Holetown Report - Future of Reefs in a Changing Environment

THE FORCE PROJECT
FUTURE OF REEFS IN A
CHANGING ENVIRONMENT
HOLETOWN, COMMUNITY MEETING
May 25th, 2011
OVERVIEW OF THE
PROJECT
The FORCE project, a five-year
initiative funded by the European
Union, commenced in 2010 and
brings together a team of researchers
from 20 organisations based in 10
countries within the Caribbean,
Europe, the US and Australia.
Caribbean people rely heavily on
coral reefs, which contribute billions
of dollars each year through tourism,
fisheries and coastal protection.
Coral reefs are being damaged by
activities such as unsustainable fishing
and pollution, and face an uncertain
future with global climate change.
The FORCE project will address
impor tant questions about how
changes will affect coastal communities and livelihoods such as fisheries
and tourism. Recommendations will
be disseminated to stakeholders
through-out the Caribbean on how to
protect the reefs.
Over the past two years the FORCE
social science team has been conducting work in four countries: Barbados,
Honduras, St. Kitts and Nevis, and
Belize.
COMMUNITY MEETING
FORCE fieldwork started in Barbados
during April 2011. The team visited Six
Mens, Holetown, and Pile Bay.
A
meeting was held to:
CONTENTS:
•Explore recent changes in tourism,
fishing, and the community of Holetown.
“Who should be at a meeting
about...?”
•Talk about changes in people’s use of
the sea and coral reefs.
•Discuss the groups and organisations
involved in coral reef use and management.
Uses of the Sea
Diver Satisfaction
Opinions on Reef
Management
Key Issues: Reef Management
Historical Timeline
People were asked to help build a
timeline about changes in Holetown and
discuss who is involved in looking after
the reefs. This leaflet presents the results
of this meeting and some early results
from the project.
Key Events and Changes
Key Issues: Reef Health
Project Information
USES OF THE SEA
FISHING
Fishing used to be an important source of income and
popular recreational activity for people in Holetown,
however there are now fewer people that fish for their
living or recreationally. Cast-net fishing is the only type of
fishing that is allowed within the Folkestone Marine
Reserve and there is only one (tertiary) landing site where
fish from the park surroundings are sold. The majority of
people that fish use line fishing to catch pelagic species
further from shore such as kingfish, tuna (bonitos) and red
snapper. There is also some potfishing and recreational
spear fishing, as well as fishing trips for tourists.
TOURISM
Tourism is the most important industry in the Holetown
community, and has been growing since the 1960s with
the construction of the Sandy Lane Hotel. Located at the
centre of the “Platinum Coast”, the present-day Holetown
features a heavily-developed coastline, numerous high-end
resorts and multi-million dollar homes. There are many
condominium complexes, apartments and guest houses as
well as shopping facilities and restaurants catering to the
tourist industry. Many persons here are employed in reefrelated occupations as the nearshore area is a very
popular place for watersports activities such as jet-ski
rentals, glass-bottom boat trips, catamaran cruises and
SCUBA diving. The Folkestone Park and Marine Reserve
(Barbados’ only established marine reserve) encompasses
the entire Holetown coastline, and many of these reefrelated activities are concentrated within the reserve. Reefrelated tourism activities are undertaken all year round by
all operators interviewed, although the main tourism
season in Barbados is from November until May, with
the quieter season in the summer months coinciding
with the hurricane season.
Diving is a popular activity for some of the tourists that visit
Barbados. Interviews with over 150 tourist divers in
Barbados showed that the majority were visiting the island
for the first time. These divers were also relatively wellexperienced, averaging 117 logged dives in their lifetime,
however only around half were certified as 'advanced' or
higher. Approximately 42% of these divers were from the
UK, 25% from the US, and about 19% from Europe. The
majority of these divers are well educated, holding a
college education or higher, and about two-thirds were
male. Fisherman’s and Dottins were some of the more
popular dive sites in the Holetown area.
