Upload
alan-lynch
View
213
Download
1
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
THE COASTAL RESOURCES OF THE NORTHERN RANGE
November 8-10, 2004
John Agard
WHAT COASTAL ENVIRONMENTS ARE IN
INCLUDED?• Near-shore terrestrial: e.g. rocky and sandy
shores.
• Intertidal: e.g. mangrove forests, ports and marinas
• Benthic:e.g. seagrass beds, coral reefs, soft bottom environments
• Pelagic: e.g. fisheries
MAJOR DRIVERS OF CHANGE WHICH AFFECT COASTAL RESOURCES OF THE
NORTHERN RANGE
• Urbanization on the coast which targets flat land for ports, houses, industry, hotels, recreation.
• Pollution from land based sources especially sewage, litter
• More efficient fish harvest technology e.g. long-lining, trawling, gill-netting
SUMMARY OF CONDITION AND TRENDS IN COASTAL ECOSYSTEM
SERVICES
Mangrove Forests
Size (ha)
North Coast
Scotland Bay <1
Maracas Bay 25
Tyrico Bay 1
Las Cuevas 3
Yarra River 1
Marianne River 15
Grand Riviere 1
Size (ha)
North East Coast
Matura River 5
Salybia 4
North West Coast
Bayshore / Diego Martin River <1
Chaguaramas <1
Hart's Cut <1
Cuesa River <1
Mucurapo 3
Sealots <1
Mangrove Forests
• Northern Range has about 60 ha of mangrove forests remaining and declining
• Major driver is changes in coastal land use.
• Tradeoffs: water purification, fish nurseries, coastal stability
Beaches
• According to IMA the north coast is less susceptible to erosion than other coastal areas, which consist of soft, friable sedimentary material.
• The main problem reported is litter deposited by recreational users
Seagrass
• Patches of seagrass remaining at William’s Bay, Trinidad and Tobago Yacht Club and Salybia.
• Trend: area of seagrass is stable.
Coral Reefs
• Small reefs exist at Toco and the five islands.
• No recent assessments of condition done.
FISH CATCHES
Maracas72%
Blanchisseuse10%
Toco5%
Matelot13%
FISH CATCHES
0
50000
100000
150000
200000
250000
300000
350000
400000
450000
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001
Fis
h C
atc
h (
Kg
)
Maracas
Blanchisseuse
ECONOMIC VALUE OF FISH CATCHES
0
500000
1000000
1500000
2000000
2500000
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001
TT
$ MaracasBlanchisseuse
FISH CATCHES
• According to Fisheries Division statistics, fish catches mainly landed at Maracas on the north coast, have increased 8 fold from about 50,000 kg in 1998 to 400,000 kg in 2001 worth about 2 million TT$.
• The statistics do not include the significant fish catches which are landed in Venezeula.
PROVISION OF SAFE AND NATURAL HARBOUR AT
CHAGUARAMAS• 65 yachts 1990 increased to 2590 yachts by
1997.
• US$ 340,00 per month spent by yachties.
• 60 million TT$ invested in associated facilities.
• 1300 full time and 145 part time jobs created in 1997.
Water Quality
• Sporadic studies of water quality indicate declining water quality at popular bathing beaches mainly due to increased sewage contamination.
• IMA studies have established a link between bathing in sewage contaminated water and increased incidence of associated gastro-intestinal illnesses.