Abstract

The Molinière Beauséjour Marine Protected Area (MBMPA) on the West Coast of Grenada (12° 03? N 61° 45? W), was gazetted on December 28th, 2001 and went under active management on February 11th, 2009. MPA rangers were hired and daily patrols commenced to ensure that there was compliance with the legislation with regard to on-water activities (e.g. fishing, anchoring). Ongoing biophysical monitoring indicated that despite the gains with regard to on-water anthropogenic impacts, the land-based sources of impact were having a significant negative impact with regard to macroalgae on the coral reefs. This lead to the establishment of a “Reef Guardian Program” modeled after a similar program pioneered in Australia. The Reef Guardian Program has three distinct components (i.e. schools, farmers and fishers) and features a number of voluntary actions that individual could implement in their daily lives and while farming and/or fishing that would have a positive impact on the health of the coral reefs. The MBMPA has also implemented a number of alternative/supplemental livelihood activities to ensure that community members who would have been affected by the restrictions on extractive activities within the MPA are adequately compensated. The livelihoods and “Reef Guardian Programs” ensures that everyone who can be affected or who can have an effect on the MBMPA from the fishers on the sea to up the farmers in the mountains and the communities between are actively involved in taking small actions in their daily lives to help enhance the resilience of coral reefs.

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