RECREATION
Many people used the sea and beach for bathing or
swimming and said that it was important for health,
relaxation and recreation. Food from the sea
was
also important, although many people said that they ate
more reef fish in the past, as the availability of pot fish is
lower now than it used to be, and has become more
expensive.
“WHO SHOULD BE AT A
MEETING ABOUT...?”
The FORCE team wanted to find out people’s opinions
on who should be involved in taking care of the reefs.
People identified the following stakeholders that should
be invited if a meeting was held about fishing, tourism,
or their community.
1) “... FISHING ON THE REEF?”
OPINIONS ON REEF MANAGEMENT
We are interested to get people’s opinions about how the reefs are
being looked after. People we interviewed were given a series of
statements and asked whether they agreed or disagreed. The following
shows the community’s feelings about the management of the reefs.
I%understand%who%is%in%charge%of%the%reefs%
When%people%in%charge%make%decisions,%informa)on%is%provided%to%the%
community%
• Holetown residents
• Hoteliers
• National Conservation Commission (NCC)
• Coast Guard
• Police
• Local parliamentary representative
• Coastal Zone Management Unit (CZMU)
• Jet ski operators / beach users
• Harbour Master - Mr. Richard Alleyne
• Fishermen
• Fisheries Division
Rules%that%affect%how%people%use%the%reef%are%enforced%fairly%
2) “...TOURISM ON THE SEA?”
Different%groups%(e.g.%fishers,%tourism%operators,%government)%that%
have%an%interest%in%coral%reefs%work%well%together%
• Glass bottom boats
• Boat operators
• Hoteliers
• Jet ski operators
• National Conservation Commission (NCC)
• Local parliamentary representative
• Sail boats / catamarans
• Dive operators
• Police
• Shop / store operators representative
• Holetown Festival representative
3) “...THE FUTURE OF THE
COMMUNITY?”
• Residents
• Police
• Politicians
• Businesses
• Hoteliers
• Investors
• School principals
• Sunset Crest residents / property owners
association
• Clinic managers
• People in charge of recreational activities at
community centres
• Sporting communities / clubs
• Banking community
The%people%that%look%a?er%coral%reefs%in%this%area%do%a%good%job%
There%are%ways%you%can%challenge%rules%made%about%reefs%
I%have%an%opportunity%to%par)cipate%in%decisions%made%about%reefs%
The%people%in%charge%of%reefs%have%enough%resources,%training%and%
knowledge%
The%people%in%charge%of%reefs%have%plans%in%place%to%respond%to%
emergencies%or%future%changes%
0%%
Agree%
Some)mes%
50%%
Disagree%
100%%
Unsure/no%response%
KEY ISSUES: REEF MANAGEMENT
Most local people believed that it is either the Government of
Barbados or everybody in the community who is responsible for
looking after the coral reefs. Many people also said that the
Folkestone Park and Marine Reserve is responsible for the reefs.
More than half of the people we interviewed said that they do not
understand who is in charge of the reefs, and when a decision is
made regarding reefs they do not receive information about it. Only
a third of people said that they felt the people in charge of the reefs
in their area do a good job, while 40% said they were ‘unsure’, and
25% said that they felt the people in charge did not do a good job.
Community members made a number of suggestions about how reef
management could be improved, including better monitoring and
control of pollution and run-off into the sea, more beach clean-ups
and awareness and education relating to the importance of the
reefs.
HISTORICAL SCAN
The purpose of the timeline was to learn more about the history of the community and the changes that have been important to
local people. The timeline shows events and changes in Holetown identified by people at the meeting.
