glover s reef seascape

BEST OF THE WILD: wildlife coservatio society ad the glover s reef seascape

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BEST OF THE WILD: wildlife coservatio society ad the glover s reef seascape photo credits (clockwise from left): cover: rachel graham; iside cover: eric sala; page 3: Eric sala; page 4: Julie Larse Maher/WCS; page 5: k. dyke/wildtracks, Chuck carr, Eric Sala; page 7: eric sala (2); page 9: Eric sala, Julie Larse maher/wcs, k. dyke/ wildtracks (2); page 11: Sergio Hoare /WCS, chuck carr, robi colema; page 13: Sergio Hoare /WCS, eric sala

W C S a d t h e g l o v e r s r e e f s e a s c a p e Glover s Reef Seascape lies at the heart of the largest coral reef system i the Wester hemisphere. A astoudig 800 coral patch reefs dot its waters, supportig extraordiarily high biological diversity across 135 square miles. Just 28 miles off the coast of Belize, Glover s Reef is critical ursery ad feedig groud for sea turtles, sharks ad rays, ad umerous fish species that gather i massive umbers. Glover s supports oe of the Caribbea s largest ad last remaiig Nassau grouper spawig aggregatios, a spectacular biological pheomeo that is becomig icreasigly rare. It is oe of the oly true atolls strigs of coral islads ad reefs surroudig a pristie lagoo i the Atlatic Ocea. The Glover s Reef Seascape is crucial to the Belize ecoomy. Its ursery groud for commercially importat fisheries is a livig bak for hudreds of licesed fisherme. It is a ceterpiece of ecotourism withi the greater Belize Barrier Reef Belize s premier tourism destiatio ad a World Heritage Site. Its rich cultural ad archeological history is evidet i pre-classic Maya settlemets. The Govermet of Belize recogized this value whe it established the Glover s Reef Marie Reserve i 1993, which icludes the coutry s largest o-fishig zoe. However, like coral reef systems aroud the world, Glover s remais uder threat from overfishig, pollutio, uregulated tourism ad climate chage threats that destroy corals, deplete fish stocks ad weake ecological liks across the seascape. For more tha 20 years, the Wildlife Coservatio Society (WCS) has partered with the Govermet of Belize to pioeer iovative approaches to coservig Glover s. Effective field sciece, policy reform ad capacity buildig are leadig us closer to our 10-year visio: massive coloies of brai, starlet, elkhor, figer ad other corals hostig hudreds of species of fish, marie turtles, ad top predators such as sharks ad groupers, thrivig withi a productive ad resiliet seascape that is sustaied by effective maagemet ad supported by local people who are well-iformed ad actively egaged i sustaiable maagemet of Glover s Reef. With WCS experiece, scietific kowledge ad commitmet, together we ca esure that this seascape remais forever wild. Right: The spiy lobster (Paulirus argus) is the basis of the most lucrative fishery i Belize, but catches are decliig. WCS area of focus. 2

MEXICO BELIZE Coservatio Zoe Wilderess Zoe Seasoal Closure Zoe Cayes Geeral Use Zoe Spawig Aggregatio Site Cayes Reef flat 0 1.25 2.5 5 Miles Coral reef (Backgroud shade represets bathymetry) GUATEMALA HONDURAS 3

Uderstadig the Challeges ad Risks Over-fishig ad illegal fishig are major threats to Glover s Reef ad the etire Mesoamerica Barrier Reef. Catch of spiy lobster, quee coch ad other commercial species are i declie, despite growig fishig effort. As local fish stocks i eighborig Guatemala ad Hoduras have bee depleted, foreig fishers icreasigly tur to the relatively healthier fish populatios foud i Belize. These declies lead to cascadig impacts across the etire fish commuity as oe species after aother is fished to critically low levels, weakeig key ecological likages across the reef system. Over-fishig therefore risks huge ad perhaps irreversible chages to the health ad fuctio of Glover s Reef ad cotiues to grow i severity across Belize ad the Caribbea. Lack of coordiated maagemet strategies, sparse eforcemet, ad isufficiet resources to effectively maage the area exacerbate the cosequeces of over-fishig. Dredgig, clearace of vegetatio ad dumpig of waste caused by uregulated coastal ad caye developmet destroys critical sea grass beds, corals, ad magroves. The rapidly expadig tourism idustry drives much of this short-sighted ad destructive developmet o privately owed cayes throughout the Belize marie protected area system. Sedimet ad agro-chemical ru-off from idustrial scale farms o the Guatemala ad Hoduras mailad are also a threat. With climate chage aticipated to cause harmful bleachig i 70 percet of coral reefs worldwide by 2100, it is eve more imperative that huma-iduced stresses are miimized to guaratee a future for Belize s coral reefs. Left: Over a decade of shark research at Glover s has show that the marie reserve is successfully protectig residet populatios through its ba o the use of ets ad loglies. Right, clockwise from top: Fisherma cleaig his catch of coch (Strombus gigas). A sea turtle killed by becomig etagled i a illegally set gillet. A royal deize of the reef: the quee agelfish. 4

