Area:  total: 430 sq km  land: 430 sq km Coastline: 97 km Population: 259,191 (July 1999 est.) Source: CIA Worldfact Book (2000)		Barbados   Basic Data Contacts CSD Data Other Links Other Data Country Contacts Government of Barbados Information Network Ministry of Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Coastal Management Unit Parliament of Barbados Address Link: Mrs. Atheline Haynes Permanent Secretary Ministry of the Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Frank Walcott Building Culloden Road, St. Michael, Barbados Tel: 246-431-7680: Fax: 246-437-8859   (Source:  CIA World Factbook 1999)     OCEANS AND COASTAL AREAS Many thanks to the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, the source of the following information. The information was taken from the Barbados' submission to the the 5th, 6th & 7th Sessions of the Commission on Sustainable Development (last update: January 1999). For further information on the Barbados' social and economic factors, natural resources, and institutional structures see the United Nations System-Wide Web Site on National Implementation of the Rio Commitments National Information for Barbados at:   http://www.un.org/esa/agenda21/natlinfo/countr/barbados/index.htm   The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea was signed in 1982 and ratified in 1993.  Integrated Decision-Making  The following are responsible for decision-making with respect to integrated coastal zone management and sustainable development:  - Coastal Zone Management Unit  - Town and Country and Country Department  - Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs  - Fisheries Division  - Coast Guard  - Environment Division  - Environmental Engineering Division  - Government Laboratory  - National Conservation Commission  Responsible for marine environmental protection, both from land-based activities and from sea-based activities are the following:  - Coastal Zone Management Unit  - Coast Guard  - Environmental Engineering Division  - Chief Parliament Counsel  - National Conservation Commission  - Ministry of International Transport - Harbor Master  - Port Authority  Responsible for sustainable use and conservation of marine living resources (both of the high seas and under national jurisdiction) are  - Coastal Zone Management Unit  - Ministry of Foreign Affairs  - Fisheries Division  - National Conservation Commission  - Customs Division Ministry of Finance  - Marine Division Royal Barbados Police Force  - Ministry of Foreign Affairs  - Environment Division  To facilitate coordination among all of the responsible organizations, the Coastal Zone Management Act calls for a specific ministerial committee to be comprised of individuals from various organisations, and to be headed by the Director of the Coastal Zone Management Unit. Coordination is also facilitated by the Environmental Impact Assessment process and the Town and Country Planning application process.  Involvement of Major Groups in the decision-making process  There are several activities that involve Major Groups, and these include:  - The Adopt-your-Beach organization (non-profit organization), utilises various companies and groups, e.g. the Jaycees, Church groups etc. to aid in beach clean-ups and awareness campaigns.  - An International Year of the Ocean Committee was set up to implement various activities during the Year to highlight the Ocean. The Committee is comprised of Government Departments, NGO's, the Press, among others.  - Consultation processes with the Government and Communities are ongoing. These are carried out as is deemed necessary. An example of this is the public meetings to address conflicts between Fishermen and Divers.  - The Coastal Conservation Programme Phase 1 has as part of its structure, five community based demonstration projects which are driven by non -governmental organization. The intention is that at the end of these projects, the Communities themselves will carry on the work.  Strategies, policies and plans  With respect to integrated coastal zone management and sustainable development, there are several proposed strategies which are interrelated; these include:  - The National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan  - The Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan  - The Physical Development Plan  - The Environmental Management Plan  With respect to marine environmental protection:  - The Marine Pollution and Control Act  - The South and the West Coast Sewerage projects  - The Coastal Zone Management Act  - The Marine Oil Spill Action Plan  - The programmes of the Central Emergency and Relief Organisation  With respect to sustainable use and conservation of marine living resources:  - The Fisheries Regulations  - The National Biodiversity Strategy And Action Plan  - The Barbados Sea Turtle Project  - The Coastal Zone Management Act  - The Marine Pollution And Control Act  - The Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan  Plans