1980s
Pre-1960s
Marine Park, 1981
Dynamite fishing, 1940s-70s
Lots of moss and sea eggs, 1950s-60s
Canals built (pre 1960s)
Deep water harbour dredged, 1957-1961
Regulations on jet skis
Almond Beach Hotel built over river, causes flooding
Use of pesticides and other chemicals killing the reef
More groynes constructed
Ice boats
Less moss, less sea eggs
Cobblers disappeared
1990s
Hurricane, 1991
1960s
Road built according to the construction
plans for Sandy Lane Hotel, 1959 - early
1960s
Sandy Lane construction completed,
1961
Tourism started
Cane fields converted to Sandy Lane golf course
Fisheries booming
Sandy Lane rebuilt
Shift in tourist demographics (more German and
Canadian tourists)
Run-off from farm land affects the reefs
Permission to catch bait within marine park
Sea used to come into the road
Reefs started getting bad
2000s
Cricket pitch by Discovery Bay swamp,
1968
Chefette beach access closed
More fish, 1960s-70s
1970s
Oil crisis, 1974
Tourism booming
Upsurge in building of hotels
Silver Beach dancehall
Boardwalk built, 2009
Majority of Holetown residents were locals
Expats build seaside properties
Present
Turtles lost nesting beaches to fencing, boulders on coast
Hotel owners claim the beaches
Conflict between expats and fishermen over use of the coast
Locals could play cricket on the beach. Sea
encroached on the land, made beach too
thin for cricket
Sea encroached on land
Holetown Festival started, 1977
Holetown Fish Market taken down, 1978
Left side of line - Given by date
Right side of line - Given by decade
Community
Tourism
Fisheries
Future
Hotel occupancy low
Problems with unregulated vending, jet skis and
drug trade on tourist beaches
Economic crash - worst ever
Employment for locals from hotels
Hotel employees don't speak against hotels for the
community's interests
Unable to catch bait from preferred bay in front of
Sandy Lane
Hotels flush pool water into the sea, killing the reefs
Every year fishers give info to university, no one
uses it! No changes being made!
Government needs to limit the number of all
inclusive hotels
DIVER SATISFACTION
Most of the divers were reasonably satisfied with their
recent dives in Barbados. Of those who answered,
approximately 35% said that Barbados was better
than most of the places they had dived before and
47% stated that it was about the same. On their most
recent dive, divers were most satisfied with the
professionalism and friendliness of the dive operators
and the lack of crowding on the dive. Divers were
least satisfied with the number of fish and the number
of large fish. Viewing more fish seemed to have a
strong effect on a diver’s overall satisfaction;
regardless of other factors such as diver experience,
age or country of origin.
DIVER’S LEVEL OF SATISFACTION FROM
KEY EVENTS
THEIR MOST RECENT DIVE
1950s"
Lots"of"moss"&"sea"Eggs"
1960s"
People at the meeting identified the most important changes
that have affected how people use the reefs.
Cane"fields"converted""
to"golf"course"
Water"clarity"(visibility)"
Number"of"large"fish"
Numbers"of"fish"
Variety"of"fish"and"sea"life"
Live"coral"cover"
Crowding"at"dive"site"
1980s"
Changes'by'decade'
1970s"
Turtles"lose"nes<ng"beaches""
to"fencing,"boulders"on"coast"
Professionalism"/"friendliness"
of"dive"operator"
Overall"sa/sfac/on"
Beach"started"to"come"in""
0"
1"
Holetown"fish"market""
taken"down"1978"
Upsurge"in"building"of"hotels"
1990s"
4"
5"
COMPARED TO OTHER PLACES WHERE YOU
Construc<on"of"more"groynes"
HAVE DIVED?
Less"moss,"less"sea"eggs"
Be5er&
than&
most&35%&
Permission"to"catch"bait"in"park"
Sandy"Lane"rebuilt""
Present"
3"
HOW WOULD YOU RATE BARBADOS
Regula<ons"on"jetskis"
Future"
2"
Sa/sfac/on"ra/ng"(maximum"of"5)"
Every"year"fishermen"give""
informa<on"to"University,""
and"no"one"uses"it!"
