a protected area works. The following generic information on PA context, capacity and operational activities is provided for guidance and to help explain the scope of the work of protected areas. There are three main aspects to protected areas; the context within which they operate, the capacity they have to operate and the management work carried out, these are outlined in Figure 3.

Operational Management Management Administration Capacity Income Generation Context Income Field Administration and Background Human Resources Maintenance Values Physical Resources Education Threats Governance Outreach Access to Information Monitoring- Research Law Enforcement Advice

Figure 3 The main aspects of context, capacity and operational management that contribute to the working of a Park.

Context A protected area is managed within defined physical and management characteristics that represent the ‘Context’ of the protected area. The context of the protected area defines how the protected area is likely to be managed. Three main aspects of context have been identified through the Management Success project; Box 1 Contextual aspects of PA management.

The setting that a protected area works within is usually fixed within the medium to long term. This includes physical aspects such as the size, geology and location of the protected area, and a number of Background management aspects such as the name, date established, contact details, tenure, zonation, strategic statements and adherence to any international conventions.

The values of a protected area can be locally, regionally or internationally significant examples of biological diversity, habitats, or cultural, recreational and historical sites. Protected area’s also have very significant values in terms of the opportunity for economic gain for users e.g. tourism related activities Values such as diving. Other values are the environmental services provided by the habitats of any protected area and the value of the institution that operates the protected area, particularly as a focus for conservation activity.

Protected areas face a range of threats to their values. The relationships between threats and the effects on the resources and values of a protected area are complex, and often interrelated. The most significant Threats threats are a result of invasive / introduced species, changes in land use and development of infrastructure, including buildings for tourism. These threats contribute to the direct loss of habitat and species from protected areas.

October 2015 ix STINAPA Bonaire DCNA Management Success Data Report Jan – Dec 2014

Capacity The management tasks that take place within a protected area depend on the resources available to the PMO. If the resources are not available or are restricted, the ‘Capacity’ the PMO has to carry out management tasks is limited. The three main elements of capacity are: Box 2 Capacity aspects of PA management

Income for PMOs can come from a variety of sources including subsidy, fees, grants and ‘friends of…’ schemes. Sufficient income is required for a PMO to secure human and physical resources to carry out the key operational Income management tasks. Another key aspect of income is its sustainability, a constant minimum flow of income is required to keep staff and maintain resources.

A fully staffed PMO will typically employ a manager, and an assistant manager/chief ranger for each PA as well as rangers, an administrator and education officer. Additionally they might have dedicated project staff. The Human larger PMOs frequently also employ a director to oversee the management of the land and marine parks, resources lobbying activities, fundraising and communication work. PMOs may actively or passively run volunteer programmes, have interns, trainees and consultants working for them.

The physical resources that a PMO has access to greatly effect the ability of the staff to carry out work. A Physical sufficiently equipped PMO will typically have unrestricted access to buildings (offices, workshop), resources communications (including computers), transport, maintenance equipment, moorings (for MPAs), scientific and field equipment.

Institutional arrangements for board operations, communication, personnel and day to day management as well as well structured and minuted meetings give a protected area more robust operational foundations. A protected area should have local and international legislation to define the area that is protected and regulate Governance the use of the area. This will ideally be the product of a wider nature or environmental policy plan adopted and enforced by local and national government. Planning, control of permitting procedures and well-publicised guidelines also increase the governance capacity of a protected area.

Protected area staff, board members and stakeholders need access to up to date and accurate information Access to about the protected area. This increases the capacity of the protected area to make well informed management information decisions, and to produce effective information, education and outreach.

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Operational Management The ‘Operational management’ of protected areas has been clearly defined through the development of the management success project and annual input from the park managers of the Dutch Caribbean. Achievements of the PMO can be divided between the elements of PA operational management:

PMOs will typically serve as a secretariat for their Boards and will be involved in preparing and organising Board meetings, agendas and minute taking. Management will also be responsible for planning, budgeting, routine reporting, as well as all aspects of personnel management. Income related Management activities carried out by PA management include administering government subsidies, franchises and similar, grant funding, organising and purchasing souvenir items and similar. Additionally PMOs may run ‘friends of …’ groups, actively soliciting donations from the public and from corporate sponsors. This includes organising an office, correspondence, filing, book keeping, accounting, organising invoices and payments. It also includes work planning and developing work schedules for staff, some Administration project management, collecting and administering admission fees and the sale of souvenir items and similar. Operational activities mainly carried out by management and office staff relating to the administration Income Generation of Government Subsidies, Fees, Concessions, Activities, Sales, Grants and Donations. The maintenance of moorings in MPA’s, trails and roads in TPA’s accounts for a considerable amount of Field staff time. Other maintenance tasks include running and maintaining buildings vehicles, boats and Administration and communications equipment. Patrolling is also a core field tasks that takes up considerable amounts of Maintenance staff time. Formal patrols often include some other activities such as assisting PA users, maintaining moorings/trails and basic monitoring e.g. inventory. Education refers to formal training. Most PMO’s have structured Junior Ranger programmes and/or Education Snorkel Programmes which compliment school programmes and courses for local teachers. PMOs are engaged in multiple activities designed to provide information and to educate islanders, visitors and specific PA user groups. Generally these are formulated in a communication plan and will include developing programmes for targeted audiences to increase knowledge about the PA, change behaviour and/or build stewardship. Some PAs have visitor centres or a museum with information on Outreach their protected area. Most provide guided tours, dives and hikes, have signage and outreach materials, including posters, brochures and leaflets (often in multiple languages). PMOs actively engage their local media through published material, television and radio. All PMOs have websites and most have some form of newsletter and carry out regular updates to social media. Outreach refers to the passive supply of information to an audience and the active dissemination of information. PMOs are engaged at some level in collecting information on the state of their natural resources and the use of resources. Monitoring programmes, as well as being used to look at changes over time, are frequently run to address specific management issues. Site characterization is an important part of every Monitoring- PMOs dataset and includes physical mapping and biological inventories. Additionally PMOs may run Research hypothesis driven scientific research projects to address specific issues such as the impact or control of invasive species or the impact of user groups on a resource. Damage assessment, evaluation and the effects of restoration work are other possible subjects for research and monitoring work. Local and international legislation forms the basis for the legal protection of the PA and enforcement of conventions, laws, rules and regulations are a core task of every PMO. PMOs are engaged in interpreting the legislation for all user groups, providing guidance and advice as well as actually enforcing the law by issuing verbal and written warnings, giving summary fines and writing up offences. Other legal Law Enforcement mechanisms such as forming rules, publishing guidelines, permitting and issuing exemptions are useful tools to control and regulate activities in PAs. PMOs are frequently involved in the permitting processes not only for activities with the protected area but also in adjacent buffer areas. PMOs also provide emergency response and are involved in identifying and developing appropriate response scenarios for high-risk threats and site damage assessment. PMOs work with decision makers to integrate management priorities into island and national planning, give advice, petition government and are frequently represented on government advisory boards. PMOs engage other stakeholder groups through a process of collaboration, providing training, information and advice. Partnerships are built and nurtured with other organisations such as research institutions, conservation organisations and funders both on island and abroad to strengthen the PA Advice and to gain access to resources and expertise. Some PMOs have structured or informal volunteer groups with whom they work on a regular basis. All PMOs are represented at DCNA Board meetings, additionally many attend international events such as conferences and symposia in other countries around the world. Staff spend significant also amounts of time representing PMO’s at training courses that are held by other local, regional and international organisations.

October 2015 xi STINAPA Bonaire DCNA Management Success Data Report Jan – Dec 2014 PROJECTS Projects are carried out in addition to the operational management required to run a protected area. A project is a unique venture with a beginning and an end, undertaken by people to meet established goals usually within defined constraints of time and resources. Projects form an important part of protected area management where sufficient capacity is available to establish specific programmes to investigate and address contextual issues, build capacity or develop operational management.

October 2015 xii STINAPA Bonaire DCNA Management Success Data Report Jan – Dec 2014 The Island of Bonaire Bonaire is situated in the southern Caribbean (12°10'N, 68°15'W) approximately 100km north of Venezuela. It is one of the six Caribbean islands which are part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands: Aruba, Curaçao, and St Maarten – which have ‘status aparte’ – and Bonaire, Saba and St Eustatius – which are special municipalities within the Netherlands.

Bonaire is a crescent shaped island, oriented NW-SE, approximately 40km long by 11km at its widest point, with a land area of 28,800ha. The small, undeveloped satellite island of Klein Bonaire is located some 750m off the western shore of Bonaire and has a land area of about 600ha.

The centrally located main town is called Kralendijk (locally know as ‘Playa’). It has become the focus of the islands tourism industry with the majority of hotels, dive and water sports centres and restaurants located in the vicinity. The first settlement and older town of Rincon lies to the north and it has become the focus of the island’s historical and cultural activities and has seen a significant revival in the last 10 years.

In 2012 the “Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity Netherlands” (TEEB NL) study estimated the total economic value of the ecosystem services provided by the marine and terrestrial ecosystems of Bonaire to be $105 million per year. The study also found that with the current threats unmanaged, the value of Bonairean nature is likely to decrease from a value of $105 million today to around $60 million in ten years time and to less than $40 million in 30 years.

The island’s terrestrial protected area, Washington Slagbaai National Park, protects approximately 17% of the total land area of Bonaire and was established in May 1969. STINAPA Bonaire manages both the Bonaire National Marine Park, which surrounds Bonaire and Klein Bonaire, and the Washington Slagbaai National Park.

Klein Bonaire, along with Pekelmeer, Saliña Slagbaai, Gotomeer and Lac, are Ramsar sites and as such are internationally recognised as wetlands of global significance by the RAMSAR Convention on Wetlands.

Figure 4 Features of Bonaire

October 2015 xiii STINAPA Bonaire DCNA Management Success Data Report Jan – Dec 2014

Bonaire is home to a number of species that are of particular importance to the island, known as Flagship species. In 2012 the management and staff of STINAPA identified these to be;

Animals Plants Caribbean flamingo Yellow poui Yellow-shouldered Parrot Brazilwood tree Bonaire Brown-throated Parakeet Divi-divi tree Bonaire Whiptail Lizard Columnar cacti Iguanas Lignum Vitae tree Lesser Long-nosed Bat Spinner Dolphin Queen Conch Frogfish Sea horses Hawksbill, Green and Loggerhead turtles

The Protected Areas of Bonaire

Washington Slagbaai National Park Located in the Northwest part of Bonaire, Washington Slagbaai National Park is the first and the largest terrestrial protected area in the Dutch Caribbean. It provides a safe habitat for the island’s native species such as the endemic parrot (Lora), flamingos, parakeets and iguana. Additionally, many species of migratory birds from North America find shelter in the protected area during their annual migrations and some species have become residents as well.

The parks 15km of shoreline form part of the Bonaire National Marine Park and its beaches are important nesting sites for Caribbean sea turtles. Originally inhabited by native Indians and later comprising two of the largest and more productive plantations during the colony times, the park is rich in cultural and historical heritage.

Bonaire National Marine Park The marine environment of Bonaire is unique as the island is a true oceanic island, which is separated from the South American mainland by a deep-water trench. The Marine Park was established in 1979 and has been under continuous active management since 1991. It was recognised as a National Park by the Central Government of the Netherlands Antilles in 1999 and has been designated as a Demonstration Site by UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) and ICRAN (International Coral Reef Action Network).

The Bonaire National Marine Park, which encircles the island and Klein Bonaire, includes 2,700 hectares of globally threatened coral reef, seagrass beds and mangrove ecosystems. Bonaire’s reefs are considered the healthiest in the Caribbean according to data from the Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment protocol. Bonaire’s marine environments are home to 111 globally endangered species including six which are on the IUCN Red list, 11 species on CITES Appendix I and 94 on CITES Appendix II.

