SUNDAY 3 JUNE, 2018 – UWI TODAY
7
LIFE SCIENCES – MARKING ENVIRONMENT DAY (JUNE 5) AND INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (MAY 22)
Following intense citizen outrage
over poaching of
one of the national birds – the Scarlet Ibis
(Eudocimus
ruber)
– a request was made to have it be declared
an environmentally sensitive species. The UWI
and other stakeholders were invited by the EMA to
partner on this policy decision and to help better
inform the process. Fortunately for the state, the
MSc in Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable
Development in the Caribbean at The UWI, St
Augustine had recently concluded a Research and
Development Impact Fund project that provided data
from several pertinent research projects. Specifically
referencedwere Deanna Albert’s “Participatory GIS for
nesting, roosting and feeding habitat sites of the Scarlet
Ibis Eudocimus ruber in Caroni Swamp, Trinidad”;
Aditi Thanoo’s “Local community use of the Caroni
Swamp: use, attitudes and perceptions”; and Reisha
Boodram’s “Public participatory GIS for traditional
uses of the Caroni Swamp”. We are pleased to continue
to collaborate with our nation’s decision-makers in the
pursuit of this designation based on scientific research,
participatory GIS (PPGIS), and trends observed.
Albert’s research used participation methods
alongside Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
technology in order to engage a variety of stakeholders,
both community participants as well as experts, tomap
the habitat sites where the Scarlet Ibis nests, roosts and
feeds in the Caroni Swamp. After a short orientation
on the project objectives, mapping groups were asked
to identify areas which the Scarlet Ibis use on an aerial
photograph of the Caroni Swamp, using colour-coded
stickers for nesting (yellow), roosting (red) and feeding
(blue) sites. Additional data were collected on these
identified points through semi-structured interviews,
asking questions such as numbers observed, habitat
characteristics, prey, predators, etc.
Assessment of the effectiveness of existing
Protected and Prohibited Areas can be done through
comparison of identified points against the boundaries
of the Forest Reserve, Wildlife Sanctuaries, and
RAMSAR Site (Protected Natural Areas – PNAs).
Survey data were used to determine the degree of
overlap between local and expert knowledge collected
through mapping exercises. It is expected that data
collected from this project can facilitate better
management planning for PNAs withinCaroni Swamp
and be used as a foundation for further studies focused
on the Scarlet Ibis within Caroni Swamp or along its
wider habitat extent along the wetlands of the west
coast of Trinidad.
Thanoo’s research demonstrated that restricting
use and access of protected areas can lead to local
people holding negative attitudes towards protected
areas and violating regulations to illegally use protected
areas
(Allendorf et al. 2012).
Negative attitudes can
affect local perceptions of any future policy action
and management strategies. In this regard, one way to
improve protected area management is to conduct a
qualitative study that encourages an understanding of
local people’s resource use, attitudes and perceptions,
and underlying causative factors
(Chandool 2007;
Allendorf et al. 2012).
Boodram’s study reiterated the importance of
the Caroni Swamp as the largest mangrove forest in
Trinidad. It provides a range of resources whichmakes
it economically important to local people. Uses of the
swamp include recreational activities such as sport
fishing, bird watching and photography, and extractive
activities include subsistence or commercial fishing,
oyster harvesting and crab harvesting
(Bacon, 1968;
1993; Juman, Bacon and Gerald, 2002)
.The Swampwas
declared a Ramsar site in 2005 in order to protect its
rich biodiversity including many threatened species,
and to practice sustainable use of its abundant natural
resources
(Juman and Ramsewak, 2013).
Prior to this,
in 1987 a large portion of the swamp, bounded by the
BlueRiver to the north and theMadame Espagnol River
to the south, was designated a Prohibited Area in order
to protect the country’s national bird Eudocimus ruber
(Linnaeus, 1758), the Scarlet Ibis. This ban resulted
in a significant decrease in legal resource use within
the swamp
(Juman, Bacon and Gerald, 2002).
The use
of local knowledge is important for conservation and
sustainable natural resource management. This study
used PPGIS to access local knowledge from Felicity
residents on resource locations within the Caroni
Swamp. Multiple objectives for one defined area can
lead to conflict of interest amongst stakeholders and
resource extraction outside legal limits. The use of
PPGIS is important for visualising hot-spot areas and
would be important for in-situmanagement planning.
The designation as an ESS will enhance the
protective legal status of the Scarlet Ibis.The fine under
this designation will be increased to TT$100,000 and
imprisonment for two years. It is anticipated that all
of the research from the RDI Caroni Swamp project
will be used to inform the future decision to designate
the Caroni Swamp an Environmentally Sensitive Area.
Enhancing the protective status of the Scarlet Ibis
and the area should not be done in isolation.This must
be pursued in concert with raising public awareness
and sensitisation of the importance of the national bird
and other animals within our country.
In order to sensitise the public, we need to know
what exactly exists in Trinidad and Tobago. So the
National Wildlife Survey that is being conducted
as a collaborative effort between the EMA and the
UWI’s MSc Biodiversity team, funded by the Green
Fund under the EMA’s “National Restoration, Carbon
Sequestration, Wildlife and Livelihoods Project”, is
important. Data collected from the National Wildlife
Survey can be used to inform decision-makers in the
forging of state policy andmanagement of our national
heritage.
MSc website:
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MSc Facebook Page:
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RDI Caroni Swamp Project website:
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Impacting
National Policy
through
UWI’S
BIODIVERSITY
RESEARCH
B Y L E E A N N B E D D O E , L U K E R O S T A N T A N D J O H N A G A R D
PHOTO: RENATO AUGUSTO MARTINS
