Management Success Data Report

January - December 2014

Island: Saba Management: Saba Conservation Foundation

Saba Bank National Marine Park Parks: Saba National Marine Park Saba Terrestrial Park and Trails

Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success 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 Saba ...... xiii The Protected areas of Saba ...... xiv The Context of Saba’s protected areas ...... 15 Background ...... 15 Values ...... 19 Threat classification ...... 27 Objectives for the Year ...... 34 Mission ...... 34 Objectives ...... 34 Governance ...... 36 Board ...... 36 Committees ...... 36 Capacity ...... 37 Human resources ...... 37 Volunteers and Interns ...... 40 Physical resources ...... 41 Legal resources ...... 42 Information sources ...... 43 Finances ...... 44 Operational Management ...... 46 Management ...... 48 Administration ...... 48 Income Generation ...... 48 Audit ...... 49 Field Administration and Maintenance ...... 49 Monitoring- Research ...... 49 Law Enforcement ...... 50 Education ...... 50 Outreach ...... 51 Advice ...... 52 Working with stakeholders ...... 53 Projects ...... 53 Appendix ...... 54 Glossary ...... 55 Threat classification ...... 56

October 2015 ii Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success 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 Main features of Saba ...... xiii Figure 5 IBA of Saba ...... 21 Figure 6 Threats facing Saba National Marine Park ...... 30 Figure 7 Threats facing Saba Bank National Park ...... 31 Figure 8 Threats facing Saba Terrestrial Parks and Trails ...... 32 Figure 9 User numbers for the Saba National Marine Park ...... 33 Figure 10 Division of full time staff positions staff between Management, Office and Field positions...... 37 Figure 11 Staff member’s qualification and years of service score ...... 39 Figure 12 Balance Sheet SCF 2014 ...... 44 Figure 13 Income and Expenses SCF 2014 ...... 45 Figure 14 Staff time division between Saba Bank, marine and terrestrial work...... 46 Figure 15 Staff time division between operational management tasks working on Saba National Marine Park...... 46 Figure 16 Staff time division between operational management tasks working on Saba Bank National Park ...... 47 Figure 17 Staff time division between operational management tasks working on Saba Terrestrial Park ...... 47

Tables Table 1 Details of Saba National Marine Park ...... 15 Table 2 Details of the Saba Bank National Marine Park ...... 16 Table 3 Details of Saba Terrestrial Park and Trails ...... 18 Table 4 Habitats of Saba National Marine Park ...... 20 Table 5 Habitats of Saba Bank National Park ...... 20 Table 6 The main habitats found in Saba Terrestrial Park and trails...... 20 Table 7 IBA data for Saba ...... 21 Table 8 Species numbers of conservation importance on Saba...... 22 Table 9 Flagship species ...... 24 Table 10 Special interest habitats ...... 24 Table 11 Other environmental values ...... 25 Table 12 Economic values ...... 26 Table 13 Cultural, Recreational and historical values ...... 26 Table 14 Threat categories (IUCN Red List) ...... 27 Table 15 Details of threats facing Saba National Marine Park ...... 30 Table 16 Details of threats facing the Saba Bank National Park ...... 31 Table 17 Details of threats facing Saba Terrestrial Parks and Trails ...... 32 Table 18 SCF Draft Action Plan 2014 ...... 35 Table 19 The Board of Saba Conservation Foundation ...... 36 Table 20 SCF Institutional arrangements ...... 36 Table 21 Staff of Saba Conservation Foundation ...... 37 Table 22 SCF extra qualifications of staff (data for 10 staff)...... 38 Table 23 Staff capacity scoring method ...... 39 Table 24 Consultants and researchers used by Saba Conservation Foundation ...... 40 Table 25 Physical resources available to SCF...... 41 Table 26 Aspects of Legal resourcing...... 42 Table 27 Information available ...... 43 Table 28 Fees structure ...... 45 Table 28 Staff exchanges and training carried out in 2014...... 48 Table 29 Meetings attended by SCF staff in 2014...... 52 Table 30 Stakeholder relationships ...... 53

October 2015 iii Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success Report Jan- Dec 2014 Boxes Box 1 Contextual aspects of PA management...... ix Box 2 Capacity aspects of PA management ...... x Box 3 Operational Management aspects of PA work...... xi Box 4 Saba National Marine Park Statement of Significance ...... 19 Box 5 Saba Bank National Park Statement of Significance ...... 19 Box 6 Saba Terrestrial Park and Trails Statement of Significance ...... 19 Box 7 Marine IUCN Red List species ...... 22 Box 8 Terrestrial IUCN Red List species ...... 23 Box 9 Marine CITES listed species ...... 23 Box 10 Terrestrial CITES listed species ...... 23 Box 11 Endemic species ...... 23 Box 12 IUCN status of threats classification scheme ...... 28 Box 13 DCNA scale of threats classification scheme ...... 28 Box 14 IUCN / DCNA method of classifying main stresses caused by threats to PA’s ...... 28 Box 15 WWF method of classifying pressures and threats ...... 29 Box 16 Management by objectives ...... 34 Box 17 Working with stakeholders...... 53

October 2015 iv Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success 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 Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success 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*)

October*all f gures2015 rounded Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance vi Safeguarding nature in the Dutch Caribbean Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success 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 covering 265,247 hectares. About one- third of the Saba Bank lies within the Saban territorial waters and all of it within the Dutch Caribbean Exclusive Economic Zone.

October 2015 vii Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success 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 Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success 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 Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success 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.

October 2015 x Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success Report Jan- Dec 2014

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:

Box 3 Operational Management aspects of PA work. 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 Administration and payments. It also includes work planning and developing work schedules for staff, some 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 Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success 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 Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success Report Jan- Dec 2014 The Island of Saba Saba is located in the North Eastern Caribbean (17°38°N, 63°14°W) close to the islands of St Eustatius and St. Maarten, which are also part of the Dutch Caribbean, the U.S. Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands and 20 other inhabited islands. Together these form the Lesser Antillean Island Arc, which stretches from Puerto Rico in the north to the South American coastline of Venezuela in the south.

Saba, with its land area of 1,300 hectares (3,212 acres) is the smallest of the six islands that make up the Dutch Caribbean. The Windward Islands of Saba, St Eustatius and St Maarten all lie within line of sight of one another, Saba is 28 kilometres (17 miles) from St. Eustatius and 44 kilometres (27 miles) from St. Maarten. The longest axis of the island (5 kilometres /3 miles) runs northeast-southwest, whereas the shorter northwest-southeast axis is 4.3 kilometres (2.5 miles) long.

Saba’s origins are volcanic and the island is dominated by the dormant volcano Mt. Scenery which rises to 887 metres (2,910 feet) above sea level, and forms the highest point within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. There are also numerous hills e.g. Booby Hill, Bunker Hill, Great Hill, giving the island a very irregular topography. Much of the island is covered by relatively dense vegetation, especially on the upper slopes of Mt. Scenery.

Figure 4 Main features of Saba

The major settlements on Saba include The Bottom, Windwardside, Hell's Gate and St. Johns. The administrative capital of the island is The Bottom, located on the southwest side of the island just above the harbour at Fort Bay. There is one road, aptly called "The Road", the first section of the road, from Fort Bay to The Bottom was completed in 1943 by Josephus Lambert Hassell

October 2015 xiii Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success Report Jan- Dec 2014 and a crew of locals. It was not until 1947, however, that the first motor vehicle arrived. In 1951, the road to Windwardside and St. Johns was opened, and in 1958 the road was completed.

In 1963 a 400 metre (1,312 feet) landing strip was built and named Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport. It is the shortest commercial runway in the world. Since 2006 Windward Island Airways (Winair) have operated daily flights to Saba. In 1972 a pier was built in Fort Bay making tourism a viable activity, two ferry services operate every other day to Saba. In 1951, ‘The Road’ to Windwardside and St. Johns was opened, and in 1958 it was completed.

