Bio-diversity

The goal of this COMPACT project is: To increase effectiveness of sustainable marine resource use management within SEA s three protected areas, through site level infrastructure to improve best practices in both fishing and tourism industries This project forms an important component of SEA s strategies to address an important part of its mission - to improve the management of the three marine protected areas in its management portfolio for long term sustainability. The organization recognizes that to ensure good stewardship, it is critical for it to develop a comprehensive understanding amongst stakeholders of all ages of the importance of conservation and the realities of MPA management. Since its inceptions, SEA has been able to achieve this to an increasing extent, opening dialogue with both the tourism and fishing industries, and ensuring that concerns and recommendations are addressed through project design and implementation. This project addresses stakeholder requests for increased boundary demarcation and awareness infrastructure through two specific outputs: Output One: SEA will increase effectiveness of sustainable resource extraction management in two of its three protected areas - Laughing Bird Caye National Park and Gladden Spit and Silk Cayes Marine Reserve through improving boundary recognition by stakeholders. *20 demarcation buoys will have been installed in key locations at LBCNP and GSSCMR * Fishermen using the Southern Belize Reef Complex will have improved knowledge of the location of boundaries of the protected areas * The SEA rangers will have increased success in enforcing marine protected area regulations through removing uncertainties of the location of marine protected area boundaries Note: Sapodilla Cayes Marine Reserve is considered to have sufficient demarcation buoys Output Two: SEA will have effective interpretive signs at all its protected areas, increasing awareness of the importance of using best practices, and of Belize s reef, in visitors and tour guides to the three marine protected areas under SEA s management. * Interpretive signs will have been installed at all three protected areas * Visitors and tour guides will reduced their impact on the marine environments through improved knowledge and awareness of best practices, and the presence of the signs improving visitor management * Visitors (both local and international) have improved knowledge of the importance of conservation of the three marine protected areas managed by SEA, and of the BBRRS-WHS * School groups visiting the marine protected areas have greater access to information on the marine resources of the area, and are engaged as future conservation stewards Long term Output: Increased effectiveness of sustainable marine resource use and extraction management in the three protected areas managed by SEA (Laughing Bird Caye National Park (WHS), Gladden Spit and Silk Cayes Marine Reserve, and Sapodilla Cayes Marine Reserve (WHS)).

Belize