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Management Plan
In 2004 HCRF published an official Management Plan for the area which has been
discussed extensively with the various stakeholders and which builds on the
data from the previous studies. Highlighted objectives of this plan include:
- To establish and maintain an annual biodiversity monitoring program that
will enable derogations or improvements to the reefs to be identified
- To establish and maintain a fish monitoring program that will enable data
on fishery performance to be given to the reef management committee to determine
appropriate management actions
- To carry out research in order to assess how the reef ecosystem functions
are maintained
- To assess the potential for developing alternative sustainable incomes for
the local communities who benefit from living in or around the marine protected
area
- To assess the cultural and environmental impacts of development occurring
in or adjacent to the marine protected area
- To assist in the preparation of funding applications to support the research
and community development program of HCRF
- In the 2004 season the first full biodiversity, fisheries and socio-economic
monitoring program was implemented
Program of conservation and the integrated management of natural resources
The program comprises the maintenance and recuperation of the key marine habitats
and islands, the combination of scientific methods of conservation and the different
grades of and uses of flora and fauna, and marina for local populations.It has
been defined with a baseline of conservation objectives of the area, and this
sustains the zone of the area with corresponding regulations.
The program consists of two (2) subprograms:
- Conservation of the terrestrial biodiversity central to the order and regulation
of the extraction of timber and wood related materials, the traditional users
are the Garifuna population. It also includes forest management allowing for
the recuperation of the primary forests.
- Management of fishing focuses on the recuperation of the key habitat, taking
into account the life cycle of fish, mollusk, and crustaceans, to guarantee
the sustainability of the fish. This is for the protection of commercial specials
in critical states. It includes alternatives to diversify the fishing activities,
and to alleviate the pressure on the Cayos Cochinos, without significantly
affecting the local culture of fishing.
The principal strategies of the program are:
- Implementation of the zoning and appropriate regulations for the conservation
and management of the resources, with the support of the subprograms of control,
vigilance and monitoring, with the support of park rangers and local volunteers
- Reduction of the pressure of fishing resources on the coral reefs concentrating
on the creation of fish bait by the instruction of the alternative commercial
species
- Adaptive management, with a technical baseline of the recuperation and state
of habitat and species, for the monitoring of the fishermen responsible for
the making community decisions
Tourism Subprogram and Interpretation:
The tourism subprogram positions the Cayos Cochinos as a site that will offer
a special tourist experience involving conservation and protection of the natural
resources in the marine protected area.
The phrase "without a trace" principally characterizes the presence
of tourists that are not noticed and do not leave traces.At the point of departure
is the preparation of the tourist for the visit with respect to the compliance
of the zone and places of transit, the appropriate disposition of debris, the
respect of the all life leaving what you find in the site, and the consideration
of other visitors and local inhabitants. For the tourist operators and other
interest, it is recommended to consult the base document, which contains the
methodology and process applied for the development of this research, as it
contains the results and information in more detail.
The application of this concept in the Cayos Cochinos presents windows of comparison
of actual conditions.The tourist operations in Cayos Cochinos will proceed with
the following directives:
- Divulge the concept "without a trace"
- In the zone, restrict activities that will compromise the integrity of resources,
the quality of experiences of the visitors, and their security
- Structure the operation and control with the assistance local organizations
such as the chamber of commerce
- Promote the area as a tourist operation for a day, which will stimulate
small hotels and restaurants in coastal communities, principally in Nueva
Armenia
- Utilize guides, captains and local dive masters, authorized by IHT and registered
with Honduras Coral Reef Fund (HCRF)
- Utilize a system of reservations and a program of visits
- Construct and maintain trails for the security of tourist and the reduction
of impact on the environment
- Discourage the construction of tourist infrastructure in the area
- Monitor the level of tourist satisfaction
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Management Plan