and programmes that have been developed specifically to address the preservation and sustainable use of fragile ecosystems include:  - The Graeme Hall Bird Sanctuary (which protects the last large mangrove ecosystem)  - Coral Reef Monitoring Programme (CZMU)  - The proposed Environmental Management Plan  - The CARICOM monitoring regime  - The Coastal Conservation Project Phase 1  - The Fisheries Management Plan  - Ongoing monitoring programmes of the Coastal Zone Management Unit. These include:  - Beach Profiling  - Tide monitoring  - Current monitoring  - Coral Reef disease monitoring programme  - Structure inventory monitoring Planning assessment  - Coral Monitoring Programme  - The Fisheries Advisory Committee  - The Adopt-Your-Beach Committee  - The Caribbean Programme for the Assessment and control of Marine Pollution(CEPPOL)  - CPACC sea level rise  Including legislation identified above, the following legislation, regulations, and policy instruments are used for integrated coastal zone management and sustainable development, marine environmental protection and sustainable use, and conservation of marine living resources:  - The Coastal Zone Management Act  - The Fisheries Management Plan  - The Marine Pollution and Control Act  - The proposed Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan  - Environmental Impact Assessments  - Proposed Accreted lands legislation  - Tree Preservation Act  - The Marine Pollution and Control Act  - The Marine Oil Spill Action Plan (MOSAP)  - The Pesticides Control Act  - The Factories Act  - The Maritime Boundaries Delimitation Act (MARPOL)  - The Port Handling Regulations  - The Marine Areas Regulations  - Marine Areas Designation of Restricted Areas  - Barbados Territorial Waters  - Marine Boundaries and Jurisdiction  - Diving Regulation Draft Bill  Status  The major current uses of the coastal areas in Barbados are the following:  Fishing       Cast net fishing       Seine fishing       Pot fishing       Bottom lining       Market Sites       Beaching and mooring Boats       Boat Building       Jetties, Wharves  Housing       Private cottages and Residences       Government low - income housing       Traditional Villages  Tourism       Hotels       Condominiums       Guest Houses       Specialty Shops       Boutiques       Night Clubs       Other Ancillary Services e.g. restaurants, Taxi stands  Recreation       Sport fishing       Sailing       Parasailing       Scuba diving       Snorkeling       Water Skiing       Surfing       Swimming       Sun bathing       Picnicking       Jet Skiing  Marine/Scientific Reserves       Folkestone Underwater Park       Animal Flower Cave       Graeme Hall Swamp       Inch Marlow /Chancery Lane Swamp  Industrial       Rum Refinery       Flour Milling       Cement Manufacturing       Oil Refining       Power Generation       Desalination (proposed)  Transport and Marine Services       Coastal Highways       Port Facilities       Coast Guard Harbour  Waste Disposal       Industrial Effluent       Domestic Sewerage and Treatment       Runoff from Inland Drainage systems  Coastal Defences       Groynes       Gabions       Revetment       Retaining Walls  Local Craft       Shell Collection       Itinerant Vendors( Souvenirs to Tourist)  Other      Small- scale Sand Mining       Public Access  Fishing contributes between 0.9% - 1% to the national economy of Barbados. The fishing industry employs approximately 2000 fishermen and another 4000 persons in spin off activities which include boat builders, market vendors, persons doing repairs to boats, persons selling fishing gear, etc.  There are several initiatives to encourage the sustainable development and conservation of marine living resources. These include:  - Attempts to introduce community based management of the sea egg fishery  - Creation of Protected Areas and Marine Reserves  - The Coastal Zone Management Programme Phase I  - The Permanent Mooring Project  - The Implementation of Diving Regulations  - Mesh size limitation on fish pots  - Biodegradable escape panels for fish pots  Anchoring Shipping impacts on the sustainable management of coastal zones in a variety of ways:  Anchoring       The large anchors that are used by most shipping vessels cause significant damage to the marine ecosystems, especially coral reefs. Two of these incidents have been reported to the CZMU in the past two years, and it is known that many more such incidents occur, but are unreported. The number of incidents appears to be small, but the quantity of damage is significant. In one case, 5361m² and in the other 372m² of coral reef was destroyed. Taking into consideration the importance of the reef systems, coupled with the knowledge that corals are extremely slow growing animals, and under eutrophic conditions are out-competed by sponges and algae, it can be seen that this is an extremely undesirable situation. There is also the possibility therefore that these reefs might not recover and therefore both present and future benefits could be lost to us.  