Lac is unique in the Dutch Caribbean. Located on the windward shore of Bonaire it is the largest semi-enclosed bay in the Dutch Caribbean and contains examples of all three threatened marine ecosystems: coral reefs, seagrass beds and mangroves. A fringing barrier reef with stands of rare Elkhorn coral protects the bay from the high seas that routinely pound Bonaire’s windward shore. Magnificent frigate birds nest here and the mangroves provide a safe haven and roosting place for herons, egrets, stilts, terns, flamingos, ospreys and pelicans. The seagrass beds are extensive and together with the adjacent mangroves they form a critical nursery ground for countless species of coral reef fish and invertebrates and a foraging ground for green sea turtles. Cushion stars and conch can still be found amongst the seagrasses as well as fields of pulsating upside-down jellyfish ‘Cassiopeia’.

The entire uninhabited island of Klein Bonaire is managed by the Bonaire National Marine Park and the sandy beach of No Name is particularly important, not only as a tourism attraction but also as it is the most important turtle-nesting site on Bonaire. Popular dive sites are located all around Klein Bonaire but access to the island itself is limited and the only provisions for tourism are two open huts that provide shade, BBQ pits and bins. Over-nighting is not permitted in order to safeguard the unspoilt natural beauty of the island.

October 2015 xiv STINAPA Bonaire DCNA Management Success Data Report Jan – Dec 2014

The Context of the PAs of Bonaire Background The following section gives further details of the Island and the protected areas. Table 2 Details of Bonaire National Marine Park

Protected area Name Bonaire National Marine Park Management body STINAPA Bonaire Area (Hectares) 2700 PO BOX 368, Barcadera z/n Phone + (599 717) 8444 / 4163 Fax + (599 717) 7318 E-mail: Contact details [email protected] www.stinapa.org Location Surrounding the whole Island, centred on 29.09'40.47N 68.18'15.78S Date established 1979 Tenure Public domain Status 5 Ramsar sites, National Park by legal decree. IUCN Category None Zones 2 no diving zones, 2 fish protected areas Vision - To protected and Manage the natural, cultural and historical resources, allowing sustainable use for Mission statement the benefit of future generations. 1. Maintain and/or restore the ecosystems, biological diversity, and ecological processes. 2.Manage the marine park as a regionally and globally significant and successful multi-use marine protected area. 3. Goal(s) Allow use of the marine park by promoting non destructive activities and working with stakeholders to establish guidelines and regulations to minimize impacts on the environment. 4. Protect and/or restore the cultural and historical resources identified as significant. The management of the protected area falls under the authority of the Executive Council. The Executive Council is authorized by Island Resolution Containing General Measures to delegate the Mandate management of the protected area to a different organization. STINAPA is the organization which, pursuant to Article 8, paragraph 1 and Article 23 of the Island Ordinance Nature Management Bonaire, is delegated responsibility for the management of the protected areas of the Bonaire Island Territory Maintenance of the park Enforcement Main responsibilities Offer quality education and information about the protection of nature and the environment Research and Monitoring Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (RAMSAR) ✓ Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) ✓ Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (World International ✓ recognition and Heritage Convention) convention Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS or Bonn Convention) ✓ adherence Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife in the Wider Caribbean Region (SPAW) ✓ International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) / United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) ✓ Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) ✓ The core of the island consists of strongly folded and faulted rocks of volcanic origin, silica rich Geology and sediments and turbidites formed during the Cretaceous era some 120 million years BP. Overlying this Geomorphology are later fossil reef and reef-generated calcareous deposits.

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Table 3 Details of Washington Slagbaai National Park

Protected area name Washington Slagbaai National Park Management body STINAPA Bonaire Area (Hectares) 5600 PO BOX 368, Barcadera z/n Phone + (599 717) 8444 / 4163 Fax + (599 717) 7318 E-mail: Contact details [email protected] www.stinapa.org Location Park entrance - 12.16'10.5 N 68.20'39.4 W Date established May 9 1969 Owned; Washington plantation owned by STINAPA Bonaire but the Herera family retain grazing rights Tenure within the park. Slagbaai plantation owned by STINAPA (purchased with public funds). Ongoing discussions with CARMABI about ownership/management of this area. Status 2 Ramsar sites, National Park (without a legal decree) Category II National Park; Large natural or near natural areas set aside to protect large-scale ecological processes, along with the complement of species and ecosystems characteristic of the area, which also IUCN Category provide a foundation for environmentally and culturally compatible spiritual, scientific, educational, recreational and visitor opportunities. Map STINAPA website Zones None officially recognised Vision STINAPA Bonaire is dedicated to the conservation of Bonaire 's natural and historical heritage through Mission statement the sustainable use of its resources. I. Protect and restore (if necessary) the representative environment and landscape of the South Caribbean region found inside the park, as well as its ecosystems in order to guarantee the balance and continuity of the evolutionary and ecological processes. II. Protect the island's native genetic diversity and biodiversity in the current ecosystems. Particularly, protect and restore (if necessary) the species that are in danger of extinction or are under special protective status. III. Guarantee the Goal(s) sustainable use and/or development of the ecosystems, its elements, and the historical resources, mainly for the benefit of the people of Bonaire. IV. Provide an area with optimal conditions for environmentally oriented scientific research. V. Generate, rescue and spread scientific and historical knowledge that will make possible to understand the importance of using the resources in a sustainable way. Mandate Land ownership Main responsibilities - Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (RAMSAR) ✓ Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) ✓ Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (World International recognition and Heritage Convention) convention Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS or Bonn Convention) ✓ adherence Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife in the Wider Caribbean Region (SPAW) ✓ International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) / United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) ✓ The core of the island consists of strongly folded and faulted rocks of volcanic origin, silica rich Geology and sediments and turbidites formed during the Cretaceous era some 120 million years BP. Overlying this Geomorphology are later fossil reef and reef-generated calcareous deposits.

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Values The data has been taken from the relevant websites and information supplied by the protected area staff.

Statement of significance Box 3 Bonaire National Marine Park Statement of Significance

The marine environment of Bonaire is unique in the Caribbean being one of only four true oceanic islands separated from the South American mainland by a deep water trench. The Marine Park on Bonaire, which was established in 1979 and has been under active management since 1991, has been recognised as a National Park by the Central Government of the. It includes 2,700 hectares of globally threatened coral reef, seagrass and mangrove. Bonaire’s reefs are considered the healthiest in the Caribbean according to data from the Atlantic and Gulf Rapid Reef Assessment protocol. Bonaire’s marine environments include five RAMSAR and are home to globally endangered species including 66 on the IUCN Red list, 8 species on CITES Appendix I and 241 on CITES Appendix II. In 2014 50,000 people registered to use the marine park and around 200,000 people visited as cruise boat tourists.

Box 4 Washington Slagbaai National Park Statement of Significance

Established 1969, Washington Slagbaai National Park protects 6500 hectares of habitats including desert/shrub, dry forest, sand dunes, sandy shores and globally threatened mangroves. The area contains two former plantations which feature a rich diversity of cultural, historical and ecological heritage. The area and shoreline is a home, migratory stop over and breeding site for five IUCN Red List Species, two CITES Appendix I species and 34 CITES Appendix II species including the endemic parrot, the Lora. The Park attracts around 40,000 local and international visitors every year and helps contribute to the income for the islands population employed in restaurants, hotels and other services.

Habitats Dry Forest Desert/dry shrub Moist forest Pastoral land Grassland Arable land Sandy shore Sand dunes Mangrove Rocky intertidal Figure 5 The main habitats found in Washington Slagbaai National Park

Open Water Atoll Reef Shoal Reef Barrier Reef Patch Reef Fringing Reef Macro-algal Bed Sandy Bottom Seagrass Bed Rocky intertidal Sandy shore Sand dunes Mangrove Island Saline ponds Figure 6 The main habitats found in Bonaire National Marine Park

October 2015 17 STINAPA Bonaire DCNA Management Success Data Report Jan – Dec 2014 Internationally recognised sites Ramsar Sites The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (RAMSAR) www.ramsar.org provides for increased protection of wetlands, including shallow coastal and marine areas. A state agreeing to the convention is required to designate at least one significant wetlands site, which is subject to some form of sustainable management.

Bonaire has 5 internationally recognised RAMSAR Sites: Lac, Klein Bonaire, Slagbaai, Gotomeer and Pekelmeer. These sites are a hub of biological activity and they demand special attention and integrated management since they include terrestrial, intertidal and marine habitats.

Slagbaai and Goto Lake are located within Washington Slagbaai National Park. Table 4 Ramsar sites on Bonaire. Habitat Detail Location: Slagbaai is located about 20 km northwest of the town of Kralendijk. The lagoon is a resting area for Phalacrocorax olivaceus (max. 50), and a staging area for a variety of shorebird species that breed in the Nearctic. Slagbaai Brine shrimps (Artemia salina) and brine flies (Ephydridae) are abundant in the hypersaline areas, and provide a valuable food source for birds, including Ardeidae, Phoenicopterus ruber ruber (300) and Recurvirostridae. Location: Goto is located about 17 km northwest of Kralendijk. The area supports many breeding and staging bird species. Breeding birds include Anas bahamensis, Haematopus palliatus, Himantopus himantopus, Charadrius wilsonia, C. alexandrinus, Larus atricilla and Sterna albifrons. The site is also important for staging shorebirds Goto lake which nest in North America, including Pluvialis squatarola, Charadrius semipalmatus, Numenius phaeopus, Arenaria interpres, Limnodromus griseus, Calidris canutus, C. alba, C. pusilla, C. mauri, C. minutilla, C. melanotus and Micropalama himantopus. The brine shrimp Artemia salina and brine fly (Ephydridae) are abundant in the hypersaline areas, and provide a valuable food source for birds, including Phoenicopterus ruber ruber (100-500). Location: Lac is located at about 7 km southeast of Kralendijk. The site is an important feeding area for Lac waterbirds, including Fregata sp., and members of the Pelecanidae, Ardeidae, Laridae and waders. Mangroves also support breeding waterbirds, including Egretta tricolor, E. caerulea, E. thula and Butorides striatus. Location: Klein Bonaire is located about 2 km west of the mainland town of Kralendijk. The coral reefs support an extremely rich marine fauna and the beaches have nesting turtles. The vegetation on Klein Bonaire (all of which Klein Bonaire is within the marine park) is of particular interest because it is no longer grazed by animals. There are a few building foundations on the island which have some historical value Location: Pekelmeer is located about 10 km south of Kralendijk. The site supports one of the most important nesting colonies of Phoenicopterus ruber ruber in the Caribbean (averaging 1,000 pairs). Other breeding birds Pekelmeer include Himantopus himantopus, Charadrius alexandrinus and Sterna sp. The lagoon is also an important feeding area for Pelecanidae, Ardeidae and migratory shorebirds which breed in North America.

Birdlife International: Important bird areas The IBA Programme of BirdLife International aims to identify, monitor and protect a global network of IBAs for the conservation of the world’s birds and other biodiversity. Twenty-three IBA sites have been recognised in the Dutch Caribbean that meets certain criteria, based on the occurrence of key bird species that are vulnerable to global extinction or whose populations are otherwise irreplaceable. Birds have been shown to be effective indicators of biodiversity in other animal groups and plants – especially when used to define a set of sites for conservation. So although the IBA network is defined by its bird fauna, the conservation of these sites would ensure the survival of a correspondingly large number of other animals and plants.

October 2015 18 STINAPA Bonaire DCNA Management Success Data Report Jan – Dec 2014

Figure 7 IBAs of Bonaire Table 5 IBA data for Bonaire

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Onima

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Bonaire Pos Dos Bonaire Klein Bay Lac Washikemba Fontein Washington Slagbaai Park National Pekelmeer Saltworks IBA NUMBER 6 AN010 AN012 AN013 AN011 AN009 AN014 Protection 50% N Y Y N Y Y Area (hectares) 23830 235 1810 2075 5960 6900 6850 Number of bird species 214 IBA Recognised species 10 4 3 3 6 8 6 Threatened bird species 2 1 1 2 1 Restricted range bird species 3 3 2 3 3 Biome-restricted bird species 2 2 2 2 2 Congregatory bird species 10 1 1 1 1 Caribbean Flamingo ü ü Royal Tern ü Sandwich “Cayenne” Tern ü ü Yellow-shouldered Amazon ü ü ü ü Caribbean Coot ü Common Tern ü ü Least Tern ü ü ü ü Bare-eyed Pigeon ü ü ü ü ü Pearly-eyed Thrasher ü ü ü Caribbean Elaenia ü ü ü ü ü ü

October 2015 19 STINAPA Bonaire DCNA Management Success Data Report Jan – Dec 2014 Internationally recognised species2 Table 6 Species numbers of conservation importance on Bonaire.