Saba is home to a number of flagship species that not only help raise the awareness for the protection of that species, but also serve as a surrogate for conservation by connecting people to nature:

Animals Plants Red-billed Tropicbird Hammerhead Shark Mountain Mahogany American Kestrel Tiger Shark Black-eyed Susan Audubon’s Shearwater Spotted Eagle Ray Giant Elephant Ear Bridled Quail-dove Humpback Whale Epiphytic plants Brown Trembler Sperm Whale Mosses Nassau Grouper Jamaican Fruit Bat Orchids (22 species) Red Hind Red-bellied Racer Snake Tree ferns Frogfish Saban Black Iguana Sea Horses Saban Anole lizard Spiny Lobster Green and Hawksbill Sea Turtles

The Protected areas of Saba

Saba Bank National Park Saba Bank National Park, established in 2010, protects an offshore atoll covering 268,000 hectares (662,000 acres) — the third largest atoll of its kind in the world. Saba Bank is a flat-topped seamount rising 1,800 meters (5,900 feet) from the sea floor, crowned by living coral reefs. The wealth of biodiversity on the Saba Bank is astounding and includes sea turtles, humpback whales, more than 200 species of fish and unique marine plants found nowhere else in the Caribbean.

Saba National Marine Park The Saba National Marine Park was established in 1987 with the objective of preserving and managing Saba's marine resources. The Marine Park was not developed to repair a damaged environment but rather to ensure the continued quality of an extraordinary resource for the benefit and enjoyment of everyone. The Marine Park circles the entire island from the high-water mark to a depth of 60 metres, including the seabed and overlying waters. A zoning plan divides the Marine Park for various recreational and commercial uses. A system of permanent mooring buoys facilitates diving and prevents damage to corals. One of the few self-sustaining marine parks anywhere in the world, the Marine Park raises revenue through visitor fees, souvenir sales, and donations.

Saba Terrestrial Park and Trails The Saba Terrestrial Park has not been formally designated. It belonged to the McNish Sulphur Mining Company and the land was donated to Saba Conservation Foundation (SCF) in 1998, on the condition that it would forever remain wild and developed as a national park. The area covers 43 hectares (106 acres) and is located on the northern side of Saba. It consists of a deep gorge, which runs from an altitude of 820 metres (2,690 feet) on Mount Scenery down to the shoreline. The upper half of the gorge is known as Island Gut, the bottom is called Deep Gut. Two ridges form Island and Deep Gut; the eastern ridge is known as ‘Pirate Cliff’ and the western ridge ‘All Too Far Ridge’. The area contains biologically diverse rainforest, montane forest and drought resistant habitats.

Additionally Saba has a network of 19 trails (2 are under construction) that circle the island reaching the coast and the summit of Mt Scenery, which Saba Conservation Foundation maintains with support of the Island Government. These 27.05 kilometres (16.8 miles) of trails offer some of the best hiking in the Caribbean with views of neighbouring St Eustatius and other islands through pristine forest that clings to the slopes of the magnificent Mt. Scenery.

October 2015 xiv Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success Report Jan- Dec 2014

The Context of Saba’s protected areas Background The following section gives further details of the Island and the protected areas. Table 1 Details of Saba National Marine Park

Protected area name Saba National Marine Park Management body Saba Conservation Foundation PO Box 18 The Bottom Saba - Netherlands Antilles tel: 599 416 3295 fax: 599 416 Contact details 3435 email: [email protected] Area (Hectares) 1300 Location 17.37.50 N, 63, 14, 50 W - MPA down to 60m depth Date established 1987 Tenure Public Domain Status National Park IUCN Category None Zones Yes, 4 zones Vision Mission statement To preserve the marine environment for the benefit of the people in perpetuity. Goal(s) Mandate 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 Heritage Convention) Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS or ✓ International recognition and Bonn Convention) convention adherence Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife in the Wider Caribbean Region (SPAW) ✓ Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and ✓ Flora (CITES) International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) / United Nations Environment ✓ Programme (UNEP) Marine Mammal Sanctuary Saba is a single composite dormant volcano rising from sealevel to 600m. The island consists of a main peak surrounded by several individual peaks and domes. The slopes of the main mountain are characterized by numerous relatively straight V- and U-shaped valleys, locally known as guts. The petrological composition of the island mostly andesites formed through processes such as fractionation and Geology and Geomorphology magmatic mixing from both mantle and crustal sources. The relatively narrow shelf of the island is principally remnants of the abraded volcano, consisting of boulders that have slid from the eroded walls over time. There is no permanent running water on the island, but during heavy rains the guts act as channels carrying water and sediments directly to the ocean. Four kilometers Southwest from Saba lies the Saba-bank, an extensive submarine plateau

October 2015 15 Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success Report Jan- Dec 2014 Table 2 Details of the Saba Bank National Marine Park Protected area Saba Bank National Marine Park name Area (Hectares) 267,900 The Saba Bank (17025' N, 63030' W) is an undersea elevation with a flattened top, a Bank, 4 km southwest Location of the island of Saba and 25 km west of St. Eustatius. Date established 2010 Tenure Public domain Status National Park (as of 2012) IUCN Category No Management zones are established to date. 76.40% of the Saba Bank is in the Netherlands Antilles Zones (Kingdom of the Netherlands). Exclusive Economic Zone. 23.48% is in the Territorial Waters of Saba, the remaining 0.12% being in the Territorial Waters of St. Eustatius. Vision To secure a natural protected area that represents a unique and spectacular ecosystem. To contribute to the preservation of Saba’s natural heritage and promote the sustainable use of the Mission statement natural resources. 1) Dynamically manage the Saba Bank marine environment successfully as a nationally, regionally, and globally significant protected area, within an effective legislative framework and with commitment from stakeholders. 2) Conserve, through practical conservation and active management; a) the natural values of the marine environment, including threatened, rare and endangered species, habitats, biological diversity, ecosystem processes and aesthetic values. Goal(s) b) the cultural and historical marine resources of the Saba Bank. 3) Ensure the promotion of the marine environment as a traditionally and contemporarily valuable, sustainable, multiple use resource whilst establishing rules, guidelines and enforcing legislation for different users. 4) Ensure the involvement of the local community and stakeholders, to cultivate a sense of partnership, improved information base and support for the zoning, regulations and management practices of Saba Bank. Management body SCF, the Saba Bank Management Unit, the EEZ Committee Mandate The Saba Bank Management Unit is a separate unit within the Saba National Marine Park, with daily management carried out by the Saba Conservation Foundation. A steering group consisting of the SCF manager, EZ and the island government is responsible for the overall management and planning. The unit reports to the steering group and the EEZ committee. The steering group convenes at least twice a year to evaluate and direct the program. Every two years the program is evaluated externally. Activities Main responsibilities outside of the program are at the discretion of the Saba Marine Park manager on advice by the steering group. The budget is established on a yearly basis by the steering committee and at the minimum will include finances for the staff, monitoring equipment, office overhead, boat maintenance and operational costs. The program officer is responsible for the budget, the Saba marine park manager will oversee the expenditures. Any cases of conflicts of interest of unit staff will be discussed, evaluated and judged by the steering committee. Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (RAMSAR) Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (World Heritage

Convention) Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS or Bonn Convention) International Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife in the Wider Caribbean Region (SPAW) recognition and Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) ✓ convention International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) / United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) adherence The Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider ✓ Caribbean Region (Cartagena Convention) The Inter-American Convention (IAC) for the Protection and Conservation of Sea Turtles ✓ International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution From Ships (MarPOL) ✓ Marine Mammal Sanctuary

October 2015 16 Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success Report Jan- Dec 2014

Details of the Saba Bank National Marine Park continued.

