St. Lucia

Fringing reefs and coral veneers are found along all of St. Lucia’s coasts. Some small patch reefs are found on the southeast coast, but the majority are narrow fringing reefs lying close to shore. The spectacular reef communities along parts of the west coast are of great importance to fisheries, and the area is becoming increasingly popular as a diving destination. [1]

The Reefs at Risk analysis identifies all the 90 sq km of reefs around St. Lucia as threatened by human activities. Almost all reefs were rated as threatened by overfishing, coastal development and sedimentation from land. Tourism and coastal development have increased around Soufriere, and the reefs are under pressure from increasing populations along the coast. [2] The analysis showed all the reefs to be threatened by sedimentation. About 40 percent of reefs were also rated as threatened by marine-based pollution.

The most significant natural disturbances in recent years have been a number of storms and hurricanes in 1994 and 1995. Tropical Storm Debbie in 1994, one of the wettest to hit St. Lucia this century, caused landslides and erosion that resulted in heavy siltation from runoff. [3] Recently there has been an unusually high incidence of white band disease on reefs in the Soufriere Marine Management Area (SMMA), resulting in a living coral loss of over 3 percent between 1997 and 1998. [4]

On the west coast, particularly in the vicinity of Soufriere, the growth of tourism and the impacts from urban development have resulted in conflicts between user groups-for example between fishermen and divers over reef areas, and between fishermen and yachts anchoring in fishing zones. [5] In response to these conflicts, the SMMA was established in 1994 following an 18-month long process of participatory planning.

The SMMA extends for 11 km along the coastline from Anse Jambon in the north to Anse L’Ivrogne in the south. It covers a diversity of near-shore coastal environments with different user groups and water-related activities. The development experience is recognized as useful to planners, managers, and development workers in St. Lucia and other parts of the Caribbean region, with specific reference to stakeholder analysis and related approaches to planning and management. The SMMA has been chosen as an International Coral Reef Action Network demonstration site. [6] Enforcement of laws governing other marine reserves has proven difficult because of the remoteness of some of these areas, low enforcement capacity, and the fact that some of these areas are privately owned and because boundaries for many reserves have never been declared.

[1] A.F. Smith, C.S. Rogers, and C. Bouchon. 1999. “Status of Western Atlantic Coral Reefs in the Lesser Antilles.” Proceedings of the 8th International Coral Reef Symposium, pp 351-356

[2] A.F. Smith, C.S. Rogers, and C. Bouchon. 1999. “Status of Western Atlantic Coral Reefs in the Lesser Antilles.” Proceedings of the 8th International Coral Reef Symposium, pp 351-356

[3] A.F. Smith, C.S. Rogers, and C. Bouchon. 1999. “Status of Western Atlantic Coral Reefs in the Lesser Antilles.” Proceedings of the 8th International Coral Reef Symposium, pp 351-356

[4] A.H. Smith et al., “Status of coral reefs in the eastern Caribbean: The OECS, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, The Netherlands Antilles and the French Caribbean,” in Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2000. C. Wilkinson, ed. (Townsville: Australian Institute of Marine Science, 2000), p. 319

[5] A.F. Smith, C.S. Rogers, and C. Bouchon. 1999. “Status of Western Atlantic Coral Reefs in the Lesser Antilles.” Proceedings of the 8th International Coral Reef Symposium, pp 351-356

[6] P. Hoetjes et al., “Status of coral reefs in the eastern Caribbean: The OECS, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, The Netherlands Antilles and the French Caribbean,” in Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2002. C. Wilkinson, ed. (Townsville: Australian Institute of Marine Science, 2002), p. 333