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Visio for the Future WCS 10-year visio for the Glover s Reef Seascape is massive coloies of brai, starlet, elkhor, figer ad other corals hostig hudreds of species of fish, marie turtles, ad top predators such as sharks ad groupers, thrivig withi a productive ad resiliet seascape that is sustaied by effective maagemet ad supported by local people who are well-iformed ad actively egaged i sustaiable maagemet of Glover s Reef. To achieve this visio, we will use a wildlife-cetered, threats-focused, seascape-scale approach that recociles the eeds of marie species ad huma livelihoods. Withi 10 years WCS holds itself accoutable to: Icrease Nassau grouper populatios tefold, restorig a historic spectacle where tes of thousads of fish aggregated at Glover s to spaw; Restore adult quee coch to a healthy ad resiliet desity of 50 per hectare; Retai critically edagered hawksbill turtles at least at their preset abudace to maitai Glovers importace as a feedig groud for youg turtles; Keep quee coch ad spiy lobster catches withi sustaiable quotas ad harvested oly from areas ope to fishig. Nassau grouper, quee coch ad hawksbill turtles are icos of this seascape; their abudace ad stability idicate a healthy ecosystem. We will measure our success by their status over the comig decade. Our approach to coservig Glover s is to 1) esure its effective maagemet, 2) build a coservatio costituecy through traiig ad support to the govermet ad local stakeholders, ad 3) moitor species to measure coservatio success ad use this kowledge to improve our work ad iform policy ad regulatio. We will have realized our visio whe: Glover s Reef Marie Reserve shows improvemets i reef health ad maagemet effectiveess, as measured by regular coservatio audits; Private lad owers, tourism operators ad fishig cooperatives recogize the lik betwee reef health ad livelihoods, ad work together as active coservatio stewards of the resource; The govermet eacts policies ad legislatio i respose to WCS scietific iformatio, leadig to improvemets i fishig practices ad icreases i marie wildlife species. Right: Clockwise from top: Nassau groupers (Epiephelus striatus) aggregatig to spaw at the reef promotory o the ortheast ed of the atoll. Massive star coral (Motastraea spp.), a major reef-buildig species of Caribbea reefs. 6

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Addressig the Risks The time to coserve Glover s Reef is ow. The Natioal Protected Areas Policy is complete. Recogitio of the tourism ad fisheries value of coral reefs ad magroves is o the rise, ad the World Heritage Site desigatio of the Belize Barrier Reef has garered strog public pride ad support. To esure that the Glover s Reef Marie Reserve is effectively maaged, WCS is workig with the Govermet of Belize to: Implemet a maagemet pla that ehaces resiliecy of Glover s Reef, particularly agaist shocks to coral health caused by climate chage; Measure coservatio progress by moitorig key seascape species; Coduct maagemet effectiveess audits to idetify shortcomigs ad solutios; Secure reveues for fiacially sustaiable maagemet; Stregthe surveillace ad eforcemet capacity; Host the marie reserve headquarters of the Fisheries Departmet at Middle Caye. To esure that key stakeholders lad owers, tourism operators ad fishig commuities are workig cooperatively as stewards of the reserve, WCS will: Stregthe the goverace of the stakeholder advisory committee i its role as iformal co-maager; Build support amog fishers for a limited access program desiged to sustai their fishery ad diversify their livelihood strategies beyod fishig; Egage them i reef moitorig to raise stakeholder demad for coservatio; Work with caye ad resort owers to apply best lad developmet practices; Develop a uited voice with parters advocatig the coservatio ad sustaiable use of Belize s marie heritage. To support the govermet i eactig ecessary policies ad legislatio, WCS will: Moitor the health of the reef ad apply that kowledge to iform ad justify ew policies ad legislatio; Publicize treds i the status of Nassau grouper, quee coch, hawksbill turtle, ad spiy lobster, ad promote policy iitiatives that icrease populatios of these key seascape species; Udertake, at the request of the Govermet of Belize, a revisio of the fisheries legislatio of Belize. Right, clockwise from top: A causal chai helps prioritize coservatio actios to address threats to the wildlife of Glover s Reef. WCS scietist examiig field samples. Fisherma ad his dory filled with coch. Fisherma with his catch of spiy lobster. 8

