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Environment
and development in coastal regions and in small islands |
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Environment
and development in coastal regions and in small islands |
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Dominica workshop papers
Coastal
Stewardship in St. Kitts
Bryan
Farrell
In general, the coastal zone includes the parts of the island under
direct maritime influences. The
weather, vegetation, wildlife and soils in the coastal areas are obviously
different to non-coastal areas. Even
the smells and sounds are different near the shore. The coastal area and its biota are totally different in
appearance. There is no mistaking
the coastal zone. But when freedoms
are restricted, coastal resources destroyed and legal issues become involved, an
administrative definition is needed to designate a coastal zone with great
specificity.
The designation generally begins with a definition of the natural system
and ends with boundaries set for administrative convenience.
Typically, the extent of the coastal waters is defined and a strip of
shoreline is needed to embrace the interlocking land-sea elements of coastal
zone management.
In the National Conservation and Environment Protection Act (NCEPA) of
1987 the ‘coastal zone’ is defined as any area having an elevation of less
than 15 m above mean sea level within a limit of one hundred metres of the mean
high water mark and a limit of two kilometres sea- wards of the mean low water
mark and includes the foreshore and floor of the sea.
The coastal zone is thus separated into two major systems.
They are distinct, but interlinked, the major connection provided by
water flow. The shore subsystem is
considered in this presentation on coastal stewardship.
Shore lands are ecologically complex and have a high resource value.
Coastal stewardship may be defined as the effective management of
coastal resources by the various stakeholders involved in their utilization.
The NCEPA
Amendment Act 2000 has designated all beaches of the South East Peninsula and
selected beaches on the mainland as Protected Areas. The Department of
Environment has recently drafted regulations for beach activities such as
vending and sand mining. The
Ministry of Health and Environment is also developing a National Policy
Framework for Beach Management as part of a participatory approach involving all
key stakeholders.
The current situation is that the beaches in St Kitts are largely
unmanaged and are faced with problems such as illegal sand mining, unplanned
development, pollution, user conflict, overcrowding, sand dune destruction and
removal of vegetation. These
attendant problems result in the implementation of quick-fix solutions such as
sea walls, revetments, groynes and offshore dredging, which themselves create
further problems.
An examination of the problem areas include the unsustainable extraction
of sand at Belle Tete Beach in Sandy Point, the excessive pollution of
Basseterre Bay, the construction of a poorly designed seawall at North Frigate
Bay, the conflict among vendors at South Friar’s Bay, and the lack of
awareness by the general public of the importance of beach resources.
However, within this particular scenario, government, non-governmental
organisations (NGOs), community based organisations (CBOs), and through increased
awareness efforts, the private sector, have begun to understand the importance
of beaches for the success of the island’s economic activities.
The Government of St Kitts, through the Ministry of Health and Environment,
is also responsible for the quarterly beach profile analysis survey of selected
beaches in St Kitts. This programme
is part of the larger Caribbean islands
coastal stability project (COSALC) coordinated by UNESCO-CSI
and the University
of Puerto Rico Sea Grant College Program. The Ministry, through the Parks
and Beaches Unit of the Department of the Environment, is responsible for the
management of the mining of sand at Belle Tete Beach, where it issues permits
for the extraction of controlled amounts of sand from the beach.
Commercial development of the coastal area is determined by the Department
of Environment through the approval of development proposals accompanied by
environmental impact assessments. The
National Technical Committee also contributes to the review of commercial development
proposals.
Coastal stewardship is also practiced by various NGOs
on the island with the St
Christopher Heritage Society (SCHS) playing a leading the role in this aspect.
The SCHS undertakes
regular turtle monitoring on selected beaches of the island and ensures the
preservation of these turtle nesting sites.
Whale watching also forms part of the activity of the SCHS
and at present the society is motivating support and providing public awareness
for whale watching in St Kitts. The
SCHS ultimately plays
the role of watchdog in relation to coastal zone management and is quickly prompted
by its members to highlight issues of coastal degradation and destruction.
As an NGO the
SCHS provides that
important linkage between government, private sector and the community.
On a national level, the Department of Environment takes the lead in the
execution of the annual beach clean up in collaboration with the Center
for Marine Conservation in the United States.
Private sector agencies are instrumental in this annual activity as they
provide sponsorship, staff volunteers, and other forms of support.
The private sector has expressed their stewardship in other ways, based
on the realisation that the success of their enterprises depends on the effective
management of the very resource on which they depend.
The Sun ‘N’ Sand Resort at North Frigate Bay has chosen to build landward
of the primary dunes and have implemented a management system to conserve these
dunes. The replanting of needed
beach vegetation at Dieppe Bay Spit by the Golden Lemon Hotel is yet another
example of stewardship by the private sector.
However, the examples are few, with majority of developers engaged in
unsustainable practices.
On the community level, residents are complacent and still stick to the
traditional belief that the sea is self-purifying and sand will always be there
on the beach. However, through
increased awareness, the community is now more aware of the importance of
conserving their beach resources. Examples
of stewardship can be seen in the formation of community-based groups such as
the St Paul’s Environmental Club, the Green Valley Committee and the Sandy
Point High School Young Leaders Club. This latter club, comprised of teachers and students,
established a programme entitled ‘Adopt Alley Bay’.
The club has assumed responsibility for the cleaning, beautification,
appropriate use and conservation of the resources at Alley Bay in Sandy Point.
The concept of coastal stewardship may be
considered as a relatively new idea to St Kitts.
However, numerous strategies may be adopted to further this concept.
Community-based management can help to address the issues of illegal sand
mining, pollution and unplanned development of the island’s beaches.
A detailed study of beach resources is proposed as a strategy that will
not only further coastal stewardship, but will provide information for the
designation of areas as legal mining sites or protected areas.
With the amendment of the NCEPA
Act strategies should be put in place to ensure the effective enforcement of
regulations. The development of
voluntary agreements among the vendors at South Friar’s Bay, and among the truckers
of beach sand, may be one way to ensure the equitable distribution of benefits
and management responsibilities. The
development of the National Policy Framework for Beach Management within a
strategy of Integrated Coastal Zone Management is seen as an idea to encourage
coastal stewardship. The promotion
of public awareness and environmental education can also encourage national
stewardship. The broadcasting of a
radio programme on ‘Best Beach Management Practices’ is seen as a strategy
to achieve this goal.
The
development of important linkages between Government, NGOs
and the private sector is also seen as a way to further coastal stewardship.
This linkage can be achieved and maintained through the formulation of
policy and the creation of working groups.
Coastal
stewardship is an important concept that must be promoted in our island states
to ensure the preservation and conservation of our coastal resources for present
generations and for posterity.