It is raised +/- 1000m above the average depth of the surrounding sea floor and is approximately rectangular with the long axis running ENE-WSW,65 km long and 40 km wide, the total surface area being 2679 km2. The bank is tilted with the north-western part of the being deeper than the south- eastern part. Most of the Bank is between 20 and 50 m depth, but a substantial eastern part (app. 225 km2) is between 13 and 20 m depth. On its western rim depths are around 50 m, while on the eastern and south eastern edges, where a prominent ridge system (55 km long) runs along the platform, depths vary between 11 and 15 m. The Saba Bank is located at the intersection of three different types of geology. Located near the eastern end of the tectonically active Greater Antilles island chain, at the north end of the Aves Ridge and just to the west of the north end of the volcanic island arc chain near the north-eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea. Vaughan (1919) viewed the Bank as a submarine plateau, levelled by planation agencies, which almost certainly were both subaerial and submarine, which has been submerged in recent geologic time. Vaughan already indicated that the Bank essentially duplicates the atolls in the Pacific. This was later verified by Van der Land (1977) who considers the Bank to be an actively growing atoll, although it is completely submerged, and ranks it among the largest atolls in the world. Davis (1926) viewed the Bank as "an atoll lagoon floor, deprived of its original reef and probably somewhat planed down by low-level abrasion in the post glacial epoch" (Davis 1926, p. 138). Differences of opinion on the formation of Banks such as the Saba Bank have caused heated debate. Vaughan stated that infilling behind barrier reefs could never be the reason for the existence of the Bank, whereas Davis thought this was an essential process. On the Saba Bank the reef zonation Geology and pattern follows a sequence from shelf edge to central Bank. On the eastern portion of the Bank, known Geomorphology as Overall Bank, reef zones occur in the following sequence as one moves from east (windward, open ocean) to west (leeward, towards central Saba Bank): seaward slope, fore reef (with one or more “front reefs”), reef flat, backreef slope (“escarpment”), lagoon, and patch reef (located within the lagoon). The fore reef zone is a steeply sloping and topologically variable region. Van der Land (1977) observed a “front reef” rising from a “reef terrace” at 30-40 m depth. High-resolution bathymetry confirmed the presence of at least one front reef feature at Overall Bank. To the west (leeward) of the front reef, an area resembling a spur-and-groove reef is found. For the purposes of this management plan, these various reef features are considered elements of a single zone - the fore-reef zone. Westward (leeward) of the fore reef zone, the reef rises to ~ 15 m depth and forms a wide (> 1000 m) level expanse. Van der Land (1977) identified this area as the reef flat and suggested that it comprised an inner and outer zone distinguished by bathymetry. Examination of recent high-resolution bathymetry data did not differentiate inner and outer reef flat zones within the area of Overall Bank. The lagoon zone extends eastward (leeward) from the reef flat and backreef slope zones. Van der Land considered the lagoon a single zone, although he distinguished “patch reef’ formations within it. Bathymetry confirmed the presence of patch reef-like features within the lagoon.

Davis, W. M. (1926). The Lesser Antilles. Am. Geol. Soc. Pub. 2: 207 Vaughan, T. W. (1919). Fossil corals from Central America, Cuba, and Puerto Rico, with an account of the American Tertiary, Pleistocene, and recent coral reefs. Smithsonian Inst. U.S. National Museum Bull. 103 Van der Land, J. (1977) The Saba Bank – A large atoll in the northeastern Caribbean. FAO Fisheries Report No. 200, 469-481.

October 2015 17 Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success Report Jan- Dec 2014 Table 3 Details of Saba Terrestrial Park and Trails

Protected area name Sulphur Mine Property and Island Walking Trails Area (Hectares) Sulphur mines - 43 Hectares + Trails. Saba Conservation Foundation PO Box 18 The Bottom Saba - Netherlands Antilles Contact details tel: 599 416 3295 fax: 599 416 3435 email: [email protected] Location Map None Zones Date established 1999 Tenure Private Property - Sulphur Mines, Trails - various private owners Status Private PA IUCN Category None Sulphur Mine Property - to manage the natural and cultural/historical values which Vision occur in the area to ensure that they contribute to the sustainable development of the island of Saba. Mission statement As above Goal(s) Management body Saba Conservation Foundation Mandate 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 Heritage Convention) Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS or ✓ International recognition and Bonn Convention) convention adherence Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife in the Wider Caribbean Region (SPAW) ✓ Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and ✓ Flora (CITES) International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI) / United Nations Environment

Programme (UNEP) Marine Mammal Sanctuary The lower slopes of Saba consist mainly of agglomerates and tuffs. Pyroclastic material can be found in various locations and lava flows form tongues of land protruding into the sea at 2 locations. A viscous lava plug formed in the main crater Geology and Geomorphology of the volcano laying the foundations for the top of Mt Scenery. Several other lava domes formed around the main peak. Before becoming dormant, volcanic activity formed a sulphur and gypsum layer which was exploited at the Sulphur mines through the 19th century.

October 2015 18 Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success Report Jan- Dec 2014

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

Statement of significance Box 4 Saba National Marine Park Statement of Significance The Saba National Marine Park includes more than 1300 hectares of globally threatened coral reef as well as seagrass habitat. Saba’s marine environment and coastline is a home, migratory stop over or breeding site for 64 IUCN Red List Species, seven CITES Appendix I species and 244 Appendix II species including sea turtles and a number of shark species. The beaches and waters attract around 23,000 visitors a year, creating employment for many of the islands population. Saba National Marine Park is a UNEP target site because of it’s success in promoting eco-tourism. Tourism contributes significantly to the economy and depends on the well being of Saba’s marine resources. Box 5 Saba Bank National Park Statement of Significance The marine environment of the Saba Bank is 1,800 km2 of biologically diverse coral reef, macroalgae, rock pavement, sandy seabed, and open ocean communities. The Bank is one of the, if not the, most diverse in marine macroalgae in the Caribbean. The Saba Bank Management Organization was established in 2008 to manage these marine resources for the benefit and enjoyment of the people and future generations. The Saba Bank Special Marine Area is a home, migratory stopover or breeding site for 65 IUCN Red Listed species and 244 Appendix II species including sea turtles and a number of shark species. The Saba Bank is of high economic importance to the island of Saba. It supports 9 full time fishermen and has a direct economical value of over 1 million dollars a year. Box 6 Saba Terrestrial Park and Trails Statement of Significance The Saba Sulphur Mine Property (established 1999) and trails consist of 43 hectares of land as well as numerous walking routes. The areas include habitats including dry forest, Elfin forest and some arable/pastoral land. The area and trails have considerable historical, cultural and ecological values. The areas and shoreline is a home, migratory stop over and breeding site for two IUCN Red List species, one CITES Appendix 1 species and 37 CITES Appendix 2 species as well as the endemic Saban Anole. The property and trails attract many local and international visitors every year and help contribute to the income for the islands population employed in restaurants, hotels and other services.

October 2015 19 Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success Report Jan- Dec 2014 Habitats Table 4 Habitats of Saba National Marine 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

Table 5 Habitats of Saba Bank 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

Table 6 The main habitats found in Saba Terrestrial Park and trails.

Dry Forest Desert/dry shrub Moist forest Pastoral land Grassland Arable land Sandy shore Sand dunes Mangrove Rocky intertidal

October 2015 20 Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success Report Jan- Dec 2014 Internationally recognised sites

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.

