James

Dominica has an area of 763 square kilometres (298 square miles), and is the largest island in the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States. However, the island has a coastline that measures only 146 kilometres (91 miles) long, is generally rugged, and comprises mostly steep coastal cliffs and stony beaches. With the passage of successive hurricanes, the number of sandy beaches on the island is declining, and now stands at possibly fewer than 50. These beaches are generally short and narrow; the longest being only 1.5 kilometres and the widest measuring about 45 metres. The majority of the island’s sandy beaches are made up of black, grey or brown volcanic material, with a few coral limestone ones located along the northeast coast. There are no dunes on the island and mangroves are almost non-existent.

Because of its extremely mountainous interior, Dominica’s settlement pattern has mostly followed the coastline with approximately seventy-five percent of the island’s communities situated within 0.5 to 1 kilometres of the sea. A few of these communities are squeezed along narrow coastal strips.

Beaches and other coastal resources are often regarded as common resources, and these are of social and environmental importance. The two main uses of Dominica’s beaches are for recreation and for activities related to the fishing industry (e.g. hauling of boats, sale of fish catches, etc). Other uses include hotel and residential development, location of roadways, wildlife habitat (e.g. turtle and iguana nesting sites, crab spawning ground, shorebird feeding area), and education in field biology.

The beaches are also used as a source of construction material (sand, gravel and stone), with citizens as well as Government agencies involved in the removal of materials from the beach for building roads, filling gabion baskets, etc. This continues to occur, in spite of the availability of alternative sources of sand, e.g. pumice and manufactured sand. Pole-wood is sometimes harvested from the only real stand of white mangrove on the island, and turtle poaching on sandy beaches is still a major problem in some coastal communities. Illegal garbage disposal along coastal cliffs, littering of beaches during recreational activities, and the wash-up of garbage from inland sources onto the beaches is still a major environmental problem on the island.

Over the years, and more so within recent times, some activities have been undertaken at the community level to promote the concept of coastal stewardship in Dominica, particularly of the island’s beach resources.

		Replanting of trees along beaches following hurricanes. This was done at Scotts Head following Hurricane David in 1979, at Batalie Beach following Hurricanes Luis and Marilyn in 1995, and at Glanvillia Beach following Hurricane Lenny in 1999. A village council, a fishermen’s group and a Tour Guides Association were involved in the these planting programmes; almond, seagrape and coconut trees were planted. These trees, when fully grown, will provide shade for the various users of the beach, stabilise the beach sand, provide some protection during storms, enhance the aesthetics of the beach and provide fruit for human consumption and for wildlife.
		Undertaking beach clean up campaigns. The Dominica Conservation Association, with support from a few corporate citizens, has taken a lead in organising beach clean ups. Occasionally, some community groups undertake the cleaning of the beach in their particular community, and about a decade ago, the inmates of the Dominica State Prison were involved in a major clean up of the more popular sandy beaches along the west coast of the island.

Dominica does not promote itself as a beach destination in tourism circles, but there are many stakeholders who have an interest in the few sandy beaches on the island. One of the main features of coastal stewardship is the development of a sense of ownership and civic pride for the country’s coastal resources.

		Some of the efforts at furthering coastal stewardship should be directed at the schools, firstly through environmental education programmes focusing on the wise use of coastal resources. The Fisheries Division, the Dominica Conservation Association and the Forestry, Wildlife and Parks Division each have ongoing environmental education programmes in the schools, and these could be co-ordinated so as avoid duplication of effort, and to maximise the use of the time allotted by the schools for such necessary but non-curriculum activities.
		Involvement of schools in coastal monitoring activities (e.g. beach profiling, wave monitoring, monitoring of tarballs and other forms of marine pollution and debris on beaches, etc). The proposed commencement of the SANDWATCH Project activities in Dominica is a step in the right direction, and the Forestry, Wildlife and Parks Division is offering its services as a partner in providing training for the implementation of some of the project activities.
		Organising turtle-watches at the community level. Marine turtles share the use of our sandy beaches for nesting. Unfortunately, such occasions are seen by some as a time for ‘harvesting’. Some islands have established successful turtle watch programmes, and attempts should be made to introduce this form of recreation in Dominica (see paper by Herman Belmar). These, however, would have to be preceded by major public awareness campaigns, particularly in the coastal communities that have a tradition of illegally hunting turtles.
		Increasing the level of public awareness regarding the management of coastal resources. Print and electronic media (including radio talk shows, television interviews and features), essay, poetry and art competitions (with private sector sponsorship) among schools, could be used in such public awareness campaigns.
		The organising of annual ‘Best-kept Beach’ competitions in coastal communities. Two of the main criteria in the judging would be (a) the level of cleanliness of the particular beach and (b) efforts made by the community to prevent or control the removal of beach materials.
		Appropriately worded and sited signage regarding solid waste disposal on beaches. Although Litter Laws are currently on Dominica’s Law Books, one of the major environmental problems that the island faces is the improper and indiscriminate disposal of solid waste inland as well as on the beaches.

Developing Social Contracts among Stakeholders to Resolve Beach Management Conflicts

The need for collaboration among the various stakeholders in the management of coastal resources has long been recognised. One important question that arises though is ‘Who will take the lead to serve as a catalyst for changing attitudes and modifying ‘traditional practices’ regarding the management and use of coastal resources?’ The fishermen, recreational users, hotel developers, media houses, coastal communities, private landowners, the Government and the country at large all have a stake in the country’s shrinking coastal resources and must ensure that these resources are managed for the benefit of all, and for the protection of the environment.

Conflicts regarding the management/use of coastal resources arise in Dominica from time to time. They have been resolved mainly through legal means. At least two matters have reached the courts: (i) the Batalie Beach case which developed in the early 1990s, involving the fishermen, a beachfront land owner and the village council (ii) the Picard Beach case which erupted in 2001, involving a hotel and an adjacent property owner; the problem in this case was brought about in part by the severe coastal erosion that has been occurring on a stretch of that beach, and partly from an encroachment. In another instance, Government had to intervene by declaring what was once a private access road to the Picard Beach a public road, thereby ensuring public access to that section of the beach. If the first two matters mentioned above are not settled in the courts, Government may again have to step in.

In another instance, one beachfront land-owner took a unilateral decision to restrict access through his property to the Macoucherie Beach, but gives prospective beach users the option of using recreational facilities (showers, washrooms, picnic tables, barbecue grills, garbage cans) that he had provided near the beach, for a small fee. Picnickers have welcomed this action, and as a result, that beach is one of the few that are not mined and is relatively free from solid waste.

In managing our coastal resources, we are being called upon to play the all-important role of stewards of that resource, for other present day users. However, these resources have also been entrusted in our care for future generations. Because of the way that we have been doing things in Dominica, conflicts will arise from time to time among various stakeholders for such limited and shrinking resources, and we will have to find creative ways to resolve such conflicts, and even to learn from our ‘sister’ and ‘cousin’ islands who may have had to deal with similar experiences.

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