Ballast Water       Large ships often empty their ballast water at sea which is often contaminated with oil. The oil has deleterious effects on marine fauna.  Garbage       Many large vessels are guilty of disposing  their solid waste at sea, which for the most part washes up on land. Plastics cause the largest problems to marine organisms, but paper, tins, bottles and articles of clothing for example, are not aesthetically pleasing and can also wreak havoc on marine animals. Annual beach clean-ups have been carried out in Barbados since 1996 and the amount of garbage found during these activities has been compiled and documented by the Adopt-Your-Beach Committee.  The illegal construction of buildings and jetties, groynes etc, have contributed to erosional problems on the coast.  Inappropriate disposal of waste, from the heavily populated south and west coasts hotels and other buildings constructed for the purpose of tourism. The practice has greatly contributed to euthrophication of Barbados' near shore waters which in turn has resulted in degradation of Barbados' coral reefs. Government is presently addressing this through the establishment of a sewerage system on the South and West coasts.  Dive Tourism has been responsible for some of the physical damage to the reef systems. Divers have been guilty of toppling and trampling corals, as well as removing them for souvenirs. Dive boats have carelessly dropped anchors on the reefs and are also guilty of dragging their anchors across these sensitive ecosystems. There is also a specific carrying capacity for each reef system, which has not been determined as yet, but most certainly has been surpassed.  The destruction (by vehicular traffic for example), and removal of coastal vegetation for construction purposes, as well as for "aesthetic" purposes, has resulted in the erosion of sand from beaches. Also it has further resulted in reducing the amount of area suitable for turtle nesting. In other cases, the beach front lighting generally confuses hatchlings, so that they cannot find their way to the water and relative safety. This is a crucial problem as the turtles found around Barbados are on the endangered species list. (Hawksbill, Leather and Green).  Additionally, the removal of coral rubble and sea grasses for, "aesthetic" purposes, has resulted in the loss of important nursery habitats for fish and other marine organisms. Various industries are guilty of releasing their effluent directly into the near shore, which has a negative impact on marine ecosystems in the vicinity.  The primary sources of land based pollution are:  - Sewage from through flow of septic wells into the near shore region from domestic septic waste water  - Industrial Discharge  - Agriculture chemicals and Land runoff  - Illegal dumping of garbage.  The primary source of sea-based pollution of the marine environment is:       Shipping, as previously mentioned from solid waste and ballast wash out.  Other relevant issues include the following:  Conflict Resolution: There are limited marine resources which have to be shared by a variety of users, each with their own agenda.  Public Beach Access: There is a concern that beach access is being threatened by residential encroachment.  Enforcement: Even though many of the coastal-related problems have been addressed in the Coastal Zone Management Act and the Marine Pollution Control Act, the primary problem lies in actually enforcing all the regulations that will be put in place.  Education and Outreach Programmes: There has to be consistency with these activities, so that there is a continuous out-flow of information to the public.  Unauthorized Development: This not only refers to illegal construction, but also activities such as sand mining and the placement of artificial reefs.  There are several projects which are have been set up, including:  - The Coral Reef Monitoring Programme.  - The South and West Coast Sewerage System  - Capacity-building, education, training and awareness-raising    Capacity-building, Education and Awareness-raising  Programmes to educate policy makers in the concept and policy design of sustainable coastal management and its aspects include:  - Technical Papers  - Cabinet Papers  - Planning and Priorities Committee  - Interdepartmental Meetings  Other training available for the responsible planners and for relevant industries to assist them in managing sustainable development in coastal zones includes:  - Geographic Information Systems  - Job attachments  - Seminars  - Pamphlets  - Seminars and training attachments  Campaigns or other efforts to raise awareness of issues related to sustainable development and the oceans and seas include:  - Coastal Zone Management Unit Initiatives       Open days       Exhibitions       Brochures       Lecture series       Panel Discussions       Interviews with the press       Television and radio talk shows       Government Information Service features  - Environment Division  Environment Month Activities in 1998 focussed on the Year of the Oceans including exhibitions and lecture series.  