Critical

Red List List Red Endangered List Red Vulnerable List Red I CITES II CITES ABC Endemic Regional EndemicABC Local Island Endemic ABC SPAWII IBA species Marine 7 17 42 8 241 3 1 0 33 7 Terrestrial 0 2 3 2 34 15 50 24 5 6 Total 7 19 45 10 275 18 51 24 38 13

IUCN Red list species The IUCN maintains a complete list of all the species it considers critically endangered, endangered or vulnerable. The IUCN Red List does not cover many species, especially marine organisms. The ‘Red List’ of Species can be found at http://www.iucnredlist.org/ including further definitions. The status of many populations of flora and fauna is unknown, those that are known and have been included on the list are classified under the following headings;

CRITICALLY ENDANGERED (CR): A species is Critically Endangered when it is considered to be facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. ENDANGERED (EN): A species is Endangered when it is therefore considered to be facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild. VULNERABLE (VU): A species is Vulnerable when it is considered to be facing a high risk of extinction in the wild. Box 5 Terrestrial IUCN Red List species

Birds Black-capped Petrel Pterodroma hasitata ENDANGERED Plants Lignum Vitae Guaiacum officinale Plants Roughbark Lignum-vitae Guaiacum sanctum Mammals - bat Curaçaoan Long-nosed Bat Leptonycteris curasoae VULNERABLE Birds Yellow-shouldered Amazon Amazona barbadensis Birds Cerulean Warbler Dendroica cerulea

2 Species data last updated in 2015 from relevant websites.

October 2015 20 STINAPA Bonaire DCNA Management Success Data Report Jan – Dec 2014 Box 6 Marine IUCN Red List species

Corals - stony Staghorn Coral Acropora cervicornis Corals - stony Elkhorn Coral Acropora palmata Fish Goliath Grouper Epinephelus itajara CRITICAL Fish Warsaw grouper Hyporthodus nigritus Fish - sharks and rays Smalltooth sawfish3 Pristis pectinata Reptiles - turtles Leatherback Turtle Dermochelys coriacea Reptiles - turtles Hawksbill Turtle Eretmochelys imbricata Birds Black-capped Petrel Pterodroma hasitata Corals - stony Mountainous Star Coral Montastrea annularis (s.l.) Corals - stony Boulder star coral Montastrea faveolata Corals - stony, fire coral Bladed Box Fire Coral Millepora striata Fish Nassau Grouper Epinephelus striatus Fish American eel4 Anguilla rostrata Fish Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Thunnus thynnus Fish - sharks and rays Scalloped hammerhead Sphyrna lewini ENDANGERED Fish - sharks and rays Barndoor Skate Dipturus laevis Fish - sharks and rays Winter Skate Leucoraja ocellata Fish - sharks and rays Great Hammerhead Shark Sphyrna mokarran Mammals - cetaceans Fin Whale Balaenoptera physalis Mammals - cetaceans Coalfish Whale Balaenoptera borealis Mammals - cetaceans Blue Whale Balaenoptera musculus Mammals - cetaceans North Atlantic Right Whale Eubalaena glacialis Reptiles - turtles Green Turtle Chelonia mydas Reptiles - turtles Loggerhead Turtle Caretta caretta Corals - stony Leaf Coral Agaricia lamarcki Corals - stony Pillar Coral Dendrogyra cylindrus Corals - stony Elliptical Star Coral Dichocoenia stokesii Corals - stony Bumpy Star Coral Montastrea franksi Corals - stony Rough cactus coral Mycetophyllia ferox Corals - stony Large Ivory Coral Oculina varicosa Fish Queen Triggerfish Balistes vetula Fish Cotuero Toadfish Batrachoides manglae Fish Marble Grouper Dermatolepis inermis Fish Yellowfinned Grouper Epinephelus flavolimbatus Fish Lined Seahorse Hippocampus erectus Fish Masked Hamlet Hypoplectrus providencianus Fish Yellowfinned Grouper Hyporthodus flavolimbatus Fish Seabass, Snowy Grouper Hyporthodus niveatus Fish White Marlin Kajikia albida Fish Hogfish Lachnolaimus maximus Fish Cubera Snapper Lujanus cyanopterus Fish Mutton Snapper Lutjanus analis Fish Blue Marlin Makaira nigricans Fish Tarpon Megalops atlaticus Fish Yellowmouth Grouper Mycteroperca interstitialis VULNERABLE Fish Bigeye Tuna Thunnus obesus Fish - sharks and rays Bigeye Thresher Shark Alopias superciliosus Fish - sharks and rays Thresher Shark Alopias vulpinus Fish - sharks and rays Oceanic Whitetip Shark Carcharhinus longimanus Fish - sharks and rays Dusky Shark Carcharhinus obscurus Fish - sharks and rays Sandbar Shark Carcharhinus plumbeus Fish - sharks and rays Night Shark Carcharhinus signatus Fish - sharks and rays Sand Tiger Carcharias taurus Fish - sharks and rays Great White Shark Carcharodon carcharias Fish - sharks and rays Gulper Shark Centrophorus granulosus Fish - Sharks and Rays Basking shark Cetorhinus maximus Fish - sharks and rays Clubnose Guitarfish Glaucostegus thouin Fish - sharks and rays Butterfly ray Gymnura altavela Fish - sharks and rays Shortfin Mako Isurus oxyrinchus Fish - sharks and rays Longfin Mako Isurus paucus Fish - sharks and rays Giant Manta Ray Manta birostris Fish - sharks and rays Small-tooth Sand Tiger Shark Odontaspis ferox Fish - sharks and rays Whale Shark Rhincodon typus Mammals - cetaceans Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae Mammals - cetaceans Sperm Whale Physeter macrocephalus Plants Clover Grass Halophila baillonii Plants Tapegrass Halophila baillonis

3 IUCN Red List 2015 indicates the Smalltooth Sawfish’ range to include the Dutch Caribbean although it is likely to be extinct. 4 IUCN Red List 2015 indicates the American eels range to include the Dutch Caribbean (non-breeding population).

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CITES species CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement between governments. Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.

Appendix I (AI) includes species threatened with extinction. Trade in specimens of these species is permitted only in exceptional circumstances.

Appendix II (AII) includes species not necessarily threatened with extinction, but in which trade must be controlled in order to avoid use incompatible with their survival

Box 7 Marine CITES listed species

Appendix I -four whale species including Bryde's Whale (Balaenoptera edeni) and Great Sperm Whale (Physeter catodon). The Small tooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata) and four turtle species; Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta caretta), Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricate), Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas).

Appendix II - Including 16 cetacean species, seven species of sharks and ray, 215 coral species, two fish species and the Queen Conch (Strombas Gigas).

Box 8 Terrestrial CITES listed species

Appendix I - Yellow Shouldered Amazon, Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) and the turtle species listed above also use the beaches around the TPA.

Appendix II –Green Iguana (Iguana iguana) 13 species of bird such as the Caribbean Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber), Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) Brown-throated conure (Artinga pertinax), Ruby-topaz humming bird (Chrysolampis mosquitus), Barn Owl (Tyto Alba – a subspecies) and 20 species of plant including three species of orchid – the Lady of the night (Brassavola nodosa) and Humboldts Orchid (Schomburgkia humboldtii) and Encycila fragrans.

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Endemic Species Endemic plants and animals have a limited geographical distribution. If they are an island endemic, they are found no-where else on earth other than the island they live on. Local endemics may be found on neighbouring islands and regional endemics may be found on other sites in the region although their population is restricted. Box 9 Endemic species Island endemic – 25 endemic animals live on Bonaire (although some have been found in very small numbers on Curaçao and small neighbouring Venezuelan islands). These include one worm, four birds, 15 insects, three molluscs, one lizard and one snake.

Group Common name Scientific name Annelida Segmented Worm Diachaeta bonairensis Bird Brown-throated Parakeet Aratinga pertinax xanthogenius Bird Bananaquit Coereba flaveola bonairensis Bird Pearly eyed thrasher Margarops fuscatus bonairensis Bird Yellow Shouldered Amazon (Lora) Amazonia barbadenis Insect Subterranean/freshwater isopods, etc. Angeliera dubitans Insect Beetles Cicindela s. sobrina f.bonaireana Insect Heteroptera Cryptostemma cobbeni Insect Subterranean/freshwater isopods, etc. Curassanthura halma Insect Beetles Eburia bonairensis Insect Pseudoscorpions Garypus bonairiensis Insect Subterranean/freshwater isopods, etc. Ingolfiella fontinalis Insect Subterranean/freshwater isopods, etc. Ingolfiella putealis Insect Subterranean/freshwater isopods, etc. Mesocyclops intermedius Insect Subterranean/freshwater isopods, etc. Metacyclops botosaneanui Insect Subterranean/freshwater isopods, etc. Microcharon herrerai Insect Subterranean/freshwater isopods, etc. Neocyclops stocki Insect Subterranean/freshwater isopods, etc. Psammogammarus longidactylus Insect Subterranean/freshwater isopods, etc. Saliweckelia holsingeri Insect Subterranean/freshwater isopods, etc. Thermocyclops tenuis longifurcatus Mollusc Terrestrial Molluscs Stoastomps walkeri Mollusc Terrestrial Molluscs Tudora aurantia Mollusc Terrestrial Molluscs Tudora maculata Reptile - Lizard Bonairian anole Anolis bonairensis Reptile - Snake Snake C. m. ruthveni

Locally endemic: 49 species are locally endemic, only being found on Bonaire, neighbouring islands and the mainland of Venezuela. These include 9 bird species, one fish, 20 insects, one mammal, five molluscs, 10 plants and one lizard. These include:

Group English Name Scientific name Birds Grasshopper Sparrow Ammodramus savannarum caribaeus Birds Brown-throated Conure Aratinga pertinax Birds Green/stirated heron Butorides striatus curacensis Birds Yellow warbler Dendroica petechia rufopileata Birds Pied-billed grebe Myiarchus tyrannulus brevipennis Birds Southern scrub-flycatcher Sublegatus modestus pallens Birds Black-faced Grass Quti Tiaris bicolor sharpei Birds Black Whiskered Vireo Vireo altiloquus bonairensis Birds Eared dove Zenaida auriculata vinaceorufa Mammals Hummelinck's Vesper Mouse Calomys hummelincki Reptiles Gecko Phyllodactylus martini

October 2015 23 STINAPA Bonaire DCNA Management Success Data Report Jan – Dec 2014 Endemic species continued

Regionally endemic: 18 species are regionally endemic, being found only at certain sites in the Caribbean. These include one Echinoderm, two fish, four insects, four molluscs, five plants, one cacti and one lizard.

Common Group Name English Name Scientific name Echinoderm Marine crinoids (Echinodermata) Nemaster grandis Fish Fresh- and brackishwater fishes Cyprinodon dearborni Fish Fresh- and brackishwater fishes Poecilia vandepolli Insect Butterfly Brephidium exilis ssp. Insect Butterfly Ministymon ligia Insect Beetles Rhypasma venezuelense Insect Beetles Zophobas batavarum Mollusc Terrestrial Molluscs Gastrocopta curacoana Mollusc Terrestrial Molluscs Gastrocopta octonaria Mollusc Terrestrial Molluscs Leptinaria gloynii Mollusc Terrestrial Molluscs Microceramus bonairensis Plant Agave cocui Plant Opuntia wentiana Plant Pereskia guamacho Plan Pilocereus lanuginosus Plants Stenocereus griseus Plant - cacti Cereus repandus Reptile - lizard Antilles Gecko Gonatodes antillensis

Flagship species Many species of plants and animals may not appear on the IUCN Red List or on the CITES Appendices, yet they are worthy of highlighting as they may be migratory, keystone, charismatic, have significant populations or be of cultural importance to the island. Such Flagship species were identified by park staff and other conservation practitioners in 2012. Table 7 Flagship species Animals Plants Caribbean flamingo Yellow poui Yellow-shouldered Parrot Brazilwood tree Bonaire Brown-throated Parakeet Divi-divi tree Bonaire Whiptail Lizard Columnar cacti Iguanas Lignum Vitae tree Lesser Long-nosed Bat Spinner Dolphin Queen Conch Frogfish Sea horses Hawksbill, Green and Loggerhead turtles

Special interest habitats A number of ‘special’ habitats exist within the Dutch Caribbean. These may not necessarily have any formal recognition though they increase the conservation value of the area through supporting populations of significant species and providing ecological services to the surrounding environment. Sensitive habitats, habitats with exceptional value, habitats with special functions, rare habitats, threatened habitats. Table 8 Special interest habitats Habitat Detail All the islands in the DCNA with the exception of Saba have beaches these are nesting sites for turtles and Beaches a habitat for other endangered species. Terrestrial bacterial mats on islands in the mangroves of Lac bay. These may have sediment stabilisation Bacterial mats services a concentration of organisms and possibly some further ecological roles. Fresh water and marine Karst (limestone) complexes - Bonaire and Curacao, with their extensive caves systems often containing water are unique ecosystems in that they contain species that proof the Karstic Systems connection of the islands with the West-Indian faunal province (e.g. fresh water shrimp also found on Puerto Rico), probably some endemic fish or crustaceans. Special interests: geological structure, hydrological features, flora and fauna. Caves Bat habitat and some possibly endemic crustaceans living in the water.

