protected marine areas in cuba: opportunities and challenges for …© l. gerhartz... · 2017. 12....

Protected Marine Areas in Cuba: Opportunities and

Challenges for Sustainable Tourism

José L. GerhartzConsultant of Marine Conservation

Avalon Cuba Diving & Fishing Centres Fundación Antonio Núñez Jiménez de la Naturaleza y El Hombre

jose.gerhartz@gmail.com

Challenges of marine environment

•Connectivity

•Three dimensionality, multiples uses, not owned

THREATS

Challenges of Marine Environment

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) (IUCN)•Marine-coastal geographical area

•Clearly delineated

•Recognized, declared and managed

•Operated through effective means of a legal or other characteristics.

•Achieve long-term conservation of nature, ecosystem services and associated cultural values.

MPA and Tourism

Benefits• Source of conservation

funds

• Economic alternative for communities

• Improved life quality

• Aid for nature protection against other alternative uses

• Aid to education on the value of conservation

Risks• Impact of infrastructure

• Impact of visitation (impact of the recreational use of biodiversity)

• Increase in the ecological footprint of MPAs

• Negative social and cultural impacts

MPAs in Cuba today

• 84 identified areas, 50 implemented• 25% of platforms• 30% of coral reefs• 23% of seagrass

Attractions of Cuba’s MPAs

•Coral reefs

•Wild life

• Labyrinths of channels and cays

•Landscapes and wild beaches

Activities in the MPAs of Cuba

•Diving

•Sport fishing

•Yachts and sailboats visits

•Boat trails

•Wildlife observation in cays and channels

•Snorkeling

•Enjoying untames beaches

Is sustainable tourism implemented in Cuba’s AMP?

Faro de Maya, Matanzas

Is sustainable tourism implemented in Cuba’s AMP?

Diving area

Faro de Maya, Matanzas

Is sustainable tourism implemented in Cuba’s AMP?

Faro de Maya, Matanzas

Is sustainable tourism implemented in Cuba’s AMP?

PN Punta Francés

Is sustainable tourism implemented in Cuba’s AMP?

PN Punta Francés

Is sustainable tourism implemented in Cuba’s AMP?

PN Punta Francés

Is sustainable tourism implemented in Cuba’s AMP?

•Not much

•Inadequate managing on most sites

•Insufficient income for MPA

•Weak involvement from local communities

•Increasing demand

Is sustainable tourism implemented in Cuba’s MPAs?

Weaknesses for sustainable tourism in Cuba’s MPAs• Insufficient quality of the Management Plans to

guarantee sustainable tourism

• Insufficient and sometimes inadequate infrastructure

• Few sustainable maritime tourism products

• Low capacity for managing visitors

• Inadequate marketing and tourist management

• Limited commitment of tourism operators to conservation

• Little development of business contracts between MPA and tour operators

The case of PN Jardines de la Reina

The case of PN Jardines de la Reina

The case of PN Jardines de la Reina• 217036 ha• 20 years of protection• 7 years as national park • Shows the habitats of the insular

Caribbean• Reefs with Elkhorn coral most

preserved of the Caribbean• Diversity, abundance and biomass

of fish rarely observed elsewhere in the world

• Reefs of the world• Charismatic species

PN Jardines de la Reina: Business focus of governance

Flora and Fauna

(Legal administrator of

the park)

Coordinate and implement the Management Plan

Establish regulations

Be responsible to protection Azulmar (Tourism

company that provides and

manages nautical services, diving and fly fishing)Provide income

Provide logistic services

Provide access to expertise

CONTRACTUAL RELATIONSHIP

PN Jardines de la Reina: Business approach of governance

Order AgentsFishing Inspection

Forest security

Border security troop

Commercial fishermen

(Uers)

VisitorsDivers

Fisherman

EcotouristsControl

compliance of

regulations

Controls

Compliance

with

regulations

Coor

dina

tes

act

ion

Ap

ply

the law

Offer

tourist

services

Logistic

support

PN Jardines de la Reina: Role of tourism operation in PN

•Aiding in surveillance, monitoring, and effective protection

•Provides logistical support, monitoring, and visitor control

•Provides the main source of foreign exchange earnings for the national park

•Provides livelihood alternatives for some local people

•Helps to support the economic growth of tourism as an alternative to commercial fishing

PN Jardines de la Reina: Two sources of tourism

• Packages contracted and operated by Marlin Azulmar (20 years of successful experience)

• Sailboats and yachts (Experiences in development)

PN Jardines de la Reina: Awareness and environmental commitment

•There is full awareness and demonstrated commitment to the conservation by the administration of Marlin Azumar (Avalon)

•All tourist products have an approved environmental license

•Avalon has developed a sustainable tourism policy for its operations in PN

•Avalon declared its commitment to make the PN Jardines de la Reina a fly fishing sanctuary

PN Jardines de la Reina: Management Plans and Regulations

• Detailed Zoning• General and zonal environmental

regulations

• Regulations of tourist use by zones

• Maximum number of tourists per day

• Maximum number of tourists per group

• Rotation regulations for areas in use and groups of visitors

• Obligatory presence of accredited guides of the park or of Azulmar

PN Jardines de la Reina: Tourist product

•Diving and fishing are strengthened, and Cuba has the one of the highest level in the world

•Ecotourism options are in development

PN Jardines de la Reina: Infrastructure

PN Jardines de la Reina: Infrastructure

PN Jardines de la Reina: Visitor management

•Number of visitors•Entrance fee for the park•Application of zoning regulations•Prohibiting anchoring•Mooring service payment•Restriction of mooring buoys•Restriction of stays•Restriction of vessel size•Prohibition of recreational activities without contract/ booking with Azulmar

PN Jardines de la Reina: Weaknesses of the tourist operation•Still limited benefit distribution to local communities

•Little diversity

• Insufficient environmental behavior in the workforce

•Still incomplete infrastructure

•Poor management capacity of PN management

•Marketing not always considering the image of the national park

•Lack of certification (Blue Flag, Green Globe, etc)

Final considerations•MPAs are a potential opportunity for tourism diversification

in Cuba•Sustainable tourism represents an opportunity for SAMP’s

conservation objectives.• Improved planning, infrastructure, capacity of management

and training of MPA staff is required to ensure its use for sustainable tourism•The PNJR case demonstrates that it is possible to find a

balance between conservation and tourism use, providing mutual benefits