Source: best, 2005a

To combat diseases, the DOA will establish experimental investigations in tree crop diseases and production systems in order to provide appropriate technologies. Measures will be taken to improve the Tree crop research capabilities at the GRAC. In addition, a tree crop plant nursery will be established at Bahamas Agricultural Research Centre BARC to multiply selected planting material for cultivation by producers.

Currently in The Bahamas, even though land may be zoned as agricultural land, the land may be re-zoned and used for a different use. In order to combat this, Department of Agriculture (DOA) is proposing the development of a land evaluation system and land zone map for agricultural lands.

2. 
   Marine Resources Sector Five Year Plan
   

The specific marine resources objectives are (DMR, 2009):

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  Ensure that the fishing issues are integrated into the policy and decision-making process concerning coastal zone management;
  
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  Take into account traditional knowledge and interests of local communities, small-scale artisanal fisheries and indigenous people in development and management programs;
  
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  Ensure effective monitoring and enforcement with respect to fishing activities;
  
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  Promote scientific research with respect to fisheries resources;
  
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  Promote a collaborative approach to freshwater and marine management;
  
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  Maintain and restore populations of marine species at levels that can produce the optimal sustainable yield as qualified by relevant environmental and economic factors, taking into consideration relationships among various species;
  
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  Protect and restore endangered marine and freshwater species (e.g., marine turtles);
  
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  Promote the development and use of selective fishing gear and practices that minimize waste in the catch of target species and minimize by-catch of non-target species;
  
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  Cooperate with other nations in the management of shared or highly migratory stocks;
  
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  Preserve rare or fragile ecosystems, as well as habitats and other ecologically sensitive areas, especially coral reef ecosystems, estuaries, mangroves, sea grass beds, and other spawning and nursery areas; and
  
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  Develop and increase the potential of living marine resources to meet human nutritional needs, as well as social, cultural, economic and development goals in a manner that would ensure sustainable use of the resources.
  

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  Creation of a data collection system to provide necessary biological, economic and social data for assessment and management for all major species/fisheries;
  
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  Promote efforts to reduce the amount of Lionfish in The Bahamas;
  
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  Approve a Government policy for aquaculture and provide the legal framework for aquaculture in The Bahamas; and
  
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  Consult with the public to develop a marine reserve network/national marine park network.
  

1. 
   Management Objectives of the Fisheries Sector Plan for addressing threats to marine biodiversity identified in Chapter 1
   

I
Figure 3.1: Lionfish (IAS)

To help combat illegal fishing, The Bahamas intends to conduct additional patrols and investigations during the spiny lobster and Nassau Grouper closed seasons, to address illegal fishing in the southeastern and northwestern areas of The Bahamas. The GOB purposes to develop the necessary diplomatic contacts to reduce illegal fishing/poaching by Dominican Republic fishermen in the southern Bahamas and US fisherman in the north western Bahamas.

A data collection system is to be fully implemented by 2014 to provide the necessary biological, economic and social data for assessment and management for all major species. A Fisheries Census will be collected by the end of 2011 as part of the dataset. The data will be posted on the DMR website for access to the general public.

By 2014, a regulatory review will be completed to ensure that all major fisheries are covered by adequate regulations. Issues such as lionfish, aquaculture, and licensing requirement for certain types of gears and vessels will be considered for incorporation into the legislation/regulations.

3. 
   Forestry
   

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  Provide a legal framework for the long-term sustainable management of forests;
  
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  Establishment of a Governmental forestry agency;
  
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  Appoint a Director of Forestry;
  
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  Establish a permanent forest estate;
  
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  Declaration of protected trees; and
  
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  Licensing of timber cutting activities.
  

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  Section 4 of the Act under subsections (e) (f) (g) (h) (l) and (m) mandates that the Forestry Plan include resources assessment and continuous monitoring activities.
  
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  Section 4 of the Act under subsection (g) and (h) mandates that the Forestry Plan include these activities.
  
