The Tobago Cays: Where Will They Go from Here?

There have been major developments in the saga of the Tobago Cays Marine Park, but the story isn't over. The debate over the park's future management has not only raised awareness of marine environmental issues, but has highlighted two major Caribbean issues: the growing demand for truly participatory democracy and the challenges governments face when weighing the offers made by foreign investors.

Palm Island Proposal Pulled

As the heat grew under the spotlight of local and international scrutiny beamed on Palm Island Resorts Ltd's (PIRL) controversial proposal to manage St. Vincent & the Grenadines' world-famous Tobago Cays Marine Park (TCMP), Robert Barrett, chairman of PIRL, announced at a press conference held in Kingstown on May 5th that his company was withdrawing the highly criticized plan.

The unprecedented prospect of allowing a private "exclusive" resort company to manage a national marine park on a profit-sharing basis with government had rung alarm bells at local, regional and international levels. Concerns about the PIRL proposal, which were sparked immediately when it was first made public last year, spread rapidly through sectors ranging from the local Chamber of Commerce to the international yachting and marine-environmental communities.

The California-born Barrett, who as early as February had told the local newspaper The News that "I am not sure I want to go forward with this", cited as a main reason for his proposal's withdrawal the flood of messages which Palm Island Resort has received from travel agents and tour operators alarmed by the level of controversy the issue had ignited.

'No More Dead Sea Deals!'

The week before Barrett's announcement, the debate was raised to new levels when, from April 24th to 26th, a group of concerned Vincentian citizens called Friends of the Tobago Cays, together with a coalition of Southern Grenadines-based environmental groups, hosted an open public Tobago Cays Educational Forum.

The Tobago Cays Educational Forum was held during two, one-day sessions, the first taking place at Clifton Harbour, Union Island, and the second in Kingstown, St. Vincent. The purpose of the forum was twofold: to provide an opportunity for open public dialogue regarding the future of the Tobago Cays Marine Park; and to present expert information to the general public regarding the functioning of successful marine protected areas.

The Friends of the Tobago Cays, a not-for-profit and non-governmental organization, exceeded all expectations for the event. In addition to an open invitation to the public, over 200 invitations went out to dignitaries, government departments, community leaders, relevant individuals and organizations, as well as to the local, regional and international media. The April 26th session was also broadcast live on two popular local radio stations, involving thousands of listeners.

After an opening prayer and a welcome from the organisers, Father Mark da Silva of the Mayreau Environmental Development Organisation (MEDO) presented an overview of the Tobago Cays and Kurt Cordice, the Tobago Cays Marine Park's former manager, spoke on the history of the management of the park to date.

Chaired by local environmentalist Mathew Harvey, a cross-section of Grenadines stakeholders, representatives of non-governmental organizations and community leaders then took the stage to eloquently express their concerns regarding the Tobago Cays. Participants included members of MEDO, the Union Island Eco-Tourism Movement, the Union Island Water Taxi Association and the Union Island Association for Ecological Protection. Community activist and former schoolteacher Mrs. Vernalyn Blencowe asked, "When will wheeling and dealing for pieces of the Grenadines end? We are the custodians of the Creator's gifts. How can we change the tide of sell-out deals that turn our marine environments into Dead Seas?"

Voices of Park Experience

Following the stakeholders' addresses, presentations were made by top-level local, regional and international experts in what was a veritable Caribbean marine protected areas summit. Speakers included educators from the Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies (CERMES) of the University of the West Indies, and managers of other marine parks in the wider Caribbean region. Also on hand were representatives of major international environmental groups such as The Nature Conservancy, and noted marine biologists from Canada and the US.

Dr. Hazel Oxenford of CERMES, who has been working since 1980 in the fields of fisheries and marine protected areas, discussed the potential for revenue generation by marine protected areas such as the Tobago Cays. She noted the "number of substantive reports [which] have been written about, or are directly relevant to, the TCMP" which contain information and ideas on revenue generation from the park itself, and her paper also listed a wide range of possible sources of donor funding for start-up costs and other special projects.

Her CERMES colleague Dr. Patrick McConney, a former Chief Fisheries Officer in Barbados, spoke on the benefits of "the sharing of responsibility and authority for the management of resources between government and stakeholders", the crucial need for mutual respect between the two, and the improved chance of success if there is broad stakeholder participation in management planning.

From the neighboring island of St. Lucia, the Soufriere Marine Management Area's general manager Kai Wulf shared his experiences since 1994 in setting up and managing a successful and now fully self-sufficient marine park. He touched on the legal, financial and social aspects, pointing out the need to balance state responsibility with local knowledge.

