2012 - 2017 Bat Management Plan for Jamaica EcosystemsManagementBranch NationalEnvironmentandPlanningAgency ©2011 ©PublishedbytheNationalEnvironmentandPlanningAgency(NEPA) 10CaledoniaAvenue Kingston5 JamaicaW.I. Telephone18767547540 Fax18767547596 [email protected] Website:www.nepa.gov.jm CompiledbythestaffoftheEcosystemsManagementBranchoftheNationalEnvironmentandPlanningAgency.This publicationmaybereproducedinwholeorpartforeducationornonprofitpurposeswithoutthespecialpermission fromthecopyrightholderexceptforthephotographsforwhichpriorpermission,inwriting,mustbereceivedfrom thecopyrightholders. AcknowledgementofthesourcemustbemadeandtheNationalEnvironmentandPlanningAgencywouldappreciate receivingacopyofanysuchpublication. ©2011byNationalEnvironmentandPlanningAgency Bat Management Plan December 2011 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Wewouldliketoacknowledgetheinputofthevolunteerswhoassistedwiththeassessmentsas wellasthemembersoftheJamaicanCavesOrganization(JCO). i Bat Management Plan December 2011 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ......................................................................................................................................... iii 1.0 INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................................1 1.1 Bats in Jamaica............................................................................................................................2 1.2 Natural History of Bats.................................................................................................................3 1.2.1 Roosting Behaviour..................................................................................................................... 3 1.2.2 Feeding Behaviour ...................................................................................................................... 3 1.2.3 Social Behaviour and the cave system ....................................................................................... 4 1.2.4 Reproduction and Life History Characteristics............................................................................ 5 1.2.5 Predation..................................................................................................................................... 5 1.3 Ecological and Economic Values of Bats ....................................................................................6 1.4 Bats and Health Issues................................................................................................................6 1.5 Conservations Issues ..................................................................................................................6 2.0 International and Local Legislation Relevant to Bat Species ...................................................................8 2.1 International Treaties...................................................................................................................8 2.1.1 Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat 1971 (Ramsar Convention)............................................................................................................................. 8 2.1.2 Programme on Man and the Biosphere 1971 ............................................................................. 8 2.1.3 Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage 1972 (World Heritage Convention)............................................................................................................................. 8 2.1.4 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora 1973 (CITES) .................................................................................................................................................. 8 2.1.5 Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals 1979 (Bonn Convention)............................................................................................................................................ 9 2.1.6 Convention on Biological Diversity 1992 (The Rio Convention) ................................................. 9 2.2 Local Legislation ..........................................................................................................................9 2.2.1 Wild Life Protection Act (1945).................................................................................................... 9 2.2.2 The Endangered Species (Protection, Conservation and Regulation of Trade) Act (2000) ....... 9 2.2.3 Natural Resources Conservation Authority Act (1991) ............................................................. 10 2.2.4 Forest Act (1996 )...................................................................................................................... 10 3.0 ACTION PLAN for BATS .............................................................................................................................11 4.0 FINANCING MECHANISMS .......................................................................................................................14 BIBLIOGRAPHY .......................................................................................................................................................15 APPENDICES ...........................................................................................................................................................17 ii Bat Management Plan December 2011 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ThemoderneraofcavinginJamaicaandbyextensionbatresearchbeganinthe1950’swithformationof thethenJamaicaCavingClub(JCC)andthefirstpublicationofJamaicaUndergroundin1977byAlanG. Fincham.Theseearlyworkshighlightedthediversityofbatsspecies,theirdistributionandtheirecological importance.Todate,itisnotclearwhethertherehasbeenadeclineinJamaica’sbatpopulationoralossof batspecies,whatiscertainisthatthereisaneedforanincreasedunderstandingoftherequirementsfora healthy bat population in Jamaica. This document aims to provide information on the global and local statusofJamaica’sbatsandwhatstrategiesarerequiredtoprotecttheislandsspeciesandtheirhabitats. ThisBatManagementPlanprovidesclearandtargetedactionsforafiveyearperiodbasedontheguiding principlesoftheEcosystembasedApproach,IntegratedManagement,CollaborationandStewardshipand AdaptiveManagement.Theseprinciplesfosterbothbiologicalandsocialresilienceandtheactionsiffully implementedwillhelptoensuretheprotectionandconservationofallbatspecies. Thegoalofthismanagementplanistoguideresearch,enhancepublicawarenessandconservation,and foster information sharing and collaboration between countries on bat research and conservation. Recommendationstoenhancetheconservationofbatsinclude: Protectionofcaveswhichhavebeendeterminedtohosthighspeciesrichnessandspeciesnumbers andtheforestcoveroftheareasurroundingthecave. Conservationoftheisland’slargestcavesforprotectionnamely:St.ClairCave,WindsorCave, OxfordCave,PortlandcavesandMountPlenty Protectionofkeysites. The plan also encourages citizens to actively participate and share in the responsibility to maintain our biodiversity. Every plan encounters challenges of funding which is usually the determining factor with regards to implementation of projects. In addition to government funds, the Agency, stakeholders and collaborators will have to employ creative ways of sourcing funds, such as seeking grants and writing proposal iii Bat Management Plan December 2011 1.0 INTRODUCTION Jamaica is ranked fifth in islands in terms of endemic plants and is also noted to have a high level of endemismforanumberofanimalspecies(NEPA,2003).BatsareonegroupofsuchspeciesandJamaica hasbeenrecordedashavingfourendemicspeciesandeightendemicsubspecies.Bogan(2003)statedthat adeclineinthebatpopulationsiscriticalas“Inmanytropicalecosystems,batsarekeystonespeciesby virtue of their roles as pollinators and seed dispersal agents”. It is not clear whether there has been a declineinJamaica’sbatpopulationoralossofbatspecies,whatiscertainisthatthereisaneedforan increasedunderstandingoftherequirementsforahealthybatpopulationinJamaica. The National Strategy and Action Plan on Biological Diversity in RATIONALE Jamaica(2003)recognizedtheneedfortheprotectionoftheisland bat species with the inclusion of the section entitled “Sustainable This management plan will Management of Bat and Dolphins Species”. Outputs suggested guide activities which will result included a feasibility study of the guano mining conducted; in the conservation of bats and their habitats through research assessmentofbatpopulations;identificationofcavetours;training and effective collaboration and certification for cave tour guides; preparation of public between government and non- information brochures and a management strategy. The government stakeholders. developmentofthisdocumentfulfilsthelastprojectoutput. TothisendandinthecontinuationofitsmandatetomanageandprotectJamaica’sbiologicaldiversity,the National Environment and Planning Agency through the Ecosystems Management Branch identified the needtodevelopamanagementplanfortheisland’sbatpopulation.Genowayset.al.(2005)notedthat caveswerethesinglemostimportantconservationareaforbatsinJamaicaalongwithlargeareasofnative vegetation.Hestatedthatahealthybatpopulationdependslargelyonsuitableroost,nativeplantsand insects.In his publication “Bats of Jamaica” Genoways urged the protection of St. Clair Cave, Portland Cave,WindsorCave,OxfordCaveandMountPlentyCaveandtheexclusionofhumanactivityinthecaves.