Abstract

Until recently the concept of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) for small islands has not really been considered in academia or in practical applications. Management programs under the banner of coastal zone management and more appropriately termed coastal area management have actually exercised resource management in localized areas.\Small islands are influenced by their surrounding marine environment and themselves impact the seas around them in a time frame much shorter than that for larger land masses. In fact definitions now being proposed suggest that the entire land mass and its juridical marine area constitute the coastal area of small islands. Any management framework must consider the intricate interactions and linkages between biologicalsystems on small islands, in a system which ecomes multisectoral in focus. The institutional and legal framework by which this is achieved is less difficult than that for larger territories.\The concept there for of Islands Systems Management (ISM) best reflects the need for a revised management regime drawing on the experiences of other Coastal Zone Management initiatives, but with the necessary adaptations to meet the special requirements of small islands. This paper will explore this new concept as it is being developed by the OECS - NRMU.

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