Billy Causey, Superintendent of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, reiterated the importance of vigorous stakeholder involvement and consensus in the management of any successful marine park. He also stressed the roles of effective zoning, scientific monitoring programs, and educational outreach programs. Causey called the Tobago Cays Educational Forum a "very important initiative".

Dr. Nathalie Ward, Director of the Eastern Caribbean Cetacean Network and a consultant with the US National Marine Sanctuaries Program, described the regional SPAW (Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife) Protocol, which SVG was a pioneer in ratifying. She noted that the TCMP management has the opportunity to use the collective wisdom of all SPAW signatories, and as a signatory nation SVG can apply to the United Nations for relevant aid and training.

The attending public was invited to participate in the discussion. A broad cross-section of the people of St. Vincent & the Grenadines, regardless of political affiliation, social status, economic position or place of residence, spoke with one voice: "We must provide the best possible sustainable management for our only National Marine Park - and we can do it!" Citizens were joined by park users such as cruising guide author Chris Doyle, who noted that due to the efforts of grass-roots stakeholders such as the water taxi association, he has recently seen the return of marine life in the Cays such as eagle rays and sea turtles which he hasn't seen there "in 20 years".

The Tobago Cays Educational Forum was hailed by Vera Ann Brereton, SVG's former Director of Tourism, who has also worked in marine tourism in the BVI and Cayman Islands, as a "watershed event". Just nine days later, Palm Island Resorts' proposal was withdrawn in the face of the increasingly intense public debate.

What Next?

Although the Palm Island proposal has been formally withdrawn, in reality, not much may have changed.

At the May 5th press conference, Robert Barrett stated that "under the right circumstances, we would be willing to discuss the charitable funding of the Marine Park in the amount of US$100,000 and offer our assistance on a purely consultation-level basis." He did not divulge to the public what "the right circumstances" would be.

A May 14th press release from the Prime Minister's political party, the United Labour Party (ULP), revealed that "Palm Island Resorts Ltd… remains engaged…. [The critics of the PIRL proposal] got Barrett and PIRL out in one respect, but not in any other. After all, there is the… proposed gift of US$100,000 and the free consultancy offer by PIRL, both of which… government has accepted."

St. Vincent & the Grenadines' Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves has also stated that his government currently intends to manage the Tobago Cays Marine Park along the same lines that were spelled out in the PIRL proposal. The PIRL proposal has been condemned by critics as being long on revenue generation and appallingly weak on environmental protection. It also contains controversial items such as those which specify that Park Rangers would carry firearms and ammunition; that structures including a Rangers' lodge, a dock and wind generators would be constructed on one of the Cays; and that over a hundred yacht moorings would litter the now pristine waters. It is generally recognized that these moorings would be "parking meters" for the purpose of charging a fee, rather than for environmental protection, as the seabottom of the main anchorage is sand, not coral. The ULP release says that under an adapted version of the PIRL plan, users will pay for entry into the park as well as for the moorings.

According to the release, "Plan B" also calls for a "revamping" of the legislative framework to create a National Parks Authority, under which a Tobago Cays Marine Park Board would oversee the management of the park. A staff made up of a Manager, Marine Biologist, six Park Rangers and office staff would work under the Board. In recent years relevant NGOs, including MEDO, have been represented on the TCMP Board.

However, while MEDO, the other members of the Southern Grenadines environmental coalition and the Friends of the Tobago Cays have all offered to assist the SVG government in developing the most appropriate management system for the Tobago Cays Marine Park (although still objecting to the PIRL model), the government has intimated that anyone who has criticized the PIRL proposal, apparently even those using objective criteria, "cannot reasonably be expected to be involved" in the future decisions regarding the park.

Many writers in the local newspapers on 14 May addressed this anomaly coming from an administration which prides itself on "listening to the voice of the people". The editorial in the Searchlight noted that "our citizens have a right to share contrary opinions on approaches by government to manage this resource."

Columnist Jomo Thomas wrote in The Vincentian: "When the story broke that the government had begun negotiations that would allow a foreign entity to take over the management of the Tobago Cays, many nationals including those connected to Friends of the Tobago Cays and MEDO were up in arms. Their protestations made sense…. [But] the government went ahead with its plan [to accept the PIRL proposal] without paying enough attention to the views of the concerned citizens.

"It questioned the motives of the group leaders rather than look into the wisdom of their positions. The groups stuck to their guns and mobilized public opinion. Now the deal is off. The sensible thing for government to do now is to seize this chance to get it right. It should invite all the stakeholders and let them come up with a plan that will enhance the Cays and benefit our country."

Caribbean Compass June 2004

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