Bio-diversity

Bagkground The Morne Trois pitons was first proposed as a protected area in 1952. The areas was designated a National Park under the national Park and Protected Areas Act in 1975. The MTPNP was enlisted as a Wlrld heritale List in december 1997 and inscribed in August of1998. As a result of the enforcement of the laws under the Act traditional activities such as fishing, hunting, farming and logging were prohibited. This meant that persons from the the Laudat Village which lies on the fringe of the MTPNPWHS were severely affected by the limitations with respect to use of the NP. The MTPNP offers tremendous opportunities for developing eco tourism initiatives; however support for community groups to initiate these activities is generally lacking. The Fresh Water Lake(FWL) one of the major sites in the MTPNPWHS provides a source of revenue and recreation for the villagers of Laudat however the Lake cannot be fully appreciated from standing on the western side of the Lake, which is presently the only existing area for viewing . Providing boat rides to visitors would allow them th eoppotunity to observe the flora and fauna of the lake, and also visit the inlets and areas of the FWL that are not easily accessible by land. The project proposes to achieve the following objectives: In the long term to develop an eco-tourism product which would impact positively and in a sustainable manner on the MTPNPWHS and in so doing generate income for the group members and the Laudat community. To train a group members in the identification and description of the flora and fauna of the FWL. Train group members in methods of conducting tours on the FWL. This willl include boating, safety procedures, first aid, etc. Train group members in project management and implementation and group dynamics. To train group members in all aspects of the tourism and hospitality industry. Make the FWL more accessible to visitors and obtain revenue by conducting boat tours and hikes close to the FWL. The activities include: Training of group members: In areas such as tourism and hospitality, project management and implementation, boating, canoeing, kayaking, maneuvering, safety rescue, etc). Equipment & operations: Purchasing equipment and inputs necessary to transport personel (boats, kayaks, canoes, radio communications equipment, life jackets, floating jetty, etc. Preparing storage area for boats, canoes and kayaks. Obtaining liability insurance, testing of boats, kyaks on the FWL) Marketing: Development of a marketing plan and subsequent marketing and promotions of the project. The beneficiaries: The main beneficiaries will be the members of the Warmmae Letang Group Inc. who are all from the Laudat Village.

Dominica