October 2015 24 STINAPA Bonaire DCNA Management Success Data Report Jan – Dec 2014

Other environmental values The environments of the Dutch Caribbean islands have very significant values in terms of physical features, environmental services, environmental products, aesthetics and the mere fact that they exist. Table 9 Other environmental values Value Detail Marine Habitat for organisms Habitat that is home to many species including endangered, rare and endemic plants and animals. Variety of ecosystems Variety of marine ecosystems Migratory stop over Migratory stop over for birds and sea turtles Shoreline protection Shoreline protection, especially from the coral reefs and seagrass beds Scenery Terrestrial scenery Seascapes Underwater seascapes Inherent value Inherent value knowing the sea/water is 'healthy Scientific resource Especially sharks, whales, lobster, conch, turtles and diverse coral species. Biodiversity Biodiversity of the reef and seagrass other marine environments and the associated wildlife Seagrass beds are a critical component of the island's ecology and play a vital role in trapping and Sediment traps containing storm water and associated sediments. The seagrass and reefs vitally important foraging grounds for juvenile green and hawksbill turtles Foraging grounds which can be found cropping on manatee and turtle grass and on soft corals and sponges. The sandy beaches are important turtle nesting grounds. Some coastal habitats are also important bird Nesting Grounds nesting grounds. Fish spawning can be found at a number of locations around BNMP , which are important sites for Spawning grounds ensuring the well-being of fish populations into the future. The seagrass beds are important role as nursery grounds for many species of marine fish and for the Nursery grounds globally threatened Queen conch.

Value Detail Terrestrial Ramsar sites Slagbaai (within WSNP) and Gotomeer (currently bordering WSNP) Ramsar sites Habitat Habitat that is home to many species including endangered, rare and endemic plants and animals Range of ecosystems Variety of terrestrial ecosystems Breeding grounds Breeding grounds for birds and other animals Migratory stop over Migratory stop over for 13 bird species Shoreline protection Shoreline protection from coastal plants binding sand and soils, preventing erosion. Representative communities Representative communities of all of most Habitats found on Bonaire. Threatened habitats Geology Endemic species Biodiverse neighbouring Biodiversity of the neighbouring reef and seagrass other marine environments and the environments associated wildlife Resource for research Scientific research resource Buffer for BNMP Persistent trade winds Beaches are a nesting ground for turtles

October 2015 25 STINAPA Bonaire DCNA Management Success Data Report Jan – Dec 2014

Economic values Protected areas provide an economic resource for stakeholders via a range of activities. Depending on the goals of the protected area, the management of these is likely to become integral with the management of the natural resources for conservation. Table 10 Economic values Value Detail Marine Tourism The mainstay of Bonaire’s economy which is dependent on the well being of the marine resource. Artisanal fishery Small, traditional fishery. Commercial fisheries Fishing in Lac Pelagic fisheries Cruise ship stop over BOPEC oil terminal Cargill salt production Small aquaculture venture Shipping Terrestrial Tourism Tours and visits to WSNP provide income for a number of island inhabitants Agriculture The Sabana area within the park is currently used for grazing.

Cultural, Recreational and historical values Protected areas have considerable value for the culture and recreation of local populations. Frequently, protected areas also have sites with significant historical values within their boundaries. Key values relating to culture and history are traditional uses, grandfather rights, objects, monuments, archaeological sites, wrecks and modified landscapes. Table 11 Cultural, Recreational and historical values Value Marine The Windjammer Wreck from the 1800’s located between Karpata and BOPEC. Hilma Hooker Wreck Historical buildings at Slagbaai Quarantine Buildings on Klein Bonaire >50 dive moorings around the island and a range of shore dives. Swimming snorkelling Windsurfing Kite surfing Kayaking Sailing Conch piles at Cai Terrestrial Walking trails Cycling trails Driving routes Remote, easy access dive sites Beaches as a centre for recreation Views of natural landscapes, from high points on Kasikunda, Brandaris walking trails. Scuba diving in uncrowded areas Swimming and snorkelling Picnic areas Climbing Camping Photography and video Site for events and functions Cacti fences Unspoilt, uncrowded, quiet and remote Nostalgia associated with the park Reserve for future generations Buildings at Slagbaai Cave paintings Historical plantations of Aloe Site for events and functions

October 2015 26 STINAPA Bonaire DCNA Management Success Data Report Jan – Dec 2014 Institutional values The management organisation and PAs themselves have significant values as institutions. To develop these is often a goal of the protected area, especially in the views of stakeholders and interested parties;

• STINAPA is valuable as a conservation body • Networking capabilities • Centre for outreach and education • Coordinator of research and monitoring • Government and stakeholder facilitator. • Promote responsible use of the island and sharing between users. • Well kept and patrolled protected areas. • Nature preservation and restoration. • Representative of Bonaire

October 2015 27 STINAPA Bonaire DCNA Management Success Data Report Jan – Dec 2014

Threat classification The threats considered in this section are considered to be external threats originating from outside of the PA organisation. Management ‘Pressures’ such as finance, governance, laws, staff and administration are not included. Direct threats human activities or processes that have impacts, are impacting, or may impact the condition of a conservation value.

The DCNA Management Success threat classification scheme has been developed using IUCN Red List descriptors, WWF scoring with the inclusion of some detail that has been gathered from conservation practitioners since the start of the Management Success Project in 2004.

Categories – Types of Threats Twelve categories for different types of threat have been listed under the IUCN Red List Threat Classification Scheme, as summarised below. These in turn have been broken down into up to two further classifications, which can be seen in the Appendix. Table 12 Threat categories (IUCN Red List)

Category Descriptor Threats from human settlements or other non-agricultural land uses with a 1 Residential & commercial development substantial footprint. Threats from farming and ranching as a result of agricultural expansion and 2 Agriculture & aquaculture intensification, including silviculture, mariculture and aquaculture (includes the impacts of any fencing around farmed areas). 3 Energy production & mining Threats from production of non-biological resources. Threats from long narrow transport corridors and the vehicles that use them 4 Transportation & service corridors including associated wildlife mortality. Threats from consumptive use of "wild" biological resources including both 5 Biological resource use deliberate and unintentional harvesting effects; also persecution or control of specific species. Threats from human activities that alter, destroy and disturb habitats and 6 Human intrusions & disturbance species associated with non-consumptive uses of biological resources. Threats from actions that convert or degrade habitat in service of “managing” 7 Natural system modifications natural or semi-natural systems, often to improve human welfare. Threats from non-native and native plants, animals, pathogens/microbes, or 8 Invasive /other problematic species / genes genetic materials that have or are predicted to have harmful effects on biodiversity following their introduction, spread and/or increase in abundance. Threats from introduction of exotic and/or excess materials or energy from 9 Pollution point and nonpoint sources. 10 Geological events Threats from catastrophic geological events. Threats from long-term climatic changes which may be linked to global warming and other severe climatic/weather events that are outside of the 11 Climate change & severe weather natural range of variation, or potentially can wipe out a vulnerable species or habitat. The threats classification scheme is intended to be comprehensive, but as there 12 Other options are often new and emerging threats, this option allows for these new threats to be recorded. Further details of the categories are provided in the Appendix

October 2015 28 STINAPA Bonaire DCNA Management Success Data Report Jan – Dec 2014 The Nature of Threats – the Status, Scale and Stress The nature of threats facing the parks of the Dutch Caribbean depend on their status, scale and the main stress to the park and it’s resources that results from the threat. Box 10 IUCN status of threats classification scheme

Historical unlikely to return Has happened in the past is unlikely to return in the next 20 years Historical likely to return Has happened in the past is likely to return within the next 20 years Status On-going Has occurred in the past, is occurring currently and is likely to continue Likely future occurrence Is likely to happen within the next 20 years

Box 11 DCNA scale of threats classification scheme

Local Localised, island level e.g. terrestrial pest species Regional threat shared between more than one island e.g. catastrophic pollution, geological Regional Scale events An issue likely to effect a large part, if not all of the planet e.g. climate change, ocean Global acidification

Stresses are those attributes of a taxon (value) that are impaired directly or indirectly by human activities or processes. A stress is not a threat in and of itself, but rather a degraded condition or "symptom" of the value that results from a direct threat. Box 12 IUCN / DCNA method of classifying main stresses caused by threats to PA’s5

Ecosystem/community Stresses that affect ecosystems and communities Species Stresses that affect specific species or groups of species Recreational Affect the recreation value of the PA e.g. functionality of trails and roads Stress Cultural Affect the local and wider community's ideas, customs and social behaviour Historical Affect sites or objects that associate with the distant or recent past. Economic Affect the economic value of the PA (use and/or non-use values).

5 Stresses 1-3 defined by IUCN Red List, 4-6 defined by the DCNA Management Success Project.

October 2015 29 STINAPA Bonaire DCNA Management Success Data Report Jan – Dec 2014 Scoring threats – defining the degree of the threat The degree of the threat imposed by any of the factors in the above categories depends on its Extent, Impact and Permanence. The significance of the threats can be established using a WWF method where each threat is given a score out of four for its extent, impact and permanence. These are then multiplied and the resulting score gives the degree of threat.

Box 13 WWF method of classifying pressures and threats

EXTENT is the range across which the impact of the activity occurs. The extent of an activity should be assessed in relation to its possible occurrence. For example, the extent of fishing would be measured relative to the total fishable area. The extent of poaching would be measured relative to the possible occurrence of the species population. The extent of nutrient enrichment would likely be measured throughout an entire protected area.

§ 4 = “Throughout” means that an activity occurs in 50% or greater of its potential range § 3 = “Widespread” means occurrence in between 15 and 50% of its potential range § 2 = “Scattered” occurs in between 5 and 15% of its potential range § 1 = “Localised” occurs in less than 5% of its potential range

IMPACT is the degree, either directly or indirectly, to which the pressure affects overall protected area resources. Possible effects from motorized vehicle recreation, for example, could include soil erosion and compaction, stream siltation, noise disturbance, plant damage, disruption of breeding and denning sites of key species, fragmentation of critical habitat, introduction of exotic species and increased access for additional threats, such as poaching.

§ 4 = “Severe” impact is serious damage or loss to PA resources, as a direct or indirect result of an activity. § 3 = “High” impact is significant damage to protected area resources. § 2 = “Moderate” impact is damage to PA resources that is obviously detectable, but not considered significant § 1 = “Low” impact is damage that may or may not be easily detectable, and is considered slight or insignificant.

PERMANENCE is the length of time needed for the effected PA resource to recover with or without human intervention. Recovery is defined as the restoration of ecological structures, functions and processes to levels that existed prior to the activities occurrence at an impact moderate or above. Recovery time assumes that the activity ceases, and that either management interventions take place, or natural processes are allowed to occur. The degree of permanence will depend on factors such as the type of damage, the ability for human intervention to restore the resources, and/or the regenerative capacity of the resource itself.

