Environment and development in coastal regions and in small islands

Dominica workshop papers

Coastal Stewardship in Antigua and Barbuda 

Sherod James

What is Coastal Stewardship? 

Stewardship involves the establishment of a system with well-defined rules and regulations governing environmental activities, which is supported by law and the enforcement of the conditions stipulated in the logistics of the system. The responsibility for developing efficient coastal stewardship practices falls on all major sectors of society. The existing level of awareness and participation by civil society in Antigua is relatively poor. While there is some awareness and local participation, there is very little legislative support or enforcement. Where there is legislation, not only is enforcement a problem, but also knowledge of its existence is lacking due to insufficient consultation between technicians and the local populace. 

Governing Policy

In Antigua and Barbuda there are seven laws, which expressly address coastal resource management issues. These are:

There are three government agencies with direct interest in the management of coastal and marine resources: 

The Barbuda Council also performs some coastal management functions, but it is not regarded as one of the primary coastal agencies, since its mandate includes all island activities. 

The government has a responsibility to ensure the management of coastal resources is done in an integrated manner, since the legislation places all use of the coast primarily in their hands. In terms of the Marine Areas (Protection and Enhancement) Act restrictions are placed on the use of specified coastal areas and includes the following restrictions:

		No person is allowed to enter the restricted area.
		Boats are not allowed except for passing and re-passing.
		No removal of fish, birds, flora, fauna, wrecks, buoys, or markers.
		No poisoning of fish or birds.
		No disposal of garbage.
		No interference with the seabed.

The Beach Control Act states: 

‘4(1): From and after the commencement of this Act, no person shall encroach on or use, or permit any encroachment on or use of, the foreshore, or the floor of the sea, for any public purpose or for or in connection with any trade, business or commercial enterprise, without license granted under this Act’. 

Implementation of the laws addressing coastal resource issues in Antigua and Barbuda is inefficient for several reasons. Firstly, a greater part of the legislation is old and in dire need of review. Secondly, there are several instances where no mention is made of the responsible government agency. This has led to a state of disorganisation in regard to some issues, since none of the three primary agencies can claim outright to be the competent agency in all matters concerning coastal resources. A third problem is that the agency charged with approving the licensing of any development in the country, coastal or otherwise, the Development Control Authority, falls under the Ministry of Planning, which does not express coastal stewardship interests. This poses a salient problem especially when considering that the majority of development takes place on the coast.  

An example of this situation is sand mining.  Although the legislation is very clear about the illegality of sand mining, other aspects of interpretation have proved problematic. Firstly the Ministry of Public Works can provide authority to persons to mine sand, but there is no indication that in the case of an offence, the Ministry of Public Works should initiate proceedings for criminal charges to be leveled. Secondly, according to the Fisheries Act, the agency responsible for the general management of marine resources was never expressly stated. This responsibility is usually divested to the Fisheries Division. However mining of sand from beaches is under the direct control of the Ministry of Public Works. There is no definition of a beach in any national legislation, and thus application of the legislation is subject to interpretation. 

 In Antigua there seems to be a move towards displacing traditional users of coastal resources in the name of tourism. Antigua is one of the more extreme cases since the country is almost entirely dependant on tourism as an economic activity. Enforcement can be seen to have various degrees of success, but appears to be geared more towards safeguarding the economy than the environment. 

Issues such as the need to establish carrying capacities are often overlooked. This can only be accomplished via consulting with all stakeholders to develop a sustainable way of operating. The main threat to coastal stewardship is the lack of communication and cooperation among the various agencies. Several agencies display highly territorial behaviour. In the event of one agency initiating a project, which has a cross-ministerial impact, there have been multiple cases where the other agencies have closely guarded their information and resources and refrained from giving support to the project. Government must seek to start acting in a more proactive manner rather than reacting to crises, but the various government agencies have shown little willingness to begin new projects based on their own judgements as coastal experts.  If the interest of the investor continues to be the dominating policy maker, all such efforts towards an integrated approach will be severely undermined.  A prime example is the development on the west coast and in the Carlisle Bay area in the south. 

Private Sector and Civil Society

Coastal stewardship has to be enacted by the private sector as well. An example of the resulting danger of its absence can be seen in a shocking and rather alarming article published on Monday 26^th March 2001 by the Daily Observer about a sea turtle being captured by a local fisherman for the sole purpose of having his picture taken. The article reflects the ignorance and negligence present in some sectors of society. These endangered species are protected under the CITES Convention, to which Antigua is a signatory, and according to the Fisheries Act it is illegal to harvest turtles in the breeding season. It is evident that education about environmental laws, policies and issues (both macro and micro) will have to be a major component of this process. 

