St. Kitts and Nevis
St. Kitts and Nevis are two volcanic islands with steep mountainous slopes. There are fringing reefs along much of their coastlines and a number of deeper submerged reef structures. [1]
According to the Reefs at Risk analysis, all 160 sq km of reefs around St. Kitts and Nevis are threatened by human activities. Overfishing was rated as threatening all reefs. Given the steep topography of these volcanic islands, all the reefs were found to be under threat from sedimentation from land-based sources. Coastal development was rated as a significant threat with 95 percent of reefs threatened, and marine-based pollution indicated to be threatening about a quarter
The reefs now have lower species diversity than similar areas in the region, probably because of sedimentation, but they are becoming increasingly important for diving tourists. Marine conservation is focused on the low and dry Southeast Peninsula of St. Kitts and on deeper reefs off the west coast, which have higher diversity and cover of coral than other reefs. [2]
The targeted shallow reef and shelf species are mainly hind, parrotfish, squirrelfish, grunt, triggerfish, and surgeon fish. Most of these species are caught by traps or handlines, and sometimes by spear guns. The snappers and groupers fishery is showing signs of overexploitation.
The legal framework for reef management is contained in the Fisheries Act and Environmental Protection Act, but no MPAs have been declared, and there is no current monitoring of the reefs. [3]
[1] M. Spalding et al., World Atlas of Coral Reefs (Berkeley, California: University of California Press and UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Center, 2001), p. 162
[2] A. Smith et al., “Status of coral reefs in the Lesser Antilles, Western Atlantic,” in Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 1998. C. Wilkinson, ed. (Townsville: Australian Institute of Marine Science, 1998), p. 140
[3] 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
