DEMONSTRATION PROJECT: MARINE MAMMAL SANCTUARY MANAGEMENT PLAN IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC WORKING DOCUMENT UNEP LifeWeb Inter-regional Workshop on Broad-scale Marine Spatial Planning and Transboundary Marine Mammal Management, 21-24 May 2012, Panama City Patricia Lancho Diéguez, Executive Director, FUNDEMAR, Dominican Republic www.fundemar.org.do

Context 1. The Management Plan for the Marine Mammal Sanctuary of Silver and Christmas Banks (SMMRD), in the Dominican Republic, is being carried out as part of the Caribbean Environment Programme of UNEP to enhance marine mammal protection and management areas in the Wider Caribbean, especially the SMMRD, and to build synergies with conservation initiatives in the Eastern Caribbean and the Agoa Sanctuary of the French Antilles. Background 2. Research conducted starting in the 1970s demonstrates that the humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) of all the North Atlantic subpopulations (Winn and others, 1975; Mattila and others, 1985; Mattila and Clapham, 1993; Mattila and others, 1994) migrate towards the Caribbean region and in particular (85%) to Silver and Christmas Banks, north of the Dominican Republic. Underscoring the importance of these locations, the Government of the Dominican Republic created the first humpback whale sanctuary in the world through Executive Order No. 319 of 1986. A decade later, through Executive Order No. 233-96, it expanded the boundaries of the Sanctuary to include Christmas Bank and Samaná Bay. In 2004, the Sectoral Law on Protected Areas further expanded the boundaries of the Sanctuary to include Mouchoir Bank and changed the management category from Category IV to Category I (equivalent to the management categories of the International Union for Conservation of Nature). This law has proven highly controversial both within the country and internationally owing to its imprecision and its contradictions with current international agreements and legislation.

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Fig. 1. Map of the Marine Mammal Sanctuary of Silver and Christmas Banks, showing the 1986, 1996 and 2004 boundaries. 3. Within the Sanctuary, in addition to humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), sightings have been reported of other species of marine mammals such as: toothed whales, including sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus), pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus); orcas (Orcinus orca); pygmy killer whales (Feresa atenuatta); ziphiidae (Ziphiuss sp., Mesoplodon sp.); dolphins, including spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis, Stenella atenuata) and bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus); and sirenia, e.g., manatees (Trichechus manatus manatus). 4. Following the creation of the Sanctuary, between 1987 and 1991, the Marine Biology Research Centre (CIBIMA) conducted a broad scientific research programme at Silver Bank and Samaná Bay, under the auspices of the Center for Coastal Studies in Maine. The Years of the North Atlantic Humpbacks (YONAH) project, carried out in 1992 and 1993, and the More of the North Atlantic Humpback (MONAH) project, conducted in 2004 and 2005, are the largest research projects on humpback whales in the world, and they have shown the way for subsequent studies. Currently, acoustic and satellite tagging studies of humpback whales are being carried out, to determine their migration routes (Fig. F). Fig. 2. Satellite-tag tracking of a humpback whale in the 2011-2012 season (NOAA)

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5. Starting in the mid-1980s, the whale-watching industry began to emerge in Samaná Bay. Since then, it has steadily grown, attracting close to 40,000 visitors and generating more than US$ 90 million in revenue in the 2011-2012 season (Photo 1).

Photo 1. Observing whales in Samaná, during the 2011-2012 season

Cooperation agreements 6. In 2006, a twinning agreement was signed between the Marine Mammal Sanctuary of Silver and Christmas Banks, in the Dominican Republic, and the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, in the United States, providing stronger protection for humpback whales at both ends of their migration route, that is, in their feeding grounds and breeding grounds. This agreement rests on four cornerstones: (a) shared information and training of professionals between the two sanctuaries; (b) environmental education; (c) shared research; and (d) support for developing whale watching as a potential non-lethal use of cetaceans and a source of economic benefits for the communities near both sanctuaries. 7. For more than 25 years, the Marine Mammal Sanctuary of Silver and Christmas Banks has been managed with a vision that seeks to protect the humpback whale as a principal species and to develop whalewatching tourism. Although some isolated management measures have been adopted, there is no integratedmanagement plan to allow all of the essential activities of a sanctuary to be carried out: research, conservation, education and recreation (Fig. 3). Fig. 3. Twinning Agreement between sanctuaries, at the two

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ends of the humpback whale's migration route.

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The Management Plan for the Marine Mammal Sanctuary of Silver and Christmas Banks (SMMRD) in the Dominican Republic Vision 8. To ensure effective management of the Sanctuary and to guarantee the longterm environmental, social and economic sustainability of the protected marine area in order to promote conservation of marine mammals Process 9. The Management Plan for the Sanctuary of Silver and Christmas Banks has been developed through a participatory process designed by the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources, involving a large number of stakeholders, both in government (Ministry of Tourism and National Council on Fishing and Aquaculture) and in the private sector (Atemar, Samaná Bay Association of Boat Owners, fishermen, Samaná tour operators, etc.) as well as civil society, represented by several NGOs, and members of nearby communities. The three workshops and the three expert meetings held thus far have been attended by an average of more than 300 persons from five coastal provinces and representatives of every sector of society. Photo 2. Participants in the first Workshop for the Management Plan

10. The Management Plan is divided into two parts: (a) a diagnostic document detailing the biophysical and socio-economic information gathered during the preparatory process, (b) the plan document, identifying the main threats, the objectives and the proposed strategic actions for a more effective management of the protected area. 11. Main elements of the process 1. Assessment of the effectiveness of the management of the Sanctuary 2. Analysis of the legal framework 3. Identification of threats for marine mammals and their habitats 4. Identification of strategic management objectives, components, results and relevant actions 5. Identification of partnerships and sources of funding for management