Figure 5 IBA of Saba

Table 7 IBA data for Saba

Saba Saba IBA IBA NUMBER 1 AN006 Protection 65% N Area (hectares) 2000 2000 Number of bird species 87 IBA Recognised species 9 9 Threatened birds Restricted range birds 8 7 Biome-restricted birds Congregatory birds 9 1 Audubon's Shearwater ü Scaly-brested Thrasher ü Red-billed Tropicbird ü Bridled Quail-dove ü Purple-throated Carib ü Antillean Crested Hummingbird ü Green-throated Carib ü Lesser Antillean Bullfinch ü Caribbean Elaenia ü

October 2015 21 Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success Report Jan- Dec 2014 Internationally recognised species Table 8 Species numbers of conservation importance on Saba.

Vulnerable

Critical List Red Endangered List Red List Red I CITES II CITES SPAWII IBA species

Marine 6 17 42 7 244 33 7 Terrestrial 0 2 0 1 36 3 9 Total 6 19 42 8 280 36 16 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 7 Marine IUCN Red List species Critical Pterodroma caribbaea Jamaican petrel2 Acropora cervicornis Staghorn Coral Acropora palmata Elkhorn Coral Dermochelys coriacea Leatherback Turtle Eretmochelys imbricata Hawksbill Turtle Epinephelus itajara Atlantic Goliath Grouper, Jewfish

Endangered Pterodroma hasitata Black-capped Petrel Montastrea annularis (s.l.) Mountainous Star Coral Montastrea faveolata Boulder star coral Millepora striata Bladed Box Fire Coral Anguilla rostrata American eel3 Epinephelus striatus Nassau Grouper Thunnus thynnus Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Dipturus laevis Barndoor Skate Leucoraja ocellata Winter Skate Sphyrna lewini Scalloped Hammerhead Sphyrna mokarran Great Hammerhead Shark Balaenoptera borealis Coalfish Whale Balaenoptera musculus Blue Whale Balaenoptera physalis Fin Whale Eubalaena glacialis North Atlantic Right Whale Chelonia mydas Green Turtle

Vulnerable – including Six coral species, two cetaceans, 15 fish species, 17 sharks and rays, Clover grass (Halophila baillonii), Tape Grass (Halophila baillonis).

2 RED LIST 2015, possibly extinct on all islands, SSS in range, published 2013. 3 IUCN Red List 2015 indicates the American eels range to include the Dutch Caribbean (non-breeding population).

October 2015 22 Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success Report Jan- Dec 2014 Box 8 Terrestrial IUCN Red List species

Endangered – Black Sweet Wood (Nectandra krugii), Red-Bellied Racer (Alsophis rufiventrus).

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 9 Marine CITES listed species

Appendix I - Five whale species including Bryde's Whale (Balaenoptera edeni), Minke Whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) and Great Sperm Whale (Physeter catodon). Two turtle species; Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricate), Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas).

Appendix II - Including 20 cetacean species, six shark species, 14 black coral species, 82 stony coral species, 2 fish species, Queen Conch (Strombas Gigas).

Box 10 Terrestrial CITES listed species

Appendix I - Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)

Appendix II – 11 bird species, 13 cacti species, 11 orchid species and the Green Iguana (Iguana iguana)

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 11 Endemic species4

Island endemic - Green Iguana (Iguana iguana) (possibly a sub species only found on Saba), Saban Anole (Anolis sabanus)

4 No recent studies have been carried out of the endemic species of the Dutch Windward Islands.

October 2015 23 Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success Report Jan- Dec 2014 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 9 Flagship species Animals Plants Red-billed Tropicbird Hammerhead Shark Mountain Mahogany American Kestrel Tiger Shark Black-eyed Susan Audubon’s Shearwater Spotted Eagle Ray Giant Elephant Ear Bridled Quail-dove Humpback Whale Epiphytic plants Brown Trembler Sperm Whale Mosses Nassau Grouper Jamaican Fruit Bat Orchids (22 species) Red Hind Red-bellied Racer snake Tree ferns Frogfish Saban Black Iguana Sea horses Saban Anole lizard Spiny Lobster Green and Hawksbill Sea 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 10 Special interest habitats Habitat Detail Marine The Pinnacles rise from the ocean floor up to depths of 30m and were formed by past volcanic Marine Pinnacles activity. They are nourished by deep ocean currents and attract many pelagic fish species. Submarine hot springs Geothermal vents located in 12-18m depth. Terrestrial Upper Montagne cloud forest, on the top of Mt. Scenery. It consists of two areas of primary Upper Montagne Cloud Forest forest representing the climatic climax vegetation community. Special interest: floral community. Biodiversity of the neighbouring reef and seagrass other marine environments and the Neighbouring marine habitats associated wildlife

October 2015 24 Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success 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 11 Other environmental values Value Detail Marine Habitat that is home to many species including endangered, rare and endemic plants and Habitat for organisms animals. Variety of ecosystems Variety of marine ecosystems Fish spawning Fish spawning areas on shallow reefs and on seagrass beds 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 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 Sediment traps and containing storm water and associated sediments. Foraging grounds. The seagrass and reefs vitally important foraging grounds for juvenile green Foraging grounds and hawksbill turtles which can be found cropping on manatee and turtle grass and on soft corals and sponges. Sandy beaches are important turtle nesting grounds, coastlines are often important bird Nesting Grounds nesting grounds Seagrass beds are important role as nursery grounds for many species of marine fish and for the Nursery grounds globally threatened Queen conch. Terrestrial Habitat Habitat that is home to many species including endangered, rare and endemic plants and animals. Breeding Breeding grounds for birds and other animals Migration Migratory stop over Shoreline protection Shoreline protection from coastal plants binding sand and soils, preventing erosion. Communities Saba Terrestrial Park has representative communities of all of the habitats found on Saba. Montane thickets, Evergreen and Semi-evergreen seasonal forests are valuable since dry tropical Threatened habitats forests are threatened by human activities internationally. Geology Geology: Behind the Ridge Formation, Hot Springs Special species Habitat that is home to many species including endangered, rare and endemic plants and animals.

October 2015 25 Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success Report Jan- Dec 2014 Economic values Protected area’s 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 12 Economic values Value Detail Marine Dive Tourism 25% of Saba’s income comes from hotels/restaurants/taxi’s Terrestrial Tourist Hikers Bird watching

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 13 Cultural, Recreational and historical values Value Detail Marine Diving Thought to be some of the best in the Caribbean Terrestrial Education Education for user groups including schools and local clubs for sciences, art and other subjects Aesthetic Aesthetic values - Views of the rest of Saba and other islands Sulphur Mine Trail use through history Mary's point Abandoned village Spring Bay sugar plantation 34 historical interest sites. Walking Guided tours Picnicking Rock climbing Not endorsed by Saba Conservation Foundation.

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;

• SCF 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 Saba

October 2015 26 Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success 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 14 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 27 Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success 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 12 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 13 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 14 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 28 Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success 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. 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 15 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 area of Saba are summarised on the graphics and in the text of the following pages. Further details of threat classification are in the Appendix.

