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Facilitating Peer to Peer Learning:
Belizean Participation in Grenada MPA Enforcement Training Workshop, April 2013
A case study developed for the
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Effective management and conservation requires that marine resource users comply with regulations, and that there remains some ability to enforce when voluntary compliance fails.
Compliance and enforcement are therefore critical components of any effective marine management program, and training of MPA staff in enforcement is an essential part of ranger development.
A recent workshop in Grenada enabled members of an existing MPA network to come together and share information about the common challenges they face, successful
experiences in compliance and enforcement, imparting management best practice across the Caribbean.
Background
Marine Protected Area (MPA) enforcement was recently identified by Caribbean MPA Managers as their highest priority need for capacity building (Gombos et al., 2011). To help address this need, in August 2012 the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute (GCFI) held a week-long regional workshop focused on building compliance and enhancing enforcement for MPAs with 20 participants drawn from 10 countries and territories in the Caribbean region.
This was hosted by the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, facilitated by MPA Enforcement International and sponsored principally by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Coral Reef Conservation Program (NOAA CRCP), with additional support from the United Nations Environment Programme Caribbean Environment Programme (UNEP-CEP) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC). Full details of the workshop can be found at https://sites.google.com/site/caribbeanmpaenforcement/
The challenges
In the course of this regional enforcement workshop a number of desired follow-up activities were identified by the participants. One of these was the proposal that additional participants join the planned 2013 MPA enforcement training in Grenada, which at that point was newly approved by the US National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF). The project manager in Grenada and the workshop facilitator were happy to include the other MPAs in this training, and accordingly GCFI provided assistance to regional MPAs to seek cooperation to enable their participation.
Grenada and Belize started to network in relation to MPA management just two years ago, and they have indicated to GCFI a desire to further share best practices and their experiences in MPA
management. Grenada’s MPAs are relatively young, and the MPA Management Capacity Assessment by NOAA CRCP and the Caribbean Marine Protected Areas Management Network and Forum (CaMPAM) identified that the MPAs of Belize are potential mentor sites for such MPAs in the Caribbean region.
MPA managers from the Grenada and Belize first had the chance to network at the 2011 CaMPAM Training of Trainers course in MPA management which was held at Hol Chan Marine Reserve in Belize.
Grenada’s National MPA Coordinator subsequently identified Belize’s MPAs as valuable demonstration sites to help increase understanding of MPAs and their importance among Grenadian policy makers. As a result, in 2012 Belize hosted a high level visit for representatives of Grenada’s Fisheries Division and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
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What was done
Mr. Shane Young, MPA Manager, Belize Audubon Society, participated in a one-week MPA enforcement training workshop held in St George’s Grenada. The training was facilitated by MPA Enforcement International with the involvement of local experts drawn from the Royal Grenada Police Force, Coast Guard, environmental NGOs and university. The agenda included:
MPA rules, regulations and law enforcement techniques through scenarios and role playing;
Education and outreach, including communication skills and community oriented enforcement
Self-defense training
Officer safety and arrest
First Responder First Aid Training
Vessel navigation and proper handling and use of equipment
The training and associated activities were principally sponsored by the US National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Representatives from St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Dominica also attended the training with sponsorship from the Department of Sustainable Development of the Executive Secretariat for Integral Development of the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (DSD/SEDI/GS/OAS) through the regional ReefFix project for Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM).
Participants in the Grenada MPA enforcement training, April 2013 (Mr Young, 3rd from left).
How successful was it?
Bringing a Belizean participant to contribute to the enforcement training in Grenada was an excellent example of international cooperation that responded directly to a need articulated by both Belizean and Grenadian MPA managers, as well as other Caribbean MPA managers at a prior regional training activity.
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The cooperation enabled members of an existing MPA network to come together and share experiences about the common challenges they face and successful experiences in compliance and enforcement.
Both being members of Caricom, the Belizean and Grenadian participants benefited from sharing about the similarities in the context for MPA enforcement in their countries. With longer-standing experience in MPA management, the Belizean participant was able to share about how these challenges have been faced over the years, and the practices that have proven successful and unsuccessful in MPA
enforcement.
Throughout the week, Belizean mentorship complemented and helped to reinforce the training that was provided by the expert facilitators. Sharing by the Belizean participant about the role of communications and outreach in support of MPA enforcement in Belize brought an important additional element to the training, which would otherwise have been a heavily theoretical topic for the Grenadian participants.