§ 4 = “Permanent” is damage that cannot recover naturally, or with human intervention, within 100 years § 3 = “Long term” damage can recover in 20 to 100 years. § 2 = “Medium term” damage can recover in 5 to 20 years. § 1 = “Short term” damage can recover in less than 5 years

The threats facing the protected areas of Bonaire are summarised on the graphics and in the text of the following pages. Further details of threat classification are in the Appendix.

October 2015 30 STINAPA Bonaire DCNA Management Success Data Report Jan – Dec 2014

70 60 Threat level level Threat 50 Severe 40

High 30 Threat score score Threat

Moderate 20

Low 10 None 0

Figure 8 Main threats facing Bonaire National Marine Park

October 2015 31 STINAPA Bonaire DCNA Management Success Data Report Jan – Dec 2014 Table 13 Details of threats facing Bonaire National Marine Park Level Threat Detail Status Scale Main stress Lionfish are not native to the Caribbean and seem to have no natural predators in the Caribbean. They are prolific feeders and 8.1.4 Invasive; 2.1. Species effective predators. They also reproduce and grow quickly and are Marine predatory Ongoing Regional loss / resistant to many parasites. The effect their rapidly increasing species mortality population will have on the reefs of Bonaire is not yet fully understood. Sewage makes its way onto Bonaire’s coral reefs through inadequate waste water treatment and use. Sewage is a cocktail of

substances, a number of which are dangerous to coral reef ecosystems and those who use them. Sewage is a source of major damage to Bonaire’s coral reefs and a cause of human illness. Severe Terrestrial run-off from Bonaire onto the fringing reef is a source of 9.1.1 Waste water nutrients, sediments and other pollutants such as hydrocarbons 1.2 Ecosystem Ongoing Local - Sewage (oil based chemicals), pesticides and herbicides, heavy (poisonous) degradation metals. Ballast waters that are ejected from ships (especially those visiting the oil storage facility in the North of Bonaire) can contain and a range of pollutants and exotic species, which can become invasive, displacing native organisms. Jet fuel expelled from aircraft using the runway at Flamingo airport may also be having an impact on the reefs around Donkey beach. Domestic and urban waste water runs feely into the marine environment from poorly maintained septic tanks, during and

after rainfall. As well as nutrient rich sewage, run-off contains a 9.1.2 Waster 1.2 Ecosystem number of other pollutants such as oil and heavy metals. Ongoing Local

High Water; run-off degradation Terrestrial sediments are also found in runoff, which turn the water cloudy and settle on marine organisms, smothering and killing them. Historical 2.1. Species 11.4 Storms Damage caused by extreme wind and rain. likely to Local loss / return mortality Building developments for tourism are often carried out near to 1.1 Development; the waters edge. This presents particular problems for pollutants 1.3 Indirect Housing and entering the marine park through bad practice. When it is windy Ongoing Local ecosystem

Moderate urban areas or it rains, cement, bags and other site rubbish can be blown or effects. washed into the sea if preventative steps are not taken. 1.2.2 Dock 1.2 Ecosystem Commercial dock being built in the Marine Park. Ongoing Local development degradation

October 2015 32 STINAPA Bonaire DCNA Management Success Data Report Jan – Dec 2014 70 60 Threat level level Threat 50 Severe 40

High Threat score score Threat 30

Moderate 20

Low 10 None 0

Figure 9 Threats facing Washington Slagbaai National Park

October 2015 33 STINAPA Bonaire DCNA Management Success Data Report Jan – Dec 2014

Table 14 Details of ‘threats’ facing Washington Slagbaai National Park Level Threat Detail Status Scale Main stress Vegetation effected by over grazing and runoff Historical 11.4.2 Extreme removes top soil. Erosion of the roads also threatens 3.2 recreational likely to Local rain the value of the PA as a tourist attraction as the roads degradation return become impassable to most vehicles. Goats grazed by land owners neighbouring and within 2.3.2 Small holder the Washington plantation area of the PA roam the 1.2 Ecosystem grazing, ranching Ongoing Local park freely, grazing on low and young plants, reducing degradation or farming. ground cover, leading to erosion. Severe 8.1.1 Invasive; Terrestrial Cats, rats and dogs effecting the bird and reptile 2.1 Species Ongoing Local predatory fauna population. loss/mortality species Goats, pigs and donkeys grazed by land owners neighbouring and within the Washington plantation 8.1.2 Invasive; 1.2 Ecosystem area of the PA roam the park freely, grazing on low Ongoing Local Terrestrial fauna degradation and young plants, reducing ground cover, leading to erosion.

Visitor numbers Information on visitor numbers is useful for targeting management strategies and actions towards those activities most likely to be threatening the natural resources. Figures can also be used to illustrate the importance of the protected areas for attracting income from travelling tourists.

October 2015 34 STINAPA Bonaire DCNA Management Success Data Report Jan – Dec 2014

Objectives for the Year For the PMOs of the Dutch Caribbean, one of the first steps towards successful management is the formulation of effective strategic statements and the development of clear annual objectives within the strategic framework.

Box 14 Management by objectives6

‘In the broader field of management science, the style of management brought about by management planning is known as ‘management by objectives’. Management by objectives is proactive rather than reactive. It is also ‘results-oriented’, emphasising accomplishments and outcomes. It is an approach that encourages active management by the organisation and is adopted by most well regarded protected area agencies.

Four distinct steps have been identified within this type of management and decision making:

1. Formulation of clear, concise statements or objectives; 2. Development of realistic action plans for their attainment 3. Systematic monitoring and measuring of performance and achievement 4. Taking corrective actions necessary to achieve planned results.’

STINAPA Mission

STINAPA Bonaire is dedicated to the conservation of Bonaire ’s natural and historical heritage through the sustainable use of its resources.

STINAPA Goals

• To protect, conserve and restore all the natural resources, including, but not limited to, the native flora and fauna of Bonaire for future generations; • To ensure that the conservation of these natural resources is given the highest priority in all public decision making processes; • To ensure that the residents of, and visitors to, Bonaire receive quality education and information about the protection of nature and the environment; • To ensure that the natural and historical resources of Bonaire are used in a sustainable manner.

Washington Slagbaai National Park Goals i. Protect and restore (if necessary) the representative environment and landscape of the South Caribbean region found inside the park, as well as its ecosystems, in order to guarantee the balance and continuity of the evolutionary and ecological processes. ii. Protect the island's native genetic diversity and biodiversity in the current ecosystems. Particularly, protect and restore (if necessary) the species that are in danger of extinction or are under special protected status. iii. Guarantee the sustainable use and/or development of the ecosystems, its elements, and the historical resources, mainly for the benefit of the people of Bonaire. iv. Provide an area with optimal conditions for environmentally-oriented scientific research. v. Generate, rescue, and spread scientific and historical knowledge that will make it possible to understand the importance of using the resources in a sustainable way.

Bonaire National Marine Park Goals 1. Maintain and/or restore the ecosystems, biological diversity, and ecological processes. 2. Manage the marine park as a regionally and globally significant and successful multi-use marine protected area. 3. Allow use of the marine park by promoting non-destructive activities and working with stakeholders to establish guidelines and regulations to minimize impacts on the environment. 4. Protect and/or restore the cultural and historical resources identified as significant.

6 Thomas, Lee and Middleton, Julie, (2003). Guidelines for Management Planning of Protected Areas. IUCN Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. ix + 79pp.

October 2015 35 STINAPA Bonaire DCNA Management Success Data Report Jan – Dec 2014 Table 15 The STINAPA Bonaire Draft Action Plan for 2014 Note: The headings and actions are not placed in order of priority

October 2015 36 STINAPA Bonaire DCNA Management Success Data Report Jan – Dec 2014 Governance Board members STINAPA has a permanent Board of eight Directors, which oversees BNMP and WSNP activities and directs overall strategy for STINAPA. Elected Board members have additional responsibilities in accordance with respective positions. Board meetings are held monthly and minutes of the meetings are taken and circulated amongst members. Charles Vos was elected a member, Chris de Bres resigned. The former Director (Elsmarie Beukenboom) acts as a consultant to the Board.

Table 16 The Board of STINAPA 2014

Position Name Representing Chair Vice Chair Jeannette Nolen Independent Secretary Charles Vos BONHATA Treasurer Herbert Piar Independent Member Bruce Bowker CURO Member Felix Cicilia Government Member Susan Davis Independent Member Ethsel Pieternella TCB Member Agnes Joosten Independent

Board operations

Committees There were no active committees within STINAPA in 2014.

Institutional arrangements Organisations responsible for running protected areas benefit from being well developed in terms of staff requirements (including uniforms, and objective setting such as on daily boards), statutes, bylaws, committees and reporting requirements. Effective communication within the PA’s organisation is essential for the effective running of the PA. Communication lines usually run through meetings that are followed up with minutes to the relevant parties. Ideally, meetings between the management body, director/manager and staff should each occur on at least a monthly basis, where minutes are taken and circulated to relevant parties. This increases transparency with decision making and encourages communication between staff, management and the board. Table 17 STINAPA provisions for staff

Daily work board ✓ Staff work book ✓ Job descriptions for staff ✓ Uniforms for staff ✓ Staff ID badges ✓ Staff evaluations ✓

Evaluations every 12 months towards contract renewal

Further details on Board operations have been collected but are not included in this report.

October 2015 37 STINAPA Bonaire DCNA Management Success Data Report Jan – Dec 2014 Capacity Human resources

Staff In 2014 STINAPA had 26 members of staff with 225 years of service between them. Twenty members worked a full year and six worked part of the year. In addition to the changes in the staff involved with management, one marine park ranger left the organisation in 2014, and was replaced by a new staff member.

Edwin Domacasse “Din” was recognized for his 20 years service for STINAPA as a marine park ranger.

Table 18 Staff of STINAPA 2014 Position % of year worked Start year Academic qualification Interim Director JA 60 2014 BSc/BA Accounting manager KR 100 1996 BSc/BA Natural - Historic Resources Unit Manager FS 80 2000 MSc/MA Wildlife biologist / MPA Manager PB 100 2012 MSc/MA MPA Manager RdL 100 2004 MSc/MA TPA Manager 100 2014 BSc/BA Education officer DC 100 2009 BSc/BA Pride Coordinator DSJ 100 2010 BSc/BA Communication officer AvdV 100 2013 MSc/MA Receptionist JAF 100 1996 None TPA Chief ranger GT 100 1981 None TPA Ranger CC 100 1995 None TPA Ranger NJ 100 1998 None TPA Ranger RP 100 2006 None TPA Maintenance Person HB 100 2003 None TPA Maintenance Person GS 100 1992 None TPA Maintenance Person JP 100 2006 None MPA Chief Ranger DD 100 1994 None MPA Ranger JJ 50 2007 Professional Qualification MPA Ranger MM 100 2009 Professional Qualification MPA Ranger SM 100 2009 Professional Qualification MPA ranger CA 100 2011 None MPA ranger LE 30 2014 High School Leaver MPA ranger JM 100 2012 High School Leaver MPA ranger EW 100 2012 High School Leaver Cleaner ST 50 1996 None Staff in pale type left the organisation in 2014

Management, 4.3

Office, 1

Field, 16.4

Figure 10 Division of staff full time positions (FTP) between Management, Office and Field positions.

October 2015 38 STINAPA Bonaire DCNA Management Success Data Report Jan – Dec 2014

Most of the staff divide their time between marine and terrestrial work, staff estimates of their time division are shown in the graphic below.

% Marine work % Terrestrial work 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Director EB Interim director EC Natural - Historic Resources Unit Manager FS MPA Manager RdL Accounting manager KR Wildlife biologist PB Education officer DC Pride Coordinator DSJ Receptionist JAF Cleaner ST TPA Chief ranger GT TPA Ranger CC TPA Ranger NJ TPA Ranger RP TPA Maintenance Person HB TPA Maintenance Person GS TPA Maintenance Person JP MPA Chief Ranger DD MPA Ranger JJ MPA Ranger MM MPA Ranger SM MPA Ranger RN Assistant MPA ranger CA Assistant MPA ranger JM Assistant MPA ranger EW Communication Officer AvdV

Figure 11 Staff time division between Marine and Terrestrial work.

October 2015 39 STINAPA Bonaire DCNA Management Success Data Report Jan – Dec 2014 Extra qualifications The extra qualifications listed in the graphic below have been identified by experts and through the Management Success Project as important qualifications for protected area staff to have. The capacity of the staff to carry out management work is dependent on the experience, academic qualifications and extra qualifications of the staff.