October 2015 29 Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success 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 6 Threats facing Saba National Marine Park Table 15 Details of threats facing Saba National Marine Park Level Threat category Detail Status Scale Main stress Indo-Pacific lionfish have established populations around Saba. They have voracious appetites, reproduce and grow 8.1.4 Invasive; very quickly and have no natural predators in the Caribbean. 2.1 Species Marine predatory Ongoing Regional It is feared that they are changing the ecology of the coral loss/mortality fauna species reefs by eating all the smaller fish. In 2011 an individual Severe measuring 35.5cm in length was caught. 5.4.2 Fishing & Commercial fishermen are now targeting the fish in the harvesting aquatic 2.1 Species marine park due to changes in legislation in neighbouring Ongoing Local resources; large loss/mortality waters. scale 5.4.1 Fishing & Medical students have been caught spearfishing to harvesting aquatic 2.1 Species High supplement their diets as the find that food prices have Ongoing Local resources; small loss/mortality become too high. scale Soil dumped on the right of the harbour, near ladder bay, 9.3.2 Soil erosion, 1.2 Ecosystem 5000 truck loads of raw unstable soil dumped. Washing onto Ongoing Local sedimentation degradation Tent reef Moderate 11.3 Temperature 1.2 Ecosystem Bleaching of corals caused by high average temperatures Ongoing Regional extremes degradation 11.1 Habitat shifting Likely to cause some significant threats as it will effect the 1.2 Ecosystem Ongoing Global & alteration whole marine park and be permanent. degradation

October 2015 30 Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success 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 7 Threats facing Saba Bank National Park

Table 16 Details of threats facing the Saba Bank National Park Level Threat category Detail Status Scale Main stress Indo-Pacific lionfish have established populations around Saba. They have voracious appetites, reproduce and grow 8.1.4 Invasive; very quickly and have no natural predators in the Caribbean. 2.1 Species Marine predatory Ongoing Regional It is feared that they are changing the ecology of the coral loss/mortality Severe fauna species reefs by eating all the smaller fish. In 2011 an individual measuring 35.5cm in length was caught. 11.1 Habitat shifting Likely to cause some significant threats as it will effect the 1.2 Ecosystem Ongoing Global & alteration whole marine park and be permanent. degradation 5.4.2 Fishing & harvesting aquatic Lobster, Red Snapper, Pelagic (tuna, wahoo) being over 2.1 Species Moderate Ongoing Local resources; large fished on the Saba Bank, too much fishing effort. loss/mortality scale 5.4.4 Fishing & harvesting aquatic Ghost traps left when ships over run the traps, cutting the 2.1 Species Low resources; Ongoing Local lines and leaving the traps behind. loss/mortality accidental mortality, large scale

October 2015 31 Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success 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 Threats facing Saba Terrestrial Parks and Trails Table 17 Details of threats facing Saba Terrestrial Parks and Trails Level Threat Detail Status Scale Main stress 8.1.1 Invasive; Terrestrial Cats killing wildlife (tropic birds), goats - erosion 2.1 Species On-going Local predatory fauna species eating ground cover plants loss/mortality 8.1.3 Invasive; Terrestrial Corallita, possibility that 80% of plants non- 1.2 Ecosystem On-going Local flora native. degradation Severe An introduced iguana species is breeding with 8.3.1 Introduced genetic the native species that is being investigated as 2.3.1 Ongoing Local material; Terrestrial fauna possibly being an endemic sub species, resulting Hybridisation in hybridisation. 2.3.2 Small-holder grazing, Cows and goats grazing and trampling 1.2 Ecosystem On-going Local ranching or farming vegetation. degradation 5.2.1 Gathering terrestrial Plants including endangered orchids and 2.1 Species On-going Local plants; Intentional use bromeliads are often collected loss/mortality Spill over effects from pollution in the landfill, the Moderate 1.2 Ecosystem 1.2.5 Landfill development rubbish also supports a population of feral cats On-going Local degradation (invasive predators). 8.4.2 Terrestrial problematic An unidentified white fungus has been seen 2.1 Species species/diseases of On-going Local growing on and killing native plants. loss/mortality unknown origin 1.1.1 Residential Hand over of part of the national park to heirs to Likely future 1.1 Ecosystem Low Local development the land. Some areas are likely to be developed. occurrence conversion

October 2015 32 Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success Report Jan- Dec 2014 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.

Data not available Figure 9 User numbers for the Saba National Marine Park

October 2015 33 Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success 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 16 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.’

Mission To preserve and manage Saba's natural and cultural heritage.

Objectives Objectives of the Saba Conservation Foundation are; § To preserve and manage the natural environment of Saba both on land and in the sea. § To ensure that areas that are exceptionally scenic, host endemic species of plants and animals, or have unique geological, cultural and historical values are preserved and managed for present and future generations. § To maximize the economic, educational, recreational and scientific potential of natural, cultural and geological areas to the benefit of the people of Saba and those who visit, in so far as this does not conflict with the objectives of conservation. § To preserve buildings, monuments and sites of historic, archaeological and cultural significance on the island of Saba.

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

October 2015 34 Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success Report Jan- Dec 2014 Table 18 SCF Draft Action Plan 2014

October 2015 35 Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success Report Jan- Dec 2014 Governance Board Saba Conservation Foundation has a permanent Board of six Directors, which oversees Saba National Marine Park and Saba Terrestrial Park and Trails activities and directs overall strategy. Elected Board members have additional responsibilities in accordance with respective positions. There were three Board meetings in 2014; with minutes taken, which were circulated to the attendees. There were also one annual general meeting and two ad hoc management committee meetings. There were no changes to the Board in 2014. Table 19 The Board of Saba Conservation Foundation

Position Name Representing Chair Karen Hodge General community Secretary Johanna van’t Hof Tourism operator Vice Chair Vacant Treasurer Micheal Chammaa Restaurant owner Member Carl Buncamper NGO Sector Member Lynn Costenaro Non-voting representative of the dive centers. Member Franklin Johnson Retired Member Vacant Member Vacant

Committees There were no active committees within SCF 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 management body. Table 20 SCF Institutional arrangements

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

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

October 2015 36 Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success Report Jan- Dec 2014 Capacity Human resources

Staff Saba Conservation Foundation saw considerable changes in staff through 2014, operating with 14 staff members, only five of whom worked full time work full time. Administrating and managing the changes in staff took up considerable amounts of staff time. The Manager, Education Officer, Terrestrial Ranger, Administrator all continued working. Two new staff joined the organisation in 2014, five staff members left the organisation before the end of the year. The staff employed through 2014 had 61 years of service between them.

Table 21 Staff of Saba Conservation Foundation

Position Start year Academic qualification Manager, KW 2009 BSc Education Officer, SPH 2005 BVO/HAVO Administrator, AR 1997 BVO/HAVO Office administrator, SB 2013 None Ranger, JJ 1995 BVO/HAVO Community work project supervisor, GoR 2013 HSL Trail shop administrator and communications officer, JS 2013 BSc/BA Trail shop administrator weekends, SvE 2010 HSL Saba Bank Park Officer, DH 2014 BSc/BA Saba Bank Park Officer, BR 2013 BSc/BA Saba Bank Park Officer, DP 2013 None Saba Bank Park Officer, JvR 2013 BSc/BA Saba Bank Park Officer MsZS 2014 BSc/BA Marine park ranger in training, JvDV 2013 None Marine Park Ranger YD 2014 HSL Staff in pale type left the organisation in 2014

Management

Office

Field

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

October 2015 37 Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success 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.

Number of staff 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Special police powers VHF radio operator Vehicle / boat maintenance First aid Confict resolution Captains licence IT Training Media and communication Species specifc training Monitoring Park Saftey Park law Park history Park stakeholders Boat handling Tropical marine ecology Tropical Terrestrial ecology CITES Training SCUBA qualifcation GIS training

Table 22 SCF extra qualifications of staff (data for 10 staff).