With an increasing focus on building environmental stewardship by Grenada’s MPAs, this first hand advice was particularly timely.
In addition to the training, NFWF is sponsoring complementary activities in Grenada to assist with the planning of enforcement activities, the development of a manual of standard operating procedures, the establishment of local partnerships for MPA management, the purchase of essential equipment, and outreach and education activities to help build local compliance with MPA regulations. The Belizean participant was able to share about his experience and give helpful advice in relation to each of these areas.
Expert facilitators in the MPA enforcement training Left to Right: Captain (Retired) Jayson Horadam (MPA Enforcement International, LLC); Constable Alex James (Special Service Unit, Royal Grenada Police Force); Constable Kerry Swan (Prosecutor, Royal Grenada Police Force).
Lessons learned by the Belizean participant
The training course was competently facilitated by a team comprising international and local facilitators.
The Prosecutor from the Royal Grenada Police Force played a key role throughout the training, and focused roles were played by the Special Services Officer and the Coast Guard representative. This collaboration between enforcement agencies was a strength of the training. Inter-agency collaboration
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is essential for effective MPA enforcement, and whilst Grenada is just starting to establish the necessary relations between these agencies, Belize is fortunate to have functioning collaboration between MPA managers, Fisheries Officers and law enforcement agencies.
This training really brought home that MPA staff are important ambassadors for their MPAs and for conservation and sustainable development in general. Exchanges with the other participants highlighted this, and also reminded us of the dedication required across the board by MPA staff. Our role as education/outreach officers is vital to our efforts to build compliance and enforce regulations.
Training in MPA enforcement is an essential part of human resources development and effective management at any MPA. Staff must be nurtured with the skills and knowledge needed to implement and meet the expectations of the site management plan. Enforcement training cannot be a single event, rather regular and ongoing training is required to reinforce and refresh skills that are not used except in particular scenarios or in life-threatening circumstances. The in-depth self-defense training in Grenada was very practical and served to emphasize the importance of this MPA enforcement skill. As NGO staff, our field officers do not necessarily have these skills, or at least require regular refreshers in order to maintain them at an adequate level. The first aid training was also a valuable reminder of the importance of regular re-training.
Self-defense training for MPA staff and practical sessions
Mr Young and partner Mr Harvey (of Grenada) taking part in an enforcement training scenario/role play
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The Belizean participant provided an evaluation of the host organization and commented that the Grenada Fisheries Division is moving strategically to capitalize on the available opportunity to acquire useful knowledge from international partners such as Belize. They are building on the lessons learnt from Belize and structuring their MPA program to satisfy enforcement, stakeholders and collaboration with other agencies, plus education and outreach, and most importantly capacity building for staff members.
‘It is of great interest to see the Grenada Fisheries Division taking strive in putting together the
fundamentals, and identifying their MPAs needs. They must be applauded for not only identifying their MPA’s needs but rather taking a huge step in sourcing a way forward in addressing their MPAs’ needs.’
Mr Young receiving a certificate from the Royal Grenada Police Force Trainer
Mr Young presenting host organisation Grenada Fund for Conservation with a certificate of appreciation on behalf of the international participants in the training
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Where to find out more about this case study
For more information about this project and other initiatives, contact Emma Doyle at the Caribbean Marine Protected Areas Management Network and Forum (CaMPAM) and
Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute (GCFI) emma.doyle@gcfi.org on +1-832-5982838, or by visiting www.campam.gcfi.org
Or contact Shane Young directly at Belize Audubon Society marineparks@belizeaudubon.org on +1 501 223 5004.
A Management Capacity Assessment of Selected Coral Reef Marine Protected Areas in the Caribbean.
Gombos, M., A. Arrivillaga, D. Wusinich-Mendez, B. Glazer, S. Frew, G. Bustamante, E. Doyle, A. Vanzella- Khouri, A. Acosta, and B. Causey. 2011. Commissioned by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP), the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute (GCFI) and by the UNEP-CEP Caribbean Marine Protected Area Management Network and Forum (CaMPAM). 252 pp.
Where to find more case studies and resources
The Australia Caribbean Coral Reef Collaboration www.climateandreefs.org has hand-picked the most useful resources available for coral reef managers in one easy-to-use portal.
