MARINE PROTECTED AREAS IN THE BAHAMAS

1
MARINE PROTECTED AREAS IN THE BAHAMAS

• By
• Janeen Bullard
• LaKeshia Anderson

IABIN MARINE PROTECTED AREAS WORKSHOP Ocho Rios,
Jamaica March 10th 13th, 2008
2
National Park System
Walkers Cay National Park
Black Sound Cay National Reserve
Lucayan National Park Rand Nature Centre Peterson
Cay National Park
Tilloo Cay National Reserve
National Park System of the Bahamas
Abaco National Park
The Retreat Bonefish Popnd National Park Harrold
and Wilson Ponds National Park The Primeval Forest
Central Andros National Parks
Conception Island
Exuma Cays land sea Park
Moraih Harbour Cay National Park
Marine Farm Hope House
Little Inagua National Park
Union Creek Reserve
Inagua National Park
3
Exuma Cays Land Sea Park

• Created in 1959
• Managed by BNT
• Became no-take in 1986
• Management Plan Completed

Photo courtesy of S. Larson
4
Network of Marine Reserves

• The national network of MPAs to include at least
  20 of the total shelf edge of The Bahama banks
• Initial designation in 2000
• Fisheries Act/Regulations
• No management plan

5
Andros

• Andros Northern and Southern Barrier Reef
  National Parks
• Andros West Side

NB Outlined in green are the proposed areas to
be included in the west side protected area system
6
(No Transcript)
7
San Salvador

• Activities completed
• Community Consultation
• Dive Tag Program
• Proposal Submitted to government

8
North Bimini

• Area size 30.69 km2
• Habitats
• Mangrove (western edge)
• Seagrass beds
• Bonefish flats
• Reef
• lagoon
• Main threats
• Major development
• Foreign fishing
• Historic site
• Healing hole

9
Abaco

• Area size 95.16 km2
• Abaco Barrier Reef
• Habitats
• Coral reef
• Seagrass beds
• mangroves
• Major threats
• Casuarinas
• Lionfish (2 species)

10
Exuma

• Site 1 Size 145.52 km2
• mangroves and creeks
• Bonefish flats
• Spiny lobster breeding grounds
• Major threat
• Lack of enforcement
• Site 2 Size 101.83 km2
• Nassau grouper spawning aggregation
• Patch reefs
• Major threats
• Commercial fishing (LI)
• Bleaching
• Lionfish

11
South Eleuthera

• Area size 50.30 km2
• Habitats
• Patch reefs
• Mangroves
• Blue holes
• Seagrass meadows
• Breeding grounds
• Queen conch
• Spiny lobster
• Main threats
• Depressed economy
• enforcement
• Lionfish

12
Berry Islands

• Area size 136.31 km2
• Edge of tongue of the ocean
• Habitats
• Extensive Coral reef
• Seagrass beds
• conch nursery grounds
• Main threats
• Lionfish
• Developments
• Fishing

13
CURRENTLY..

• National Implementation Support Programme (NISP)
  Partnerships
• (DMR, BNT, TNC, BEST COM)
• Capacity Plan
• Sustainable Finance Plan
• Master Plan
• Assessment of current state of proposed areas
  defining boundaries.
• Continued stakeholder consultations
• Management plan/zoning

14
Email contacts

• lakeshiaanderson_at_bahamas.gov.bs
• jbullard_at_bnt.bs