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20

Special police powers

VHF radio operator

Vehicle / boat maintenance

First aid

Conflict resolution

Captains licence

IT Training

Media and communication

Species specific training

Monitoring

Park Saftey

Park law

Park history

Park stakeholders

Boat handling

Tropical marine ecology

Tropical Terrestrial ecology

CITES Training

SCUBA qualification

GIS training

Table 19 Extra qualifications of staff (26 staff members).

October 2015 40 STINAPA Bonaire DCNA Management Success Data Report Jan – Dec 2014 Scoring for staff attributes The attributes of the staff members have been scored using the simple system outlined below. This gives each of the staff member’s score where a staff member with higher academic qualifications and experience will have a higher score. Table 20 Staff capacity scoring method

Years of service Academic qualification SL = School Leaver 0 HSL = Higher School Leaver 5 PQ = Professional Qualification 10 NOTES ON SCORING Number of years service BSc/BA = Bachelors 10 MSC/MA = Masters 15 PhD = Doctorate 15

The graphic below represents the scores for the staff members, using the method outlined above.

Academic qualifcation score Years of service 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 Director EB Interim director EC Natural - Historic Resources Unit MPA Manager RdL Accounting manager KR Wildlife biologist PB Education officer DC Pride Coordinator DSJ Receptionist JAF Cleaner ST TPA Chief ranger GT TPA Ranger CC TPA Ranger NJ TPA Ranger RP TPA Maintenance Person HB TPA Maintenance Person GS TPA Maintenance Person JP MPA Chief Ranger DD MPA Ranger JJ MPA Ranger MM MPA Ranger SM MPA Ranger RN Assistant MPA ranger CA Assistant MPA ranger JM Assistant MPA ranger EW Communication Officer AvdV

Figure 12 Staff capacity; academic qualification and years of service.

October 2015 41 STINAPA Bonaire DCNA Management Success Data Report Jan – Dec 2014 Outsourcing Consultants, contractors, researchers, volunteers and interns contribute significant amount of capacity to the work of a protected area. Outsourced work is varied and can include maintenance tasks, help with administration, detailed biological research and accounting.

Consultants, contractors and researchers STINAPA had 10 consultants, contractors and researchers carrying out work in 2014, including: Table 21 Consultants and researchers used by STINAPA. Name Work carried out STINAPA Ernst and young Auditing Net tek NV Website and e-mail host – digital consulting Carib Consult Drafting Strategic Plan Terrestrial Damascus Road maintenance and septic tank emptying. Sam Williams Echo - Lora work Electrical expert Practical work and consulting on replacement solar panels and associated fittings. Obersi Work on the radio mast and system in the park; replacement of the wind driven power generator. Imares Goat removal project Wolfs Company World heritage nomination dossier Marine Bob Steneck Status of the coral reef Sabine Engel Lac conch restoration project Geilmon Egberts Lionfish removal Rene van der 'Growth, mortality and recruitment rates of the brown alga Lobophora variegata in relation to herbivory and Zande nutrients on Bonaire' published January 2014

Volunteers and Interns More than 40 dive professionals and 300+ STINAPA certified hunters assisted with the collection of Lionfish in the marine park. School children also carried out some internships at the MPA. One intern from Waganingen University worked on the re- development of the STINAPA website.

Fifty-five personnel from the Dutch military helped with preparations in WSNP the rainy season, including clearing drainage, removal of invasive species and the construction of a windbreak to protect seedlings. Eight local and international volunteers worked for between 4 and 6 weeks each assisting WSNP staff with painting, trail maintenance and beach cleans.

30 volunteers aided staff with a Lora count at 23 locations outside the park.

October 2015 42 STINAPA Bonaire DCNA Management Success Data Report Jan – Dec 2014 Physical resources The number of physical resources available for use by a protected area greatly influences the work that can be done. Table 22 Physical resources available to STINAPA. Key Sufficiency Use Sufficient Both 3 Insufficient Marine Park 1 Not available Terrestrial park 2

Office(s) 3 Meeting room 3 Private 2 Workshop 3 Boat shed 1 Public 2

Ticket office / entrance 2 Specialised 2 Research room 3 Yacht 2 MOORINGS Lab room 0 Fishing 2 BUILDINGS Visitor centre 2 Desk top Computer 2 3 Museum 2 Lap top Computer 2 3 Tablet 0 0 Public toilets 2 Accommodation 2 Camera 2 3 4*4 Truck 3 Video camera 2 1 4*4 Jeep (not open back) 0 Projector 2 3

Van / 2WD Pick up 3 ELECTRONIC Internet 2 3 Car 0 GPS 2 3 Motorbike 0 Remote Operated Vehicle 0 0 Bicycle 0 Vessel Monitoring System 0 0

TRANSPORT Boat: Hard Hull, in board engine 0 Drying oven 2 3 Boat: Hard Hull, out board engine 1 Microscopes 2 3 Rigid Inflatable, in board engine 0 Fridge 2 3

Rigid Inflatable, out board engine 0 Balance 2 3

Fax machine 3 Field glasses 2 2 Telephone (Land line) 3 CTD probe 2 1 SCIENTIFC Cell phones 3 Other sensors e.g. HOBO 2 1 Radios 3 pH meter 2 3 VHF radio 3 Water quality test kit 2 3 COMUNICATIONS Base station 3 Other field equipment 0 3 Piers/docks 0 BC 2 1

BBQ pits 3 Regulator(s) 2 1 Trails 2 Tank 2 1 Board walks 0 Weights (sets) 2 1 Car parks 2 Wetsuits 0 0 Hides 0 UW Scooter 0 0 Mask 2 1 Walls 0 EQUIPMENT DIVE

Fences 2 Fins 2 1 Roads 2 Snorkel 2 1 Litter Bins 0 Maintenance equipment 2 3

Picnic tables 0 Drill mooring equipment 2 1 Personal protective equipment 2 2

INFRASTRUCTURE Benches 0 First Aid kit 2 3 Camping area 0 OTHER Information booths 0 Oxygen kit 2 1 Signboards 3 Hyperbaric facility 0 0 Marker stones 3 Trail markers 2 Plant markers 2 Other 1

October 2015 43 STINAPA Bonaire DCNA Management Success Data Report Jan – Dec 2014

Legal resources The following tables indicate the level of governance and institutional organisation for each of the PAs. For policies, planning documents, laws, permits, guidelines and institutional arrangements to be effective, they need to be adopted effectively through adoption and publication. The success of a PA is directly affected by legal arrangements. Rules and guidelines that are fully adopted and well publicised significantly increase the effectiveness of a protected area. Effectively communicated rules and guidelines lighten the workload for PA staff through passively informing stakeholders about the protected area and clearly defining what is and isn’t allowed within the PA. Table 23 Aspects of Legal resourcing.

Factor not in existence Factor in development, old or not adopted/gazetted/publicised. Factor exists and is adopted/gazetted/publicised but not enforced by the PMO Factor exists and is adopted/gazetted/publicised and IS enforced by the the PMO

Island Nature Policy Plan Island Environmental Policy Plan

Plans Island Zoning Plan

Marine environment Hinderverordening / nuisance Afval / waste

Waterveiligheid / Water safety Fisheries Building and housing Harbour Ordinances Development Afval water / waste water Nature management Protection of Fauna and Flora

Research Collection

Tourism watersports Tourism tour operators Tourism guides Building Piers Marine permits Marine Moorings Fishing Natural resource extraction

Research Collection

Tourism watersports Tourism tour operators Tourism guides Farming Hiking Camping Terrestrial permits Terrestrial Building Land clearance Natural resource extraction

October 2015 44 STINAPA Bonaire DCNA Management Success Data Report Jan – Dec 2014

Table 24 Guidelines.

Factor not in existence Factor in development, old or not adopted/gazetted/publicised. Factor exists and is adopted/gazetted/publicised.

Animal / plant spotting Boating Camping Helicopter tours Kayaking Picnicking / BBQ's Tours Beach lounging Diving Fishing Jet skiing Kite surfing

Marine guidelines Marine Mooring Snorkelling Submarine / submersible / glass bottom Waterskiing Windsurfing Yachting Spearfishing Invasive control

Animal / plant spotting Camping Cycling Driving Helicopter tours Hiking Horse riding Off road driving - motor cross Parachute sports

Terrestrial guidelines Terrestrial Picnicking / BBQ's Tours Beach lounging Invasive control

October 2015 45 STINAPA Bonaire DCNA Management Success Data Report Jan – Dec 2014

Information sources Each of the factors listed below have been identified by Kenchington, R. A. (1990)7. as important background information for the running of any PA. Within the management success capture sheets, PA staff checked yes or no if the PA has each of the information sources and had an option to provide further details e.g. how much detail the maps include, how old the information is, if there are any plans to improve the information. A good source of information is considered to be recent, comprehensive and easily accessible. Those pieces of information identified as missing should be developed to increase the management capacity of the protected area. Table 25 Information available Key to shading Information is not available to the PA Information source is insufficient e.g. too old, unfinished, too specific A good source of information

Island wide

Geological maps Hydrological survey Land use plans Topographical maps Tide tables Maps of currents Nautical chart Bathymetric charts

Marine Terrestrial

Biological Baseline habitat maps Community descriptions Species lists Status of commercially important species Status of endangered, threatened and endemic species

Mapping Aerial photographs Digital Satellite Images GIS

Socio-economic Economic valuation Cultural valuation Traditional usage Current use and usage levels Socio-economic survey User Fee Survey

7 Kenchington, R. A. (1990) Managing Marine Environments, Taylor and Francis, New York.

October 2015 46 STINAPA Bonaire DCNA Management Success Data Report Jan – Dec 2014

Finances As of December 31st 2014-Currency is USD Numbers According to Approved Financial Statement 2014

Dec 31, 14 ASSETS Fixed Assets

Tangible Fixed Assets 226,090 Financial Fixed Assets 500,000

Total Fixed Assets 726,090

Current Assets

Project Subsidies Receivable 464,933 Other Current Assets 51,827 Stock 43,378 Cash at Banks 650,049

Total Current Assets 1,210,187

TOTAL ASSETS 1,936,277

EQUITY AND LIABLITIES Equity

Foundation's Capital 56 Accumulated Results Previous Years 1,075,763 Result Current Year -93,367

Total Equity 982,452

Fixed Assets Funds 85,004

Short Term Liabilities and Accruals

Deferred Income Project Subsidy 533,110 Deferred Income Bomenfonds 10,630 Social Premiums And Taxes 137,827 Accruals 187,254

Total Short Term Liabilities and Accruals 868,821

TOTAL EQUITY AND LIABILITIES 1,936,277 Figure 13 Balance sheet for STINAPA 2014.

October 2015 47 STINAPA Bonaire DCNA Management Success Data Report Jan – Dec 2014

As of December 31st 2014-Currency is USD Numbers According to Approved Financial Statement 2014

Dec 31, 14

INCOME Project Subsidies 219,638 Project Expenses -219,638 Operating Revenue 1,337,946 Government Grant 63,672 Donations Received 9,895 Other Subsidy -

TOTAL INCOME 1,411,513

EXPENSES Personnel Expenses 989,027 Operational Expenses Bonaire National Marine Park 52,891 Operational Expenses Washington Slagbaai 1,914 Transportation Expenses 67,937 Housing Expenses 40,063 Information and Education 78,843 Nature Management 13,129 General Expenses 173,885 Depreciation 111,002

TOTAL EXPENSES 1,528,691

Operational Result -117,178

Release of Fixed Assets Funds 25,152 Addition to Provision Doubtful Receivables -1,341

Net Result -93,367

Figure 14 Income and Expenditure for STINAPA 2014.

Fees structure Fees can be charged for use of moorings in the marine park or the use of hiking trails in the terrestrial park. Table 26 Fees structure of STINAPA.