October 2015 38 Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success 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 23 Staff capacity scoring method

Academic qualification FIELD COMPLETED Years of service

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

Score / Years 0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Manager KW

Education Officer SPH

Administrator AR

Office administrator SB

Ranger JJ

Community work project supervisor GoR

Trail shop administrator and communications officer JS

Trail shop administrator weekends, SvE

Saba Bank Park Officer, DH

Saba Bank Park Officer BR

Saba Bank Park officer DP

Saba Bank Park Officer JvR

Saba Bank Park Officer MsZS

Figure 11 Staff member’s qualification and years of service score

October 2015 39 Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success Report Jan- Dec 2014

Outsourcing Saba Conservation Foundation had 10 consultants, contractors and researchers carrying out work in 2014:

Table 24 Consultants and researchers used by Saba Conservation Foundation

Name Work carried out Ersnt and Young Auditors Adrian Delnevo Monitoring/research plans Altera Database development Frank Güssow Hyperbaric Chamber consultant Richard Hassell IT - server configuration Eseld Imms GIS map work Micheal Bechtold, Dr James Akerman Orchid surveys Dr Jennifer Rahn Beach monitoring Adam Brown and Natalie Collier Audubons Shearwater research IMARES Various student projects (fisheries, lobster, conch, tropic birds) IMARES Baited Underwater video Training (BRUV) Elise Benedictus – DCNA accountant Accounting assistance

Volunteers and Interns In 2014, eighty international volunteers assisted the marine park with coastal clean ups, amounting to 80 weeks of effort. Staff also spent a further 35 hours coordinating 21 volunteers from the Medical School Volunteer Programme.

The Canadian volunteers continued to assist SCF with trail maintenance for the 19th Year running. From February to April in 2014, they restored the historical Middle Island Trail.

Up to 100 visiting teenagers on the Broadreach programme volunteered and assisted with a number of SCF activities including; • the reconstruction of the West Coast Trail through the historic villages of Middle Island and Cow Pasture. • the cleaning of The Dancing Place Trail, • marking and clearing a path from there to the old well in Giles Quarter. • Coastal Clean-up at Fort Bay harbour, along with Child Focus. • Cleaning the trail that connects the trail shop to the museum grounds.

Six international interns carried 3-4 months research each, including Dion Vink, attending Van Hall Larenstein University in Leeuwarden, Netherland. Staff him assisted with the capture, tagging and monitoring of eight Caribbean Reef sharks and four Nurse sharks.

Three summer interns worked with SCF helping with Children’s Summer School activities, the Community Service Trail work. They also assisted the researcher Mike Bechtold with his orchid survey.

October 2015 40 Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success 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 25 Physical resources available to SCF. Key Sufficiency Use All Parks Sufficient Marine and Terrestrial Insufficient Marine Park Not available Terrestrial park 2 Marine and Saba Bank

Office(s)

Meeting room Private Workshop Public Specialised

Boat shed Yacht

Ticket office / entrance Moorings Research room Fishing Lab room Desk top Computer Buildings Visitor centre Lap top Computer Museum Tablet

Public toilets Camera Accommodation Video camera 4*4 Truck Projector

4*4 Jeep (not open back) Electronic Internet Van / 2WD Pick up GPS Car Remote Operated Vehicle Motorbike Vessel Monitoring System Bicycle Drying oven

Transport Boat: Hard Hull, in board engine Microscopes Boat: Hard Hull, out board engine Fridge Rigid Inflatable, in board engine Balance Rigid Inflatable, out board engine Field glasses Fax machine CTD probe Telephone (Land line) Scientific Other sensors e.g. HOBO

Cell phones pH meter n Radios Water quality test kit VHF radio Other field equipment Communicatio Base station BC Piers/docks Regulator(s) BBQ pits Tank

Trails Weights (sets) Board walks Wetsuits Dive Car parks UW Scooter Hides Mask Walls Fins

Fences Snorkel Roads Maintenance equipment Drill mooring equipment Litter Bins Picnic tables Personal protective equipment Infrastructure Benches Other First Aid kit Camping area Oxygen kit Information booths Hyperbaric facility Signboards Marker stones Trail markers Plant markers Other

October 2015 41 Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success 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 26 Aspects of Legal resourcing.

Factor not in existence Factor in development, old or not adopted/gazetted/publicised or for permits, not under any control of PMO. Factor exists and is adopted/gazetted/publicised

Island Nature Policy Plan Island Environmental Policy Plan

Plans Island Zoning Plan Animal / plant spotting Boating Marine environment Camping Hinderverordening / nuisance Helicopter tours Afval / waste Kayaking Picnicking / BBQ's Waterveiligheid / Water safety Fisheries Tours

Building and housing Beach lounging Harbour Diving Ordinances Development Fishing Afval water / waste water Jet skiing Nature management Kite surfing Protection of Fauna and Flora guidelines Marine Mooring Snorkelling Research Submarine / submersible / glass bottom Collection Waterskiing Windsurfing Tourism watersports Tourism tour operators Yachting Tourism guides Spearfishing Building Invasive control Piers Marine permits Marine Moorings Animal / plant spotting Fishing Camping Natural resource extraction Cycling

Driving Research Helicopter tours Collection Hiking Horse riding Tourism watersports Tourism tour operators Off road driving - motor cross Tourism guides Parachute sports Farming guidelines Terrestrial Picnicking / BBQ's Hiking Tours Camping Beach lounging Terrestrial permits Terrestrial Building Invasive control Land clearance Natural resource extraction

Notes Saba Bank; IMO designation as a PSSA, restrictions on anchoring and in the future no trespassing by vessels over 300 tonnes - National Legislation. One ordinance to allow spearfishing in the marine park, enforced by SCF

October 2015 42 Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success 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 27 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

Islandwide

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

Marine Bank Saba 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 43 Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success Report Jan- Dec 2014

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

Dec 31, 14

ASSETS

Tangible Fixed Assets

Property And Equipment 256,905

Total Tangble Fixed Assets 256,905

Current Assets

Receivables 34,611 Inventory 38,996 Cash And Cash Equivalents 237,993

Total Current Assets 311,600

TOTAL ASSETS 568,505

EQUITY AND LIABLITIES

Equity

Capital 56 Net Income -104,162 General Reserve 522,444

Total Equity 418,338

Deferred Income 98,596

Current Liabilities

Other Liabilities 51,570

Total Current Liabilities 51,570

TOTAL EQUITY AND LIABILITIES 568,505 Figure 12 Balance Sheet SCF 2014

October 2015 44 Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success Report Jan- Dec 2014

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

Dec 31, 14

INCOME Grants 165,433 Earmarked Grant 119,980 Diving Fees 70,469 Nature Fees 25,062 Fees Chamber 6,815 Sale Of Merchandise (Net) 13,982 Yacht Fees 5,107 Donations And Contributions 2,581 Other Income 28,235

TOTAL INCOME 437,664

EXPENSES Personnel Expenses 291,331 Operating Costs 157,423 Administrative And General Expenses 93,072

TOTAL EXPENSES 541,826

Net Result -104,162

Figure 13 Income and Expenses SCF 2014

Table 28 Fees structure

Fee $ Permissions Dive fees 3 per person per dive Snorkel fee 3 per person per snorkel 3 per person up to 99 ton, maximum stay one week booking at a time Yacht mooring fee 10 per ton if yacht weighs over 99 tonnes Nature fee 1 per person per nights stay in accommodation on the island

October 2015 45 Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success 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. The charts below show how the staff time is divided between the Operational Management tasks.

Most of the protected area staff divide their time between the MPA, Saba Bank and TPA, staff estimates of their time division are shown in the graphic below.

Saba Terrestrial Saba National Park and Trails Marine Park

Saba Bank National Park Figure 14 Staff time division between Saba Bank, marine and terrestrial work.

Advice Management Advice - representation

Outreach and Education Administration

Law enforcement

Monitoring - research Field Administration and Maintenence Figure 15 Staff time division between operational management tasks working on Saba National Marine Park.

October 2015 46 Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success Report Jan- Dec 2014

Advice Management Advice - Administration Representation

Outreach and Education

Fiield Law enforcement Administration and Maintenence

Monitoring - research

Figure 16 Staff time division between operational management tasks working on Saba Bank National Park

Advice Management Advice - representation

Outreach and Education

Law enforcement Monitoring - research Administration

Field Administration and Maintenence

Figure 17 Staff time division between operational management tasks working on Saba Terrestrial Park

October 2015 47 Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success Report Jan- Dec 2014 Management Staff meetings were held weekly in 2014, and the meetings were minuted with the minutes available to participants. A member of the board met with the manager as necessary. The Manager spent considerable time working to keep the operations of SCF running, in the light of staff changes and absent staff throughout 2014. A shared calendar was maintained throughout 2014.

