BIOPAMA

Enhancing Management, Monitoring And Enforcement: Nelson’s Dockyard National Park’s Marine And Coastal Ecosystems

Project Lead

The National Parks Authority (NPA).

Project Description

The project will facilitate the procurement of a marine vessel to enhance the capacity of the Nelson’s Dockyard National Park to conduct patrols, execute marine biodiversity surveys, facilitate greater education and outreach, and improve the management of the marine space of the Nelson’s Dockyard National Park.

This grant will provide funding to procure the required products and personal protective equipment for staff to undertake their duties safely and reduce the spread of COVID-19. The vessel will be custom built to suit the specific needs of the Nelson’s Dockyard National Park, with specific considerations given to enforcement and monitoring of the marine environment. Additionally, the vessel has been chosen to allow for activities within the entire boundaries of the Nelson’s Dockyard National Park, and to facilitate awareness and outreach activities such as educational tours.

The vessel is being manufactured in Ecuador for shipment to Antigua. Standard equipment and additional safety and navigational equipment will be installed. The commissioning of the vessel will include licensing by the Antigua and Barbuda Department of Marine Services. After the relevant inspections have been carried out the vessel will be launched. Once the operationalization of the vessel, is completed the NPA will immediately commence marine monitoring activities. The initial monitoring will include training activities for Park Wardens.

Diagnostic Tools Used

Advanced METT Plus: Nelson’s Dockyard National Park, Antigua (2018).

The BIOPAMA AC Objectives Addressed

• Enhance the management and governance of priority protected areas by addressing existing limitations.
• Enforce the legal framework required to achieve effective biodiversity conservation in protected areas.

Priority Need Addressed

The project will address the following priority needs:

• The National Park Authority requires a boat to conduct marine patrols and to enhance the ability to conduct ecosystem monitoring (Advanced METT Plus, Nelson’s Dockyard National Park, 2018).

Quadrant in seagrass bed.

Photo by Ruleo Comacho

Crab Hole Mangrove Wetland area.

Photo by Ruleo Comacho