Biodiversity awareness activities and brochures on preserving coral etc.  - Fisheries Division       Awareness Seminars       Training sessions       Provision of brochures    Constraints  The following are priority constraints to implementing effective programmes to address the issues raised in the programmes areas:  Legislation       The presence of inadequate and inappropriate legislation, as well as the absence of legislation altogether is a major hindrance to sustainable management.  Education  The lack of education of the public is a great deterrent to a sustainable way of life. Poor or little knowledge of the importance of coral reefs for example has resulted in many of the problems that plague this ecosystem, such as diver damage, harvesting of corals, anchor damage and solid waste disposal. With knowledge of the ways in which these and other ecosystems function and a concept of their true economic and social values, the attempt to protect and conserve them would be given an added impetus.  Enforcement/Monitoring Capability  In some cases, laws are presently related to the protection of marine ecosystems, but these are not enforced for a variety of reasons: public perception of the activity not being an important crime, judiciary perception of environmental issues as being "waste of time"; lack of enforcers; and the lack of equipment used to carry out enforcement, for example, boats. There is also a problem with the lack of education of the enforcers which was dealt with in Education.  Resources- Personnel and Finance  In many cases there are not sufficient people available to carry out assessments or they do not possess the necessary  skills. Also, the required equipment is often absent.  Technology  There is no adequate technology, e.g. oil spill treatment and dispersal of waste oil. However, specific technological advances means that the Government can improve internal capability e.g. GPS, LIDAR, GIS, OSCR  Determining factors for decision-making in the choice of technologies are the following:  - Effectiveness, efficiency and reliability in terms of long term goals.  - Cost  - Maintenance  - Compatibility with existing equipment  - Learning curve for certain technology  - Will the equipment be in continuous demand  Information  National information available to assist both decision-makers and planners working in coastal areas are related to the following areas:  Sustainable management of fishery resources      Catch data      Landings by species  Marine pollution      Long term water quality monitoring (EEZ, CZMU)  Mineral resources      Inventory of sand / sources (Energy Division)  Living resources other than fish      Time series data on coral abundance and diversity, on sea grass, productivity and abundance.(CARICOM, CZMU, Bellairs).  Critical uncertainties (e.g., climate change, El Niño, La Niña, sea-level rise)      Sea surface temperatures      Illumination levels      Tide gauge data      Current meter data      IOC data      IOCARIBE data      Inter Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IGPCC) data  Other:     Trans-shipment of nuclear waste     Regional management of migratory stocks  There is no surveillance system in place. Different agencies have GIS capabilities, but not for this purpose.  Different agencies have specific Web Sites. The CZMU as part of the CEPNET programme is producing a State Of The Coast report which will be hosted on their web page.  The Cabinet has established a National Commission on Sustainable Development with a Sub Group for Coastal and Marine Resources/ issues and they have reviewed a number of proposed indicators. The Caribbean Development Bank environmental indicators have also been established. And the Ministry of the Environment is coordinating a National Indicators Programme which seeks to develop broad-based Sustainable Development Indicators including ones relevant to the issue of coastal and marine resources.    Financing  This sector is financed by the National Budget and international funding agencies, eg Global Environment Facility(GEF), Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), United Nations (UN).    Cooperation  Barbados is a party to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC). It also participates in the following:  - Centre For Marine Conservation (CMC)  - Organisation Of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Technical Corporation  - Global Positioning System (GPS) real time data  - Caribbean Coastal And Marine Monitoring Programme (CARICOM)  - International Maritime Organisation (IMO)  - International Panel On Climate Change (IPCC)  - United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP)  - United Nations Convention for Law Of The Seas (UNCLOS)      Other Links   Caribbean Environmental Programme     Other Data n.a.