Planning The 1999 Terrestrial Management Plan and the 2001 Marine Management Plan are no longer implemented. SCF worked to an annual action plan 2014 and produced an Annual Action Plan for 2015. SCF also produced the annual budget for 2015. In 2014 there was one overview of profit and loss and one budget comparison.

Reporting In 2014 Saba Conservation Foundation staff produced weekly and monthly reports for the Board of SCF, an annual report and the BZK report for DCNA.. Staff also updated Saba Bank technical activity reports. During 2014 a template for consistent financial reporting was also completed and implemented.

Annual audit Ernst and Young produced the annual audit.

Staff Staff took part in a range of development and training programmes in 2014; Table 29 Staff exchanges and training carried out in 2014.

Staff Exchange / Training course name Attendee(s) Duration Location Dive course Marine Park Ranger 1 day Saba First aid course Six staff members 1 day Saba DCNA accounting workshop Two staff 2 days St Eustatius Wetlands workshop Education officer 4 days Bonaire Invasive Alien Species workshop Manager 3 days Saba Moorings staff exchange Two rangers 4 days St Eustatius Helicopter landing point finder lessons Manager 2 days Saba Accounting workshop Administrator 4 days St Maarten Rijkswaterstaat | Tactical Workshop Saba 2 days Saba ABS workshop 4 days St Lucia DCNA financial sustainability workshop Manager 2 days

One staff member assisted with the AGOA Marine Mammal Survey, a French initiative to monitor the status of marine mammals around the Lesser Antilles. He was involved for eight days whilst monitoring took place around St Maarten/Martin, Anguilla, Saba and St Eustatius.

Administration As well as on-going computing, filing, and ad hoc communications with the public (particularly in the Trail Shop), staff worked on a variety of other tasks related to general administration, including, depositing funds and paying bills, the tanker log book, visiting yachts log, trail shop register, dive site visitation and keeping a record of diver numbers. The office administrator was available for 95% of 2014 and was assisted by a new Office Administration staff member for part of the year. This meant that the manager and education officer did not have to carry out as much the administration work and audits as in 2013.

Income Generation • Fund raising: WNL INNO fonds for $10,000 for shark monitoring. • Fund raising: The William Froehlich Foundation granted $20,000 to support capacity building for staff members.

Time was also spent ordering items for sale in the trail shop, stock keeping, producing sales reports. New products designed and stocked at the trail shop included jewellery, unspoiled queen women's clothing, t-shirts, sweaters, windbreakers and hoodies, children's t-shirts, hiking gear, books, postcards, key chains and more.

Other income generation activities that took significant amounts of staff time in 2014 include; • Administration of the fund raising guided hikes, tours presentations and other events of 2014. • Collection, administration and management of yacht, dive and hiking fees.

October 2015 48 Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success Report Jan- Dec 2014 Audit Whilst the annual audit was conducted on site in 2013, despite the park’s best efforts, it has not been possible to finalize the Financial Statement or have the audit letter issued by Ernst and Young. This highlights the difficulty of applying Dutch auditing standards to small, non-profit organisations with limited capacity.

Field Administration and Maintenance There were three patrols a week each for four hours for the TPA associated with trail maintenance and general surveillance, with a total of 580 hours being spent on formal patrolling through the year. In the MPA there were four formal patrols a week, each for four hours. In 2014, patrols of the Saba Bank increased by 30%, with an aim of three patrols a week. More staff and fewer problems with the boats made patrolling easier throughout the year.

Staff spent a considerable amount of time on maintenance throughout 2014. This includes:

• Maintenance to moorings, with assistance from two volunteers. • Maintenance of the hydraulic mooring drilling equipment. • Two days a week spent on boat maintenance by one staff member. • Minor impact from Hurricane Gonzalo, boats removed from the water. • Monthly or bi-monthly cleaning the trails through the year. • One week of staff time maintaining vehicles. • 30 days spent upgrading storage facilities. • Pruning of the Mango Tree in Cobble Stone Street, the Bottom • Water feature installed at the trail shop. • Trail preparation for the Saba Triathlon Monitoring- Research Monitoring continued to provide a range of data in 2014 on seven different aspects of the marine environment and four aspects of the terrestrial environment;

Marine monitoring programmes: • Dive site usage data for 35 dive sites. • Visiting yacht data for 14 moorings. • ‘AIS live’ large boat web-based monitoring. • Fish Landings from the Saba Bank (Port counts). • Fish biodiversity in SNMP on 100 sites. • Lobster Larvae monitoring on five sites. • AGOA Marine Mammal monitoring with neighbouring islands. • Staff assessed the position of the new fibre optic cable that had been laid through the marine park to increase internet speeds on the island.

Terrestrial Monitoring Programmes: • Trail use on 17 trails. • Tropic Bird monitoring. • Monitoring feral domesticated animals. • Weather monitoring at three different sites.

DCNA Measuring Management Success Project The management success project is an ongoing DCNA project designed to measure the management effectiveness of each of the park 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. SCF contributed five hours of time to the project in 2014.

Saba Bank Management Unit, in collaboration with the Ministry of Economic Affairs, is conducting research into conch population, utilizing specialized underwater video rigs and diver surveys. Conch of different sizes are collected to retrieve gonad and tissue samples for lab analysis. These samples will be used to help determine when conch is mature and able to reproduce, which allows us to better understand conch lifecycles and implement protection measures to allow sustainable harvesting in the future.

October 2015 49 Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success Report Jan- Dec 2014 Law Enforcement Terrestrial issues that SCF has been active with include the removal of stray cats to reduce predation on native animals and the re-location of beehives. In 2014 the Terrestrial Park Ranger obtained a permit for shooting feral cats. There were no significant issues with the Muriel Thissel Terrestrial Park.

In the Saba National Marine Park, two verbal warnings were given in 2014; one to a fisherman from Saba who had exceeded the 20 conch per annum take limit and one to a group of yacht visitors who were illegally collecting conch. Five research permits were prepared for issue by the Island Council. Dive guidelines for staff, interns and researchers were developed and implemented.

Saba National Marine Park was listed under the SPAW protocol and officially recognised as being of particular importance to the Caribbean region for the environment it protects and the management that takes place.

During 2014, 21 species of sharks and rays were listed for protection under the Bonn Convention on Migratory Species, which Saba is party to.

The Saba Bank Management Unit accompanied the Dutch Coastguard on one of their regular Saba Bank patrols around two conflict areas that were pointed out by the Saba fishermen. Recurring issues in these areas relate to illegal fishing by foreign vessels, large vessels crossing the Saba Bank cutting surface buoys and the theft of fish traps. During September, the Saba Bank Park Officer joined with the Dutch Coastguard to patrol for illegal fishing by foreign vessels and for larger vessels (>300 gt) crossing the Saba Bank. The patrol concentrated on the northwestern side of the Saba Bank, with a maximum of 9 miles from Saba. No conflicts or violations were found.

After a significant amount of lobbying, The Moonfish Bank on the Saba Bank was closed to fishing form the 1st (2013) December to the end of February 2014. This closure will operate at the same time for the next five years to protect the Red Hind spawning aggregation that takes place there from overfishing.