Trai fisheries ragers Egage fishers i eforcemet Weak law eforcemet Illegal fishig Restore spawig aggregatio of Nassau Grouper Lobby for restrictios o spearfishig Iadequate protective legislatio Usustaiable fishig Lobby for a icrease i the miimum size limit for coch Quee Coch to 50 idividuals per hectare 9

WCS: Positioed to Deliver For more tha two decades, WCS has bee the most ifluetial marie coservatio field presece i Belize. WCS played a major role i the creatio of the coutry s first Marie Reserve, Hol Cha Marie Reserve, i 1987, ad the Glover s Reef Marie Reserve i 1993. Our etwork of strog local parters ad ability to traslate field research ito marie policy have positioed WCS as a leader i the developmet of creative, pragmatic coservatio tools to save Belize s remarkable seascapes. Our research statio, situated o Middle Caye at Glover s Reef, is o the frot lies of coservatio of this remote seascape, providig both a base of operatios for eforcemet ad moitorig as well as a world-class field research ad traiig statio for visitig scietists. Together with its parters, WCS couts amog its coservatio victories i Belize: Legislatio that madates year-roud protectio for the highly vulerable ad overfished Nassau grouper at eleve spawig sites; Protectio of key species ad the marie ecosystem through the re-zoig of Glover s Reef Marie Reserve, icludig Belize s largest o-fishig zoe; Creatio i Belize of a model program for egagig fisherme i collectig ad reportig iformatio o the status of fish populatios; Leadership i completig the ew Natioal Protected Area Policy ad System Pla; Developmet of the coutry s first limited access fishig program for largescale, multi-species fisheries; Collaboratio with atioal ad iteratioal coservatio orgaizatios to advocate together for striget measures to protect the Nassau grouper. The foudatio of this progress is the log-term parterships WCS has established across govermet, o-govermet, ad commuity stakeholders who are committed to coservatio success at Glover s Reef. Right, clockwise from top: Fisheries catch data collector i Hopkis village. Researcher at work i the ewlycostructed wet lab at the WCS Statio o Middle Caye. Marie reserve staff releasig tagged loggerhead turtle. 10

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w C S i s g r a t e f u l t o t h e f o l l o w i g f o r l e a d e r s h i p s u p p o r t o f our work i the Glover s Reef Seascape: AVINA The Hery Foudatio Lady Kioulls Trusts Natioal Fish ad Wildlife Foudatio Natioal Oceaic ad Atmospheric Admiistratio The Oak Foudatio Ruth Smart Foudatio The Summit Foudatio Sylvaus Charitable Trusts The Tiffay & Co. Foudatio U.S. Agecy for Iteratioal Developmet (USAID) U.S. Fish ad Wildlife Service W C S s S u c c e s s i t h e L a d s c a p e c a b e a t t r i b u t e d i p a r t t o our strog local parterships: Associatio for Protected Area Maagemet Orgaizatios Belize Audubo Society Belize Fisheries Departmet Belize Istitute of Law ad Policy Coastal Zoe Maagemet Authority ad Istitute Coservatio Iteratioal Evirometal Defese Fud GEF Small Grats Programme Glover s Reef Advisory Committee Gree Reef Hopkis Fisherme Associatio Natioal Spawig Aggregatio Workig Group The Nature Coservacy Protected Areas Coservatio Trust Sarteeja Wildlife, Eviromet ad Ecotourism Team Smithsoia Istitutio Souther Evirometal Alliace Toledo Istitute for Developmet ad the Eviromet Uiversity of Belize Wildtracks World Wildlife Fud february 2009 For further iformatio please cotact: Wildlife Coservatio Society Marie Program 2300 Souther Boulevard Brox, NY 10460-1099 (718) 741-8212