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12. Priorities of action The principal threats that warrant priorities of action for the management plan are as follows: 1. Low level of governance (lack of institutional arrangements to identify stakeholders and management responsibilities in the area, failure to comply with regulations and lack of empowerment/involvement of local communities) 2. Use of inadequate fishing arts and methods 3. Climate change 4. Maritime traffic (cruise, cargo, and tourism ships, fishing boats, etc.) 5. Pollution of land and aquatic sources Current status 13. Through May 2012, the assessment of the current status of the Sanctuary has been completed, and the first meetings of the proposal phase have been carried out. The meetings have focused on defining the vision and strategic objectives of the plan, as well as on use areas and institutional arrangements for the effective management of the Sanctuary over a term of five years. Future actions for the conclusion of the Management Plan 14. Future actions include: 1. Planning meetings with key stakeholders such as fisher associations, government agencies and NGOs 2. Completion of the draft plan 3. Presentation and dissemination of the draft management plan among communities, stakeholders (June) 4. Socialization of/feedback on the plan (July-August) 5. Design and issuance of tools for disseminating the plan 6. Approval of the Plan by the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources and publication of 200 copies

Content of the Management Plan 15. Content of the Management Plan include: General objective of the plan. Defines the goal of the management plan for the area over a five-year term, in line with the National Development Strategy for 2010-2030. Strategic management objectives (defined in line with the vision and with a view to tackling the main problems or threats of the protected area, including zoning in the area). Five strategic objectives have been selected—one for each threat—on which the Management Plan will focus during the period in question:

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governance, fisheries, adaptation to climate change, coastal water pollution and maritime traffic. Components and actions for each strategic objective o Research o Environmental education o Conservation o Development Execution timetable (determination of high, medium, or low priority of the actions to be carried out) Estimate of plan implementation costs Communication and dissemination plan Plan follow-up, assessment and monitoring mechanism Marine Spatial Planning for the development and implementation of the Management Plan 16. To develop a management plan for an area as large and complex as the Marine Mammal Sanctuary of Silver and Christmas Banks it has been necessary to use marine spatial planning tools, especially in the region with shallow waters (from 0 to 200 m). In this region, the uses and interests of numerous stakeholders overlap and the principal areas of occurrence of marine mammals, especially the humpback whale, converge. This is also the area where the identified threats have the greatest impact. As part of the process to develop the plan, an attempt is being made to reach agreements with different sectors so as to facilitate governance in the area and allow the plan to be carried out, despite the country's limited human and financial resources with which to guarantee the management of the area. A key element of the marine spatial planning process has been the identification of critical areas for the different species of marine mammals and use areas by sectors, as well as areas of spatial conflict, owing, for example, to the overlap of the boundaries with those of other protected areas. This should lead to coordination actions and mechanisms among the different stakeholders so as to guarantee the effective management of the Sanctuary. 17. The Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources, which oversees the System of Protected Areas, along with other official and private sector national agencies must play an active role in and cooperate with managing the Sanctuary. These institutions and organizations include the Dominican Navy, responsible for safeguarding the country's seas and coastal areas; the Ministry of Tourism, responsible for establishing policies and measures to develop sustainable tourism alternatives in the Sanctuary; the National Maritime Authority (ANAMAR); and the National Council on Fishing and Aquaculture (CODOPESCA), which regulates fishing in the country. Whale-watching tour operators; academic and private institutions, such as the Marine Biology Centre of the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo; Asesoría Ambiental y Tecnología Maritima (Atemar); and NGOs such as CEBSE and FUNDEMAR collaborate with research, monitoring and environmental education in the Sanctuary.

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18. At the international level, we will receive the collaboration of official and private cooperation, academic and research institutions and of representatives of the international community. The management of the Sanctuary should be strengthened by the ties of cooperation developed through twinning between the MMRD Sanctuaries and the Stellwagen Sanctuary, and through the cooperation of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), UNEP, the Center for Coastal Studies, Cornell University, etc., as well as other agencies too numerous to mention here. WORKS CITED -

MATTILA, D., P. CLAPHAM, S. KATONA AND G. STONE. 1984. POPULATION COMPOSITION OF HUMPBACK WHALES MEGAPTERANOVAEANGLIAEON SILVER BANK,1984. CAN. J. ZOOL. 67, 1989:

281-85. MATTILA, D, P. J. CLAPHAM, C.A. MAYO AND S.K. KATONA, G. STONE. 1985. HUMPBACK WHALE STUDIES ON SILVER BANK, 1984. NAT. MAR. FISHERIES SERV. CONTRACT. NO. 41 US C 252 –C-3 1985 MATTILA, AND OTHERS. 1985.HUMPBACK WHALE STUDIES ON SILVER BANK, 1984. FINAL REPORT. NAT. MAR.FISH.SERV. , U.S., (41)USC252 (C) (3): 16 PGS. MATTILA, D., P. J. CLAPHAM, S. KATONA AND O. VÁSQUEZ. 1988. AN INVESTIGATION OF HUMPBACK WHALE AND OTHER MARINE MAMMALS’ CRITICAL HABITATS IN D.R. SAMANÁ. REPORT WWF-US: 11 PGS. MATTILA, D. K., CLAPHAM, P. J., KATONA, S. K. AND STONE, G. S. 1989. POPULATION COMPOSITION OF HUMPBACK WHALES ON SILVER BANK. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY 67: 281-285. WIN, H.E.; EDEL, R.K.; TARUSKI, A.G. 1975. POPULATION ESTIMATE OF THE HUMPBACK WHALE IN THE WEST INDIES BY VISUAL AND ACOUSTIC TECHNIQUES. J. FISH. RES. BOARD CAN. 32: 499-506

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