Abstract

In the Caribbean it is imperative to ensure that scarce coastal marine space is used most efficiently and effectively for the purpose intended, among the several possible and competing uses. The number of ‘paper parks’ needs to be drastically reduced. Stakeholders need to know that Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are achieving biodiversity, fisheries or other bio-physical objectives. They need to be convinced that socio-economic benefits and development will result from proper MPA management. For the above to occur there must be good governance from national policy and planning through to the community level. This is why evaluating MPA management effectiveness and instituting adaptive MPA management are critical. The work in progress that this paper reports upon is a project for enhancing management effectiveness at three MPAs in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Jamaica and Belize. The MPAs are respectively the Tobago Cays Marine Park, Negril Marine Park and Sapodilla Cayes Marine Reserve. Training inception workshops were held to build stakeholder capacity to understand and undertake evaluations of MPA management effectiveness as set out in the guidebook ‘How is your MPA doing?’, and to decide on goals, objectives, indicators and local evaluation teams. Fieldwork was undertaken to measure the extent to which selected objectives were being achieved. Preliminary results of the evaluation, lessons learned from both the results and the process, and recommendations for adaptive management are reported on. Next steps include the implementation of new management measures and the preparation of teaching and training material to share the lessons learned

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