A brief presentation on the largest Marine Protected Area in Jamaica

1. The Benefit of Portland Bight Fish
Sanctuaries to the South Coast
Population
Stefano Chin

2.  Jamaica is terribly affected by over fishing, especially
the fishing villages on the south coast. The local
Environmental organizations that are responsible
such as the Caribbean Coastal Area Management
Foundations (C-CAM) and others, through the
establishment of Fish Sanctuaries and Specialized
Fisheries Conservation Areas (SFCA), have taken a
step forward to conserve and protect the Portland
Bight Protected Area so that fishermen and
consumers will benefit in the future.
Overview

3.  The word ‘Sanctuary’ according to the Oxford English
Mini Dictionary, means nature reserve.
 “A Fish Sanctuary is a coastal area where no fishing is
allowed so that fish (and other sea life) have a sea
haven to breed and grow to increase the fish stock
and keep it healthy.” (Breds - The Treasure Beach
Foundation, 1998).
What Are Fish Sanctuaries?

4. http://c-fish.org/where-we-work/
Salt Harbour Fish
Sanctuary
Galleon Harbour Fish
Sanctuary
Three Bays Fish
Sanctuary

5. http://www.breds.org/projects_ongoing.php?n=101
The Caribbean Coastal Area
Management Foundations (C-CAM)
operates in the Portland Bight
Protected Area.

6. The following table displays the
size and location of the Sanctuaries
that C-FISH (Caribbean Fish
Sanctuary Partnership Initiative) is
currently supporting with grants.

7. SFCA
(Specialized
Fishery
Conservation
Areas)
Size
(Km2)
Main Fishing
Community
Surrounding
SFCA
Approximate
Number of
Fishers
Approximate
Number of
Inshore Fishers
Total
Population of
surrounding
Communities
Galleon
Harbour
17.14 Old Harbour
Bay, Salt River,
Mitchell Town,
Hellshire, Rocky
Point
4,500 Unknown 10,500
Salt Harbour 12.03 Old Harbour
Bay, Salt River,
Mitchell Town,
Hellshire, Rocky
Point
4,500 Unknown 10,500
Three Bays 12.03 Old Harbour
Bay, Salt River,
Mitchell Town,
Hellshire, Rocky
Point
4,500 Unknown 10,500
http://c-fish.org/where-we-work/

8.  “Created in 1999, this 1876-sq-km protected area
comprises Jamaica’s largest natural reserve with 210 km of
dry limestone forest and 83 sq km of wetlands as well as
precious coral reefs” (Koss, 2008).
 Its boundaries extend westward from the Kingston
Harbour across St. Catherine and Clarendon parishes as far
as Canoe Valley Wetland, on the border with Manchester
parish.
 According to Hatziolos, Looten, Fodor, World Bank,
International Centre for Living Aquatic Resources
Management (1998), the waters in the Portland Bight
support about 4,000 fishers (25% of Jamaica’s fishers).
Portland Bight Protected Area
(PBPA)

9.  The Old Harbour Bay fishing community is situated in a
flood plain and so is affected by flooding in the rainy
season. The likely hood of a disaster occurring is also high,
as it is a village of many wood shacks.
 However, “this large fishing village, facing Portland Bight,
3 km south of Old Harbour, is the site of the south coast’s
largest fish market” (Koss, 2008).
Portland Bight Protected Area
(PBPA) Cont.

10.  1. It gradually increase the fish population that is
affected by over fishing and habitat degradation.
 2. The quality of the catches will improve, both in
terms of fish size and variety.
 3. Due to the 'spill over' effect, adjacent marine areas
benefit as excess fish from the reserve will migrate
into these areas where fishing is allowed.
Benefits of the Portland Bight Fish
Sanctuary to the South Coast

11. Photo taken from snapshot of the video
Caribbean Fish Sanctuaries
A CARIBSAVE Partnership Production, 2010.

12. Photo taken from snapshot of the video Caribbean
Fish Sanctuaries
A CARIBSAVE Partnership Production, 2010.

13.  4. Nidia Chacon, the Manager for Cay Caulker Marine
Reserve, which is a small island off the coast of Belize
stated in an interview that “Marine Reserve is a
management tool, a fishery tool for them (fishermen) to
ensure that there will be more (fish) for the future”
(Caribbean Fish Sanctuary video, 2010).
 5. It forces fishermen to think about alternative ways of
living and earning and to be creative.
 6. Increased recreational and eco-tourism opportunities
Benefits of the Portland Bight Fish
Sanctuary to the South Coast Cont.

14.  “Biological goods(such as fish) and ecological services
(such as nutrient cycling) generated from effectively
managed MPAs can be thought of in financial terms,
where the MPA is a ‘bank account’ that preserves the
natural ‘capital’ that society depends on for the
future........” (Pomeroy, Parksand Watson, 2004)

15.  Sanctuaries provide a long term benefit
 Fishermen have short term problem
 What would you do to ensure that tourists visit the
South Coast?
JUST FOR THOUGHT.......
Coral Reefs: Challenges and
Opportunities for Sustainable
Management.
Unless the South Coast is
developed and attractions are
introduced, then we won’t have
tourist and then Community
tourism and Eco-tourism will not
work.
More Public
Education for
Fishermen

16.  Eco-heritage trail
 Mangrove tours
 Salt marsh tour
 Snorkeling tour
 Picnic on the coral cays, etc.

17.  A CARIBSAVE Partnership Production, 2010. Caribbean Fish Sanctuary
Video.
 Koss, R., 2008. Lonely Planet , Jamaica (Country Guide).
 http://books.google.com.jm/books?id=9EpkpIshXsUC&pg=PA103&d
q=Portland+Bight+Protected+Area+in+Jamaica&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Hp
ToUZXrNYS69gTH14CAAw&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Por
tland%20Bight%20Protected%20Area%20in%20Jamaica&f=false
 Breds - The Treasure Beach Foundation, 1998. WHAT IS A FISH
SANCTUARY?
 From: http://www.breds.org/projects_ongoing.php?n=101
Reference

18.  Pomeroy R., Parks J., and Watson L., 2004. How is your MPA
doing? A Guidebook of Natural and Social Indicators for
Evaluating Marine Protected Area Management
Effectiveness. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge,
UK. International Union for Conservation of Nature and
Natural Resources.
 Hatziolos M., Looten A., Fodor M., World Bank,
International Centre for Living Aquatic Resources
Management, 1998. Coral Reefs: Held at the World Bank,
Washington, D.C., October 9-11, 1997 : proceedings of an
associated event of the fifth annual World Bank Conference
on Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Development:
Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainable Management.
Reference Cont.