The private sector has the potential to influence the adoption of good coastal stewardship policies as the vast amount of capital they possess provides a powerful bargaining tool. Some businesses have taken more concerted steps in their coastal stewardship activities. The Royal Antiguan Beach Resort has formed a conservation committee, the Royal Antiguan Conservation Committee, involving members from government agencies, community based organisations (CBOs) from the surrounding area, and the Environmental Awareness Group (EAG) an environmental non-governmental organisation (NGO). The government agencies represented are the Environmental Division, Forestry Unit, National Solid Waste Management Authority and the Development Control Authority. The committee has now become the ‘United Cleanup Committee’ (UCC). They have sought not only to host clean ups, but to launch public awareness campaigns in the surrounding schools and for the general public. 

Staff from several hotels have been attending workshops geared to teaching how present operating systems can be transformed to conserve the coastal environment.  It is therefore imperative that their support and inclusion be obtained if an integrated approach is to be successful. The kayak tours operating out of Seatons village on the northeast coast of the island, referred to as the North Sound area, is an example of a user group adopting this approach. There needs to be greater co-operation between private sector and civil society initiatives. 

Socio-economic and Cultural Factors 

The goal of strengthening national pride will also be helped by developing the entrepreneurial spirit. The current attitude in Antigua by a vast majority of the population is to look to the government to provide employment. 

If community employment can be gained from improved coastal stewardship, the economic benefit will be translated into a sense of ownership and involvement. This potential is evident, as some village communities have become more adamant and mobilised over the protection and treatment of the coastal environment, as in the case of the Old Road community. For the past few months this community has been staging protests against a proposed development, which threatens the mangrove swamp and coastline. The residents of Barbuda have always been concerned with the preservation of their coastal area. 

Various examples already exist in the region. Providing an alternative reduces the degree of dependency on government as an employer, which if not checked over a period of time will lead to a sense of apathy. Studies done in 1999 list the potential of whale watching in Antigua as minimal to moderate. While this is not a mass tourism venture it could potentially provide jobs at the grass root level. 

Activities Conducted in the Country and Region

Activities include:

		The EAG has produced multimedia tools designed to inform the public about aspects of the coastal environment.
		The EAG has started a local component of a regional Eco-tourism Training Project that involves the Eastern Caribbean Coalition for Environmental Awareness (ECCEA) and the European Union, focusing on grass roots movements to encourage the entrepreneurial spirit in communities. This is being done in a participatory manner involving all stakeholders such as tour operators and government agencies. This encourages these communities to become more involved in activities affecting their surrounding environment and hence livelihood, effectively making them watchdogs for their own environment. So far workshops for tour operators were conducted in Antigua in early-mid 2000, with Barbuda being the venue in 2001.
		The EAG has also facilitated overnight turtle watching field trips to Jumby Bay, hosted by the University of Georgia researchers. The response to this was extremely favourable, and there were more applicants than the field trips could accommodate. There has also been a series of inquires as to when these trips will be resumed. During this turtle-breeding season many members of society have reported turtle nesting sightings, and asking how to ensure that the turtle nests can be protected.
		The designation of marine reserves by the fisheries department has strengthened the concerns posed by both civil society and the EAG to developments that occur within this coastal zone.
		The drive by the Ministry of Tourism and Environment to seek to certify tour operators and exercise a greater degree of control on the standard of the tourism product is another aspect of coastal stewardship.
		The UCC conservation committee, already mentioned, is another initiative. This group has staged clean ups, and has long-term goals to beautify and reintroduce local vegetation into its 2 mile-long coastal area. It has also become a model for the entire island.
		The conducting of a workshop by the Antigua Hotel and Tourism Association and the Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism has led to increased knowledge and sharing of environmental practices and procedures by hoteliers in Antigua to making their establishments more environmentally friendly.

Ideas for Furthering the Concept of Coastal Stewardship 

Proposed avenues for furthering the concept of coastal stewardship include the setting up of classified zones and designating acceptable uses for individual beaches, as part of an integrated coastal management plan.

		This could be based on pre-existing data on beaches, which classifies them according to the type of erosion. (D. Black et al., 1996, Analysis of Beach Changes in Antigua and Barbuda between 1992 and 1995).
		This would provide a framework or blueprint for possible activities that can/should take place. Having pre-existing guidelines will reduce the possibility for conflict and promote understanding and tolerance.
		This will also empower a watchdog policy, if the general public knows what is permissible and what is not, they can assist in identifying and halting illegal activities.

Eco-tourism is a rapidly growing market that is beginning to take hold all over the world, as a greater percentage of tourists are now more environmentally conscious. Eco-tourism also results in conserving the environment, developing local human resources and entrepreneurial spirit, and relieving the strain on government resources to create jobs. This is ideal for the development of coastal stewardship, as people tend to carefully monitor their financial assets. Advantages include:

		The formation of local organisations, like sea moss growers, provides a reservoir of human resources for the fragile tourism industry.
		Local products produce a unique island experience, which improves an island’s tourism product.
		Organisations form a potential backbone of national industry for local supply or regional and international export.
		It also provides an opportunity for hotels to contract locals to provide eco-tourism services to their guests.

For this to be a viable option, there is a need for private sector support to promote these local products.

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