The Manager of SCF remains on 24 hour emergency response stand by. SCF continue to monitor shipping activity (direction, speed anchoring status) on the Saba Bank using the AIS (shipping information system). Education In 2014 the Environmental Education school programme continued, with course specific materials and a curriculum, involving 200 participants and 180 hours of staff time for delivery. The programme presents lessons bi-monthly to six classes a week, with a different topic each week. Occasionally two staff members would be involved in the programme. The school Sea and Learn programme was repeated in 2014 and involved 16 lessons given to eight different classes, taking 128 hours of staff time and 100 hours to prepare. New school materials were developed including a PowerPoint presentation, video and printed workbooks developed along with insect discovery materials.

There were two Junior Ranger courses in 2014 with a total of 32 participants, taking 660 hours (two, three hour sessions weekly) of staff time in preparation and execution for three staff members over 37 weeks. Two interns also assisted with the delivery of the junior ranger courses. 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. Two staff members and two interns spent 100 hours working on the project.

There were also two Snorkel Club courses that had 32 participants, which also took in excess of 660 hours (two, three hour sessions weekly) to run for 3 staff members. Three interns also assisted with the delivery of the Snorkel Club courses. Snorkel Club participants helped to make with ‘Saba fit’ for the programme “Drink more water and keep moving”. They also took part in guided hikes with the terrestrial Park Ranger and an archaeological hike to Spring Bay. Both the Junior Ranger and Snorkel Club courses have specific course material and a curriculum.

The Broadreach Youth Programme also operated in 2014 with seven programmes being run form a total of 100 participants, involving 15 hours of staff time. The public Sea and Learn programme was repeated in 2014 and involved 200 tourists and locals, and took 200 hours of work for four staff members.

For twelve days in June and July SCF staff provided activities for the annual Summer School with Child Focus, including guided hikes on Sandy Cruz Trail and traditional shelter building at Spring Bay. Activities also included building and painting birdhouses and building boats from recycled plastic bottles in conjunction with the SCF annual International Coastal Clean up. A theatrical play about the lifecycle of sea turtles, involving the summer school participants was organised at Cove Bay.

October 2015 50 Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success Report Jan- Dec 2014 Outreach The SCF Facebook page, Saba Trail Shop page and Saba Bank page continued to be updated for two hours a week through 2014, taking the number of fans of SCF to more than 2000 in 2014. Maintenance of the page includes video and photograph updates and live streams of information on Facebook and Twitter. There were numerous press releases in 2014, two about the hyperbaric chamber and several to advertise events. There was also a range of television and press coverage about the Bonaire Junior Ranger visit to Saba and the Sea and Learn events. Staff also spent time working on the ‘Sharks Demystified’ video for release in 2015. Four editions of the ‘Saba Sparks’ newsletter were sent out to more than 3600 people on the SCF contact list. A new guidelines poster was developed and published in 2014 – a ‘Manchineel Tree Advisory’. Design work continued on the new brochures for publication in 2015, including Saba’s Nature, Anchoring, Diving, Island Map and Saba’s History leaflets.

There were a number of events in 2014 that SCF coordinated;

• Guided hikes. • Presentations to various stakeholders and the medical school. • Guided island tours. • International Coastal Clean Up and Earth Day– three times annually • Book week. • Shark awareness week. • Dive Guide Orientations were run on two occasions involving a total of 40 individuals and four hours of staff time each.

The Terrestrial Park Ranger guided researchers and volunteers carrying out research into the volcanic vents on Saba.

On July 22nd, members of the SCF staff along with Commissioner Chris Johnson, the Island Secretary Menno van der Velde and Robert (Bobby) Zagers and Brandon Hassell from the Planning Bureau of Public Works hiked to the top of Mt. Scenery. The purpose of this hike was to evaluate the current trail and its condition.

International Coastal Cleanup with primary school children; coordinated by the Ocean Conservancy as a global ocean debris monitoring programme which runs for four months every year. Wild for nature Day – outreach from the Trail Shop to share the work and research done at SCF. Making use of the multipurpose outdoor teaching space.

October 2015 51 Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success Report Jan- Dec 2014 Advice Saba Conservation Foundation works with 32 stakeholder groups and partners on issues relating to the marine environment and 26 stakeholder groups on issues relating to the terrestrial environment. Six key stakeholder contacts are worked with relating to the Saba bank. These stakeholders include; WNF, EPIC, Dive operators, the Tourism Department, Prosecutors office, Schools, Conservation International, Universities, Volunteer Groups, AGOA, Rijkswatersstaad, the EEZ committee and the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

The staff of SCF spend much of their time working with their stakeholders on a variety of topics to communicate information, lobby, apply policy, educate and build capacity. Examples of work carried out in 2014 are;

• Work with SPAW-RAC to fund the Junior Ranger exchange with STINAPA Bonaire. • Three SCF staff members provided a full day of kayak support for the Mini Triathlon with the Saba Comprehensive School students, which was organized by the SABA TRIATHLON Foundation and Saba Fit. • SCF assisted Saba Archaeological Research Centre by clearing the trail to Parish Hill and lending them three tents for a youth camping trip. • Worked with fishermen to publicise the pioneering discovery that Blackfin Snapper predate on Lionfish • Lobbied against the removal of a Mango Tree in the Bottom, which is seen as part of Saba’s heritage. • Facilitating meetings between conservation finance expert Barry Spergel and stakeholders.

The staff of SCF took part in four meetings and workshops in 2014;

Table 30 Meetings attended by SCF staff in 2014.

Meeting Name Attendee(s) Duration Location UNEP meeting Marine Park Ranger 2 days Puerto Rico EEZ committee meeting Manager 1 day Saba ICRI Environmental Economics workshop Manager 3 days Bonaire International conference on Biodiversity and Climate Change Manager 5 days Guadeloupe

October 2015 52 Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success Report Jan- Dec 2014 Working with stakeholders Box 17 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.

Saba Conservation Foundation works with 31 stakeholder groups and partners on issues relating to the marine environment and 26 stakeholder groups on issues relating to the terrestrial environment. Twelve key stakeholder contacts are worked with relating to the Saba bank. These stakeholders include; Dive operators, the Tourism Department, Prosecutors office, Schools, Conservation International, Universities, Volunteer Groups, AGOA, Rijkswatersstaad, the EEZ committee and the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

Table 31 Stakeholder relationships Level of Constituent relationship Saba Bank Exceptional Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs Effective WNF, Harbour office, Coast Guard, Fisherfolk Dive Operators, Universities and academic centres, Religious groups, WIDECAST, Dive Operators, AGOA Marine Some Mammal Sanctuary, Marine Sanctuary Cape Cod. Marine Effective Hoteliers, Tourism department, Harbour office, Coast Guard, Fisherfolk Universities and academic centres, Religious groups, Building and Zoning Department, Prosecutor's Office, Education Department, Schools, Police, Broadreach (education - catamaran of students), Public Works, Local Some University, Tourism Association, Construction Industry, Volunteer Groups, Power company (Gebe), Caribbean Explorer, Rijkswatersstaad, Intl. Coastal Cleanup, WIDECAST, Dive Operators Terrestrial Effective Hoteliers, Tourism department, EPIC, American Bird Society Universities and academic centres, Religious groups, Building and Zoning Department, Prosecutor's Office, Education Department, Schools, Police, Broadreach (education - catamaran of students), Public Works, Local Some University, Tourism Association, Construction Industry, Volunteer Groups, Power company (Gebe), Other Environmental NGO’s, Agriculture Department, Conservation International, Youth Groups.

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.

Saba Conservation Foundation continued to work on two projects related to the marine environment in 2014; refurbishment of the moorings around the island and Island mapping.

October 2015 53 Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success Report Jan- Dec 2014

Appendix

October 2015 54 Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success 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.

October 2015 55 Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success Report Jan- Dec 2014

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

October 2015 56 Saba Conservation Foundation DCNA Management Success Report Jan- Dec 2014

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 potential Litter is usually localised, and 6 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.

October 2015 57