Protected Marine Areas in Cuba: Opportunities and Challenges for …© L. Gerhartz... · 2017. 12....
Transcript of Protected Marine Areas in Cuba: Opportunities and Challenges for …© L. Gerhartz... · 2017. 12....
Protected Marine Areas in Cuba: Opportunities and
Challenges for Sustainable Tourism
José L. GerhartzConsultant of Marine Conservation
Avalon Cuba Diving & Fishing Centres Fundación Antonio Núñez Jiménez de la Naturaleza y El Hombre
Challenges of marine environment
•Connectivity
•Three dimensionality, multiples uses, not owned
THREATS
Challenges of Marine Environment
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) (IUCN)•Marine-coastal geographical area
•Clearly delineated
•Recognized, declared and managed
•Operated through effective means of a legal or other characteristics.
•Achieve long-term conservation of nature, ecosystem services and associated cultural values.
MPA and Tourism
Benefits• Source of conservation
funds
• Economic alternative for communities
• Improved life quality
• Aid for nature protection against other alternative uses
• Aid to education on the value of conservation
Risks• Impact of infrastructure
• Impact of visitation (impact of the recreational use of biodiversity)
• Increase in the ecological footprint of MPAs
• Negative social and cultural impacts
MPAs in Cuba today
• 84 identified areas, 50 implemented• 25% of platforms• 30% of coral reefs• 23% of seagrass
Attractions of Cuba’s MPAs
•Coral reefs
•Wild life
• Labyrinths of channels and cays
•Landscapes and wild beaches
Activities in the MPAs of Cuba
•Diving
•Sport fishing
•Yachts and sailboats visits
•Boat trails
•Wildlife observation in cays and channels
•Snorkeling
•Enjoying untames beaches
Is sustainable tourism implemented in Cuba’s AMP?
Faro de Maya, Matanzas
Is sustainable tourism implemented in Cuba’s AMP?
Diving area
Faro de Maya, Matanzas
Is sustainable tourism implemented in Cuba’s AMP?
Faro de Maya, Matanzas
Is sustainable tourism implemented in Cuba’s AMP?
PN Punta Francés
Is sustainable tourism implemented in Cuba’s AMP?
PN Punta Francés
Is sustainable tourism implemented in Cuba’s AMP?
PN Punta Francés
Is sustainable tourism implemented in Cuba’s AMP?
•Not much
•Inadequate managing on most sites
•Insufficient income for MPA
•Weak involvement from local communities
•Increasing demand
Is sustainable tourism implemented in Cuba’s MPAs?
Weaknesses for sustainable tourism in Cuba’s MPAs• Insufficient quality of the Management Plans to
guarantee sustainable tourism
• Insufficient and sometimes inadequate infrastructure
• Few sustainable maritime tourism products
• Low capacity for managing visitors
• Inadequate marketing and tourist management
• Limited commitment of tourism operators to conservation
• Little development of business contracts between MPA and tour operators
The case of PN Jardines de la Reina
The case of PN Jardines de la Reina
The case of PN Jardines de la Reina• 217036 ha• 20 years of protection• 7 years as national park • Shows the habitats of the insular
Caribbean• Reefs with Elkhorn coral most
preserved of the Caribbean• Diversity, abundance and biomass
of fish rarely observed elsewhere in the world
• Reefs of the world• Charismatic species
PN Jardines de la Reina: Business focus of governance
Flora and Fauna
(Legal administrator of
the park)
Coordinate and implement the Management Plan
Establish regulations
Be responsible to protection Azulmar (Tourism
company that provides and
manages nautical services, diving and fly fishing)Provide income
Provide logistic services
Provide access to expertise
CONTRACTUAL RELATIONSHIP
PN Jardines de la Reina: Business approach of governance
Order AgentsFishing Inspection
Forest security
Border security troop
Commercial fishermen
(Uers)
VisitorsDivers
Fisherman
EcotouristsControl
compliance of
regulations
Controls
Compliance
with
regulations
Coor
dina
tes
act
ion
Ap
ply
the law
Offer
tourist
services
Logistic
support
PN Jardines de la Reina: Role of tourism operation in PN
•Aiding in surveillance, monitoring, and effective protection
•Provides logistical support, monitoring, and visitor control
•Provides the main source of foreign exchange earnings for the national park
•Provides livelihood alternatives for some local people
•Helps to support the economic growth of tourism as an alternative to commercial fishing
PN Jardines de la Reina: Two sources of tourism
• Packages contracted and operated by Marlin Azulmar (20 years of successful experience)
• Sailboats and yachts (Experiences in development)
PN Jardines de la Reina: Awareness and environmental commitment
•There is full awareness and demonstrated commitment to the conservation by the administration of Marlin Azumar (Avalon)
•All tourist products have an approved environmental license
•Avalon has developed a sustainable tourism policy for its operations in PN
•Avalon declared its commitment to make the PN Jardines de la Reina a fly fishing sanctuary
PN Jardines de la Reina: Management Plans and Regulations
• Detailed Zoning• General and zonal environmental
regulations
• Regulations of tourist use by zones
• Maximum number of tourists per day
• Maximum number of tourists per group
• Rotation regulations for areas in use and groups of visitors
• Obligatory presence of accredited guides of the park or of Azulmar
PN Jardines de la Reina: Tourist product
•Diving and fishing are strengthened, and Cuba has the one of the highest level in the world
•Ecotourism options are in development
PN Jardines de la Reina: Infrastructure
PN Jardines de la Reina: Infrastructure
PN Jardines de la Reina: Visitor management
•Number of visitors•Entrance fee for the park•Application of zoning regulations•Prohibiting anchoring•Mooring service payment•Restriction of mooring buoys•Restriction of stays•Restriction of vessel size•Prohibition of recreational activities without contract/ booking with Azulmar
PN Jardines de la Reina: Weaknesses of the tourist operation•Still limited benefit distribution to local communities
•Little diversity
• Insufficient environmental behavior in the workforce
•Still incomplete infrastructure
•Poor management capacity of PN management
•Marketing not always considering the image of the national park
•Lack of certification (Blue Flag, Green Globe, etc)
Final considerations•MPAs are a potential opportunity for tourism diversification
in Cuba•Sustainable tourism represents an opportunity for SAMP’s
conservation objectives.• Improved planning, infrastructure, capacity of management
and training of MPA staff is required to ensure its use for sustainable tourism•The PNJR case demonstrates that it is possible to find a
balance between conservation and tourism use, providing mutual benefits