About&
the&same&
47%&
Unable"to"catch"bait"from""
preferred"bay"in"front""
of"Sandy"Lane""
Government"needs"to"limit""
number"of"all"inclusive"hotels""
0"
1"
2"
Number'of'*mes'priori*sed'
Worst&1%&
Best&
7%&
Worse&
than&
most&10%&
3"
4"
MAJOR CHANGES
USING THIS
Participants prioritised several changes relating to coastal development and the nearshore
marine environment, such as the increase in the construction of hotels and beach groynes in
the 1970s. Beach erosion and the loss of turtle nesting sites from fenced-off beaches were
also identified as important issues. The conversion of the nearby cane fields into the Sandy
Lane golf course was also considered a key issue for Holetown, as people felt that this has
led to increase run-off and flooding in the community. Changes in people’s use of the sea
were also prioritised, there was a conflict of interest between fishing and tourism in the bay
adjacent to Sandy Lane, as fishers said the hotel was unhappy with them collecting bait in
that area. The decline in seamoss and sea eggs since the 1950s was also noted as important
as it means people are no longer able to collect, sell, and eat these products. However, the
permission to catch bait in the Folkestone Marine Reserve was prioritised by four people as
having a notable and positive impact on the fishers in the Holetown area. The closure of the
Holetown fish market in the 1970s was also considered an important change for the
community. Participants felt that there needs to be more government control on the number of
all-inclusive hotels being built in the area, and that this will be important for the future of the
community.
INFORMATION
KEY ISSUES: REEF HEALTH
Local people have seen changes in the marine environment and the coral reefs. There has
been a decline in the size and number of fish seen or caught from the reef since the 1970s,
and a change in the species of fish commonly found on the reef. People also stated that they
have seen a decline in other marine products, such as seamoss and sea eggs. In the 1990s
the health of the reef started to decline more dramatically, due to a hurricane that caused
damage to the reefs, and increased pollution and run-off from the land and coastal
development. Other threats to reefs included boat or anchor damage, impacts from
snorkelers and divers on the reef, and increasing coastal development. There was concern
that further beach erosion and negative impacts on the marine environment would happen in
the future as a result of continuing coastal development, such as from the construction of
more large hotels.
This report shows some of the
information we collected from
people in Six Mens. This
information will be used to
help to describe people’s
opinions on how coral reefs
are used for fishing and
tourism, and how the reefs
are being looked after.
The information people
shared with us will help to
develop an understanding
about how people depend on
reefs and how they will
respond to changes in the
future.
While this project is not
involved in making decisions,
we will share this information
with people and organisations
involved in reef management
and decision-making at local
and national levels. None of
the information collected
during this project will be
linked to anyone’s name, but
we hope that the project will
provide an opportunity to
share the interesting stories
that we have collected.
THANK YOU!
FORCE SOCIAL SCIENCE TEAM MEMBERS
FIELD TEAM
Dr. Rachel Turner
Dr. Johanna Forster
Mr. David Gill
Ms. Angelie Peterson
Mr. Rohan Ford
Mr. Myles Phillips
SUPPORTING TEAM
CERMES, UWI
Professor Robin Mahon
Professor Hazel Oxenford
Dr. Peter Schuhmann
UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE, UK
Professor Selina Stead
Dr. Clare Fitzsimmons
INTERNATIONAL MARINE
MANAGEMENT, UK
Mr. Ben Cattermoul
Mr. Philip Townsley
CONTACT
www.force-project.eu
c/o CERMES
UWI Cave Hill Campus
T: 246.417.4339
F: 246.424.4202
c/o Dr. Turner
E: rachel.turner@cavehill.uwi.edu
T: 246.417.4830
Many t hanks to all t hat
attended this meeting or took
the time to contribute
information to our research.
The FORCE team has since
visited Honduras, St. Kitts and
Nevis, and Belize and is now
compiling and analysing the
information gathered in the
countries where we have
com pleted our researc h.
Reports will then be disseminated to all interested
parties, or will be found on
our website:
www.force-project.eu