Activity Charge Nature fee Year Scuba Diving Pass and entrance to WSNP $25 Non-diver $10 Public mooring fee Daily fee for mooring $10 Private mooring fee Annual fee for mooring Naf 500 Scuba day pass One day pass $10 Day pass non-diver One day pass $2 International children $5 WSNP Entrance Local children Naf 1.75 Local adults Naf 5

October 2015 48 STINAPA Bonaire DCNA Management Success Data Report Jan – Dec 2014

Operational Management Operational management is the term chosen by DCNA to describe the work that is done by the protected area’s as a bare minimum that is required to run the sites. The different aspects of operational management have been described in the introduction to this report. STINAPA had 21.8 full time positions equivalent in 2014 equating to a total of 41,856 hours8 work time. In 2014 53% of STINAPA’s staff time was spent on work relating to the marine environment and 47% spent on terrestrial issues.

Terrestrial Marine

Figure 15 Division of STINAPA’s staff time between MPA and TPA (total 41,856 hours) The charts below show how the staff time is divided between the Operational Management tasks. The charts take into account how much time individual staff members spent working at the organisation throughout the year i.e. if they were full or part time, or if they started or finished working part way through the year.

Advice - Representation Advice Management

Outreach and Education Administration

Law enforcement

Monitoring - Research

Field Administration and Maintenence Figure 16 BNMP staff time9 division (total 22,184 hours).

8 Assuming 40 hour weeks, 48 weeks of the year. 9 Staff time data takes into account if staff worked full or part time and/or only worked for part of the year.

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Advice - Representation Advice Outreach and Management Education

Law enforcement Administration

Monitoring - Research

Field Administration and Maintenence Figure 17 WSNP staff time division (total 19,672 hours).

October 2015 50 STINAPA Bonaire DCNA Management Success Data Report Jan – Dec 2014

Management In 2014 staff produced a 2013 Annual Report, a Report to Local Government and Deloitte and Touche produced an annual audit. STINAPA also produced a financial report and half year financial report. An annual budget was produced along with monthly overviews of profit and loss and monthly budget comparisons. The Board of STINAPA also developed a Strategic Plan in 2014. The final plan is due to be published in 2015.

Significant amounts of time were spent managing projects for STINAPA, including the WSNP Goat Management Project. Human Resources management also took up a significant amount of time for the Director and Managers.

In 2014 the 2006 BNMP Management Plan was being implemented. STINAPA worked to an annual action plan for 2014 and produced an Annual Action Plan for 2015. The Accounts manager carried out payroll administration and significant amounts of time were spent in weekly management staff meetings.

Administration As well as on-going computing, filing, and ad hoc communications with stakeholders and interested parties, STINAPA staff worked on a variety of other tasks related to general administration including; budget execution, meeting planning, performing secretariat function for the board, dealing with insurances, weekly work planning and weekly work schedule, maintenance plans and the extensive mooring wall chart was maintained by staff of BNMP. Twenty four hours were spent organising the tags and receipt books for admission fees.

Income Generation In 2014 STINAPA sold 35,152 dive tags, 1,292 day passes for divers and 11,917 other user tags.

Other donations in 2014 included: • Selibon NV provided gloves and bags for clean ups • FESBO – working with snorkel programme and Turtles of Bonaire programme. • Area of land made available by Fundashon Kas Boneriano for use by the education department. • Donation of dive equipment by Cargil N.V. via Cressi-Sub and Bruce Bowkers Carib Inn. • UNEP funded Junior Ranger exchange with Saba Conservation Foundation. • 1000$ from the RBC Royal Bank for the Junior Rangers graduation ceremony. • Web (electricity provider) donated wooden poles for the construction of an obstacle course at the WSNP entrance. • $5000 from Cargill for the Junior Rangers Explorer video. • $1000 from TCB for the Lionfish Derby • Local businesses also contributed hotel rooms, car rental and dining experiences. • An Apple Macbook and GOPRO camera were also donated to STINAPA.

Thirty six days of staff time were spent on six successful funding applications in 2014:

• WWF INNO funding for coral reef restoration; $12,000. • WNF for the strategic plan; around $23,000 over two years. • PBCF funding for an Archaeological Project in WSNP; $14,000. • Government ‘Green Funding’ for the Goat Eradication Project in WSNP; $480,000 over three years. • Island government subsidy, $57,500 • WWF funding for a 12 seater bus for the junior ranger programme, $33,000.

Time was also spent writing a funding application for the Junior Rangers Explorer programme from the WWF INNO Fonds, which was unsuccessful. A report by STINAPA staff on the increase of income has been drafted. Bloomberg Philanthropies invited STINAPA to do a pilot on a new digital system for issuing dive tags. This new system should be introduced in other (marine) parks.

Field Administration and Maintenance Land and boat patrols for BNMP took up approximately 5460 hours of staff time. There were ten formal patrols a week, five a week on land for seven hours involving at least two staff members, and five a week at sea for four hours involving at least two people on the boat. Throughout 2014 there was a considerable amount of work patrolling Lac Ramsar site, enforcing user fees and maintaining channel openings by cutting roots that block the flow of water to the back of the bay.

As in previous years, maintenance of moorings also constitutes some surveillance and patrolling work. BNMP Staff spent approximately 640 hours on maintenance. This includes; 156 hours on maintaining five vehicles and 380 hours on mooring maintenance including planning, there are also further incidental repairs on an ad hoc basis. Maintenance schedules were

October 2015 51 STINAPA Bonaire DCNA Management Success Data Report Jan – Dec 2014 established, taking four hours a month and a total of 10 hours were spent maintaining swim lines as part of the staff member’s work on Lac.

There were fourteen patrols a week each for two hours involving three members of staff in the WSNP (a total of 4370 hours through the year). Field staff of WSNP spent all of their remaining hours on maintenance in 2014, other staff members of joined with the field staff and spent considerable amounts of time on other essential maintenance tasks, including:

• Installation of benches at Playa Funchi and at view points around Boka Slagbaai. • Shades added to the toilet booth area at the entrance to WSNP. • Mending fences, control of vegetation, care of woodwork. • Refurbishment of the museum. • Refurbishment of the shop, for re-opening in 2015. • Installation of a new solar system and batteries. • Vehicle maintenance. • Clearing an area made available by Fundashon Kas Boneriano for use by the education department. Washington Slagbaai National Park rangers and volunteers spent 3 days clearing the area and creating paths. • Cleaning up after fires on beaches. • Establishment of a children’s trail and the entrance to WSNP.

Education In 2014 NME reached 1835 elementary children through eight schools. Some of them have participated in more than one activity and or presentation. And total reach including SGB and afterschool program is estimated to be 2500 students. Staff also started working with the 150 of the 1350 High School children who attend the one High School on Bonaire in 2014. The main education activities in 2014 were;

• Educational boxes on 11 different topics with the Bird box being renewed in 2014 and a Sharks box in preparation. • Outdoor activities; 10 different outdoor activities including Festival di Planta Palu, Lora Pad and Bird Watching. • Snorkel program (Turtuganan di Boneiru), 109 children over five weeks with a curriculum and specific material. • Lectures and workshops on request on topics as varied as reefs, climate change and bats, to over 200 students. • Reforestation programs (National Tree Planting Day) • Sharks of Bonaire; advanced snorkelling and environmental education, 60 teenagers included in the programme. • Junior Ranger Program with 30 participants through 2014.

STINAPA Bonaire and Saba Conservation Foundation (SCF) implemented an exchange program where the STINAPA’s leading Junior Rangers and Nature Education Officer shared their knowledge and skills with youth nature educational groups on Saba. Through presentations, workshops, field excursions and biodiversity exploration, the STINAPA Junior Rangers and Saba’s youth got involved in nature and conservation activities on Saba, all this together with park staff, education professionals and the youth themselves sharing knowledge and materials

In 2014 the experienced staff of STINAPA also trained other PA practitioners. The NME gave training to staff of a protected area in Grenada on how to operate a Junior Rangers programme. STINAPA staff hosted and organised the two day DCNA workshop on Wetlands and Water birds.

Outreach The STINAPA website is active and a full review of the website was carried out in 2014, with changes due to be published in 2015. Staff maintained the STINAPA Facebook page and the NME maintained the NME STINAPA Bonaire Facebook page, with a total of 9000+ likes between them. A total of 13 new radio broadcasts were written and recorded for three local radio stations on various topics. Radio broadcasts were made five times a day over the three stations throughout the year. There were also 24 press releases through 2014, two a month on variety of topics.

Work was carried out on new posters about the nature fee and kite boarding guidelines. Updates were also made to the BNMP and WSNP brochures. A Law enforcement handbook was developed in 2014, which will be printed and distributed in 2015.

Washington Park open Day and 45th anniversary was a full day event for families including 150 children. In 2014 this included radio and press releases, banners, posters, guided hikes, free transport to Slagbaai, children’s activities, refreshments and music. Most of the STINAPA staff were involved with the event. 1014 visitors registered for the day, 387 of those took tours of the park in cars. Guided hikes around WSNP took place every two weeks and were operated by the TPA Manager and Chief Ranger, each hike involving around 20 people.

Other events and outreach that took place during 2014 included;

• Reforestation Program, 275 students planted 100 trees, took part in story telling and a tree planting drawing contest. • Earth Day, international coastal clean up, 60 bags of waste collected by 40 volunteers

October 2015 52 STINAPA Bonaire DCNA Management Success Data Report Jan – Dec 2014 • World Wetland Day; presentations to 90 students at three different events • Summer vacation activity • Biodiversity day, lectures and presentations for 30 students. • Bat Presentation; 6 schools, 275 students • Migratory Birds; 7 schools 250 students • Bird watching over Gotomeer Saliña involving 7 schools 250 students • Conch (karko) presentation in class rooms • Moonwalk, Brandaris walk • Wild4Life Party • Junior Ranger ceremony • Lionfish presentation in High School to 45 students. • Brandaris end of year walk; 25 Junior Rangers. • Lionfish derby; 950 lionfish caught and cooked, attended by 400 people. • KLM and WNF delegations given a tour of Lac Cai ad other points on the island before taking a snorkel/sailing trip. • BNMP Manager; local TV appearance about the reefs of Bonaire, also coverage about the Tern project • Staff provided cover for the annual swim to Klein Bonaire. • Drone images shot for use on the STINAPA website. • Warnings and awareness building about Box Jellyfish in the MPA. • Provided images and text for The Nature Conservancy who wrote a Bonaire lionfish case study for their webpage as an example of active management. • Coral Restoration Foundation Bonaire presentation • Events: staff organised a Town Pier clean up dive.

Monitoring - Research There were no monitoring or research programmes carried out in BNMP during 2014.

There were no hypotheses driven time limited research projects carried out in 2014 by WSNP staff. Before he left the organisation, the NHRU Manager continued with three monitoring programmes; Cave use dynamics by cave dwelling bats on Bonaire, Population dynamics of Leptonycteris curasoae (bat species), Cave census and mapping, and baseline monitoring of the phenology (main life cycle events) of the main tree species of Bonaire.

• Annual Lora count 2014; staff counted Lora at 12 locations in Washington Slagbaai National Park • Bat monitoring continued with evidence emerging that Bats migrate from Bonaire to Venezuela. • Tern nesting improvement plan; STINAPA staff installed Decoy Terns on an artificial island in the Cargill owned salt flats attract more nesting birds. • Camera traps at Tern nesting sites picked up predator activity (cats)

DCNA Measuring Management Success Project The management success project is an ongoing DCNA project designed to measure the management effectiveness of each of the protected area management organizations in the Dutch Caribbean. The management success project has developed a tool for collecting data using objective indicators to measure ’success’ across a broad spectrum of protected area management tasks and activities. STINAPA contributed six hours to the project in 2014.

Law enforcement Lobbying has taken place on four key issues, mostly relating to the marine environment. The key issues during 2014 were:

• Increasing mooring fees. • The proposed changes to the zoning plan raised by the OLB; • the construction of a pier in the MPA.

Five days were also spent working with Wereld Natuur Fonds on goat control, the world heritage nomination and Lac bay sustainable development.

There were 29 logged incidents within the MPA for legal reasons in 2014, including three PV prosecutions. Thirty permits were issued by BNMP for the wearing of gloves whilst diving for medical reasons. Twenty five permits were issued for the use of the ELF lionfish removal tool in 2014.

In WSNP no permits were issued, but one memorandum of understanding was issued to allow Lora research within the park. There were no further interventions in WSNP during 2015, although some illegal hunting of goats took place along the boundary of the park.

