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Enhancing Management, Monitoring and Enforcement – Nelson’s Dockyard National Park’s Marine and Coastal Ecosystems

Marine protected area Marine managed area

Governance Management effectiveness

Local communities Fishermen National protected area agency

Enforcement Awareness/Education Monitoring/Patrol equipment

84,700.00 EUR Antigua and Barbuda; Caribbean June 1, 2021 - May 31, 2022

Protected and conserved area(s) concerned

Nelson’s Dockyard National Park, 555587192.

The BIOPAMA AC Objectives addressed

Enhance the management and governance of priority protected areas by addressing existing limitations;
Enforce the legal framework required to achieve effective biodiversity conservation in protected areas

Priority need addressed

The project will address the following priority needs:

The National Park Authority requires a boat to conduct marine patrols and to enhance the ability to conduct ecosystem monitoring (Advanced METT Plus, Nelson’s Dockyard National Park, 2018).

Project activities

The project will facilitate the procurement of a marine vessel to enhance the capacity of the Nelson’s Dockyard National Park to conduct patrols, execute marine biodiversity surveys, facilitate greater education and outreach, and improve the management of the marine space of the Nelson’s Dockyard National Park.

This grant will provide funding to procure the required products and personal protective equipment for staff to undertake their duties safely and reduce the spread of COVID-19. The vessel will be custom built to suit the specific needs of the Nelson’s Dockyard National Park, with specific considerations given to enforcement and monitoring of the marine environment. Additionally, the vessel has been chosen to allow for activities within the entire boundaries of the Nelson’s Dockyard National Park, and to facilitate awareness and outreach activities such as educational tours.

The vessel is being manufactured in Ecuador for shipment to Antigua. Standard equipment and additional safety and navigational equipment will be installed. The commissioning of the vessel will include licensing by the Antigua and Barbuda Department of Marine Services. After the relevant inspections have been carried out the vessel will be launched. Once the operationalization of the vessel, is completed the NPA will immediately commence marine monitoring activities. The initial monitoring will include training activities for Park Wardens.

The change the project implementation will bring for the protected area(s)

The Small Technical Grant project is expected to result in improvements in management, monitoring and enforcement of the marine and coastal ecosystems within the Nelson’s Dockyard National Park. In terms of management, the vessel is expected to facilitate regular patrols and allow the NPA staff to record and document human activities, challenges and threats within the marine boundaries of the Park.

The documentation is expected to be used as part of the information inputs towards the development of a Natural Resource Management Plan for the Park. The boat will also be used for additional ecosystem activities, inclusive of: sea turtle monitoring (including management of nesting beaches), Coral Nursery program, educational tours for schools, and environmental awareness activities. The boat will allow for enforcement of existing fisheries and marine management rules outlined in legislation. Currently, there are not marine patrols being conducted due to the lack of a vessel.

The NPA recently added a Marine Ecologist to its staff and will be embarking on developing and implementing a comprehensive marine and coastal monitoring program as part of its mandate to manage ecosystems in the Park. The boat will facilitate the implementation of the program and the work of the marine ecologist.

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Enhancing Management, Monitoring and Enforcement – Nelson’s Dockyard National Park’s Marine and Coastal Ecosystems

Protected and conserved area(s) concerned

The BIOPAMA AC Objectives addressed

Priority need addressed

Project activities

The change the project implementation will bring for the protected area(s)

Implementing organisations

Photo credits: Ruleo Camacho, The National Parks Authority (NPA)

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