• One Spear fishing incident, equipment confiscated and catch of fish confiscated and donated to the Krusada foundation

October 2015 53 STINAPA Bonaire DCNA Management Success Data Report Jan – Dec 2014 • No-take lobster season was enforced May 1st – October 31st 2014.

The Marine Park Manager spent a considerable amount of time lobbying against the illegal pier development in Kralendijk. The court presiding over the case asked the Executive Council to reconsider its decision to not take enforcement action against the 34 pier pillars that were installed without the correct permits.

Staff also spent a total of 13 days advising the Government commission on nature and advising on draft legislation. Advice STINAPA continues to work with 30+ stakeholders and partners. Twenty two of these assist with both BNMP and WSNP, 11 work on issues relating to the marine environment and two stakeholders on issues relating to the Terrestrial Environment. These stakeholders include: Volunteer groups, the legal department, IUCN, NOAA, IMARES, the customs office, Rare Planet and various universities for the BNMP and The Environmental Service, DROB and various Universities for the WSNP and terrestrial activities.

The incoming manager of WSNP worked extensively with Bonaire Tours, one of the key operators working with the cruise visitor industry, agreements and contracts are now in place to bring cruise visitors to the park through 2015. Staff also spent time in three hour monthly meetings with all of the other NGO’s and government representatives on Bonaire. The Director worked closely with Law enforcement agencies, taking part in the Maritiem overleg for two hours, six times a year.

The staff of STINAPA represented the organisation at a number of events throughout 2014: Table 27 Representation by STINAPA staff members Event Attendee(s) Location Total Time Junior Rangers Exchange NME Saba 7 days IUCN World Parks Congress Accounts manager, Ranger Sydney 7 days DCNA Board Meetings Accounts manager, Director St Maarten , Aruba 8 days total NAUI meeting BNMP Manager Brasil 4 days MPA’s as a tool for responsible fisheries BNMP Manager Barbados 5 days Lion fish control workshop Wild life biologist Ft Lauerdale 4 days

Working with stakeholders Box 15 Working with stakeholders.

Effective stakeholder relationships are essential for the functioning of any protected area. The table below shows how the PAs within the DCNA interact with their stakeholders and other partners. The level of relationship is established through the level of interaction between the PA staff and the stakeholder/partners. This includes the number of times PA staff meet with the stakeholder, whether or not information is given by the PA institution to the stakeholder, and whether or not the stakeholder provides information for the PA staff.

STINAPA works with 20 stakeholders relating to both marine and terrestrial issues, 16 stakeholders with solely a marine interest and one stakeholder with a terrestrial interest.

Table 28 STINAPA stakeholder relationships Level of Constituent relationship Environmental Service, Education Department, DCNA, Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment, Exceptional Building and Zoning Department, Other Environment NGOs, CAMPAM. Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, Other parks, Legal Department, Police, Dive Operators, SPAW-RAC, Effective World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Harbour Office, Fisherfolk, Florida State Wildlife Division. Agriculture Department, International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), CORAL, Prosecutor's Office, Coast Guard, Schools, Tourism Association, Hoteliers, Volunteer Groups, Dutch Military, IMARES, Some Alterra, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), Universities and Academic Centres, Tourism Department, Neighborhood Groups, Youth Groups, Customs MARINE PARK, Retailers, Wholesalers (Dive gear, etc.), DTH (law enforcement).

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Projects In addition to the operational management carried out by a protected area, ‘Projects’ can also be carried out. Projects are carried out in addition to the operational management required to run a protected area. A project is a unique venture with a beginning and an end, undertaken by people to meet established goals usually within defined constraints of time and resources. Projects form an important part of protected area management where sufficient capacity is available to establish specific programmes to investigate and address contextual issues, build capacity or develop operational management.

One, three year project was worked on relating to BNMP - the Conch Restoration Project,. The Manager of BNMP also spent some time along with the Wildlife Biologist working on a coral restoration project. The reforestation project continued on Klein Bonaire where 900 trees were planted through 2014.

WSNP goat eradication project was established in 2014 and started operating in full at the beginning of 2015. Extensive work was carried out establishing the best methods to catch goats and to identify the goat hotspots – where to focus trapping effort.

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Appendix

October 2015 56 STINAPA Bonaire DCNA Management Success Data Report Jan – Dec 2014 Glossary A park where management activities are carried out by dedicated (full or part-time) staff on a regular/daily basis within an organisation, which has a defined mission and goals and where staff time is organised to address core Actively managed park management tasks as well as proactively tackling issues and threats. A non-actively (passively) managed park would lack a defined mission and goals, staff time would not be allocated to address core tasks and would react to threats and issues in an ad-hoc fashion. A management system, which includes reviewing past performance and incorporating 'lessons learnt' and Adaptive management improvements into the ongoing management and planning process. The total diversity of living organisms as well as the ecosystems of which they are part (includes species diversity, Biodiversity genetic diversity and ecosystem diversity) Capacity A combination of the resources available to manage a park. A management structure whereby the park management organisation and stakeholders share joint authority and Co-management responsibility for making decisions about resource management. Aspects of park management which form part of the circumstances in which the PMO operates and which change Context infrequently such as tenure, international recognition, zoning, legislation etc. Management driven by a clear mission and goals, which includes stakeholder input, past and present achievements, issues and threats. These are normally captured in a management document such as a management plan. The level of Effective management effectiveness depends on how the park’s resources (financial, human, physical and information) are deployed to implement the PMOs mission and goals and to address operational activities, threats and issues. Evaluation Judgement or assessment of achievement against predetermined criteria. Goal a broad statement indicating what the park is trying to achieve through its management efforts The ecological area occupied by an organism, population or community as characterised by both its physical and Habitat biotic properties. The number of staff and their attributes that park management can call upon. This also includes volunteers, interns Human resources and external individuals and organisations used on a consultancy/contractual basis. Non-indigenous species (or exotic species) introduced by human actions, whose introduction causes, or is likely to Invasive species cause, economic or environmental harm or harm to human health. A biological, chemical or physical process or entity with the potential to negatively impact on the conservation of the Issue parks natural resources. If not addressed issues could threaten the sustainable conservation of the park. A measure of a park’s ability to fulfil its mission and goals in terms of the available resources (physical, human, Management capacity financial and information). Management The degree to which management achieves the goals and objectives of the park. effectiveness Management Success The evaluation of the positive achievements of a park - primarily relating to the management and conservation of Evaluation values of the park. The regular collection and analysis of information, which allows a PMO to measure change in the physical, social and Monitoring economic environment of the park. This information should be used to guide management efforts. Operational activities Activities that are essential to the ongoing management of an actively managed park. An area of land and/or sea, which is dedicated to the protection and maintenance of biological diversity, natural and Park associated cultural resources and is managed through legal or other effective means. An individual or an organisation with whom staff of a park collaborate for the benefit of the park. They do not hold a Partner vested interest in the park. Physical resources Any resource that can be uniquely identified, this includes buildings, transport, and infrastructure. A diffuse external impact on a park created by human activities, which requires a management response in order to Pressure sustainably protect the resource from harm A defined enterprise executed to achieve a particular aim with in a defined time period. Projects can involve research, Project capacity or infrastructure development, education or other aspects of management. A coherent group of protected areas (preferably ecologically linked) operating co-operatively to increase Protected area (park) management effectiveness by improving their ability to lobby, fundraise and manage as well as to build internal network capacity through the exchange of knowledge, expertise, information and or resources. PA resources The financial, human, physical and information resources available for day-to-day operations Research Hypothesis driven scientific investigation(s) limited by time. An individual, group or organisation with a vested interest in the management of a park, who can affect or be affected Stakeholder by park management decisions. A biological, chemical or physical process or entity, which damages, destroys or degrades the natural resource. A Threat threat can be an entity such as an organism, which becomes a pest, or a process such as an increase in erosion, which damages habitat or can result from human activities such as anchor damage. Use A human activity that takes place within a park. The importance of a park in terms of a range of variables, including: biological, ecological, cultural, wilderness, Value economic, social characteristics as well as scientific, international or national significance.

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Threat classification

Stress descriptors

Stress category Descriptor Source 1. Ecosystem/community Stresses that affect ecosystems and communities stresses Ecosystem conversion Direct and complete conversion of the ecosystem Ecosystem degradation Direct damage to an ecosystems biotic and/or abiotic biological condition Indirect ecosystem effects Indirect damage to an ecosystem; fragmentation, isolation, food source impacts 2. Species stresses Stresses that affect specific species or groups of species Species loss Direct killing (mortality) or capturing of species

Species disturbance Direct damage to a species; disruption of critical lifecycle stages Indirect species effects Indirect damage to a species Hybridization Mixing of genetics between two different species (of the same genus). IUCNRed List Competition Increased or decreased inter/intra specific competition Loss of mutualism Relationships where both organisms benefit Loss of pollinator Loss of species responsible for pollinating key flora species Inbreeding Reduced gene flow and other genetic effects Skewed sex ratios Artificially more or one sex than the other Reduced reproductive success Including chick mortality and egg collection 3. Recreational stresses Affect the recreation value of the PA e.g. functionality of trails and roads Recreational Conversion Complete loss of recreation value Recreational Degradation Degradation of recreation value Recreational Indirect Indirect damage to recreational value Affect the local and wider community's ideas, customs and social

4. Cultural stresses behaviour Cultural Conversion Complete loss of value Cultural Degradation Damage or disruption to value Cultural Indirect Indirect damage to values 5. Historical stresses Affect sites or objects that associate with the distant or recent past. Historical Conversion Complete loss of value Historical Degradation Damage or disruption to value DCNA Management Success Management DCNA Historical Indirect Indirect damage to values 6. Economic stresses Affect the economic value of the PA (use and/or non-use values). Economic Conversion Complete loss of value Economic Degradation Damage or disruption to value Economic Indirect Indirect damage to values

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Worked examples

The status, scale and the main stress of any threat depend on the specific example. The following generic examples give possible scenarios and management approaches for a given threat.

Level of Possible management Score Descriptor Example threat approach Extensive, intervening, An activity occurs in 50% or greater ongoing management of its potential range Invasive goats in Terrestrial required. Without Impact is serious damage or loss to Parks. Goats not only eat management the threat will 64 protected area resources, including native vegetation and rare remove a considerable portion Severe 48 soil, water, flora and/or fauna, as a species but degrade the of values of the protected area. 36 direct or indirect result of an activity. landscape providing a catalyst Specific funding and projects, Damage that cannot recover for erosion whilst removing use of international expertise naturally, or with human habitat for other species wide range of stakeholders intervention, within 100 years involved. Anchoring of commercial Targeted, intervening, Occurs in between 15 and 50% of its ships in a Marine Park; likely to ongoing specific management potential range be relatively localised but actions. Without management 32 Impact is significant damage to anchors not only break down High the threat will greatly reduce 27 protected area resources. the structure of coral reefs and or remove values of the Damage can recover in 20 to 100 seagrass beds, but also protected area, and easily years. remove habitat which takes escalate to a severe threat. many years to recover. Illegal sand mining on Targeted monitoring, some Has the potential to be a high threat, beaches is often localised and intervention and ongoing 24 but does not occur over more than effects nesting turtle species. management actions. Without Moderate 18 15%m of its range OR damage is not Management will be required this the threat will reduce 16 significant OR damage can recover in to prevent the removal of protected area values or could 5 to 20 years sand especially when turtles escalate to a high threat. are nesting. Trampling around trails will degrade vegetation, which Occurs in between 5 and 15% of its Targeted monitoring as part of will be detectable but may not 12 potential range operational management. be significant considering the Low 9 Impact is obviously detectable, but Without management size of the area or the level of 8 not considered significant protected area values could be the impact. Some areas may Damage can recover in 5 to 20 years. degraded in the future become degraded without management intervention. Occurs in less than 5% of its Litter is usually localised, and 6 potential range often only impacts the 5 Impact may or may not be easily aesthetics of the protected Basic observational No Threat 4 detectable, and is considered slight area. Litter can be removed monitoring during patrols, (pressure) 3 or insignificant. during patrols or more awareness amongst staff 2 Damage can recover in less than 5 organised events such as 1 years clean ups.

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