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  Section 5 of the Act mandates that the Director of Forestry develop such plans that included ways and means for sustaining resources.
  
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  Section 8 of the Act classes forest into the following designations Forest Reserves, Protected Forests and Conservation Forests
  
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  Section 9 of the Act specifies how the Forest Management Plans are to be formulated by the Director of Forestry.
  

This Act mandates that a National Forest Plan be developed every five years to govern management activities, such as harvesting and reforestation measures, prescriptions for fire prevention, wildfire suppression and prescribed burning and soil and water conservation. The GOB is partnering with FAO to develop a five year National Forest Plan. The Department of Forestry has a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the BNT. The MOU provides for financial assistance in establishing programmes to protect and manage the protected forest reserves.

4. 
   Tourism
   

The green management of accommodation facilities encouraged hotels to have an environmental statement along with an environmental programme that extended into the local community by discouraging the use of environmentally damaging cleansing agents, and encourage energy conservation through the use of fluorescent light bulbs and low flow water fixtures. The use of locally sourced materials for construction and food was encouraged. EIAs were encouraged as method to assess and preserve the ecological sustainability of the environment. The protection of the marine resources was encouraged by requiring marinas to have pump out facilities. Water conservation was encouraged by setting restrictions on use of freshwater lens and by recycling of the wastewater effluent and grey water. The policy also outlined the formation of a Sustainable Tourism Development Unit. Even though the entire plan was not implemented, MOT has undertaken projects dealing with aspects of sustainable tourism, such as the Blue Flag Marina Certification Programme, The Coastal Awareness Committee and the Birding Program.

The Blue Flag Marina is implemented through the MOT and BREEF. The Blue Flag Program is a voluntary eco-label environmental certification program which is renewed annually for beaches and marina. The categories in which participants are evaluated are: Environmental Education and Information, Environmental Management, Safety & Services, and Water Quality. The major partners for this initiative are UNEP, UNWTO, IUCN, ILS, ICOMIA, EUCC and EU. Currently, The Bahamas has 3 marinas with Blue Flag Certification, the Old Bahama Bay (1st in the Caribbean) (5 years), Atlantis (4 years) and Cape Eleuthera Marina (2 years).

The National Coastal Awareness Committee chaired by the MOTA is a group of stakeholders drawn from the private and public sectors, with an aim to educate the public on the threats to our coastal environment. Some of the activities of the project involve radio and television ads, national school competitions, field trips for children to various ecosystems, radio and television awareness programs and coastal clean-ups and exhibitions.

The Bird Watching Programme is an initiative between the MOT and BNT. A draft manual is being peered reviewed. The manual will be used to train birding guides. Some of the topics covered in the manual are how to conduct birding tours, identification of birds and trees in which birds nest.

In 2005, a sustainable tourism project for small hotels was undertaken by The Bahamas Hotel Association. Funding was provided through a grant from the Multi Lateral Investment Fund of the Inter-American Development Bank. The project’s main objective was to improve the competitiveness of 10 islands that have been designated as pilot destinations in The Bahamas. The end result of the plan is to obtain a new mix of diversified tourist products and packages appealing to specific markets such as heritage eco, cultural and nature tourism. In Exuma, linkages were created between the farers and the small hoteliers. As a result of the linkage, farmers started producing some of the products required for the small hotels, allowing them to purchase local goods.

5. 
   The Bahamas National Trust Strategic Five Year Plan (2008-2013)
   

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  National Park Management – To effectively manage the nation’s system of parks and protected areas by creating general management plans for two additional parks per year during the next five years and by implementing programmes to reduce the impacts of invasive species.
  

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  Public Education - To inspire greater environmental stewardship through diverse educational programmes by implementing a public awareness programme for the sustainable use of wetlands, by creating an accessible and comprehensive reference library on The Bahamas environment and by developing materials and teaching resources in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and other agencies.
  

• 
  Environmental Advocacy - To advise decision-makers on ways to balance economic development with natural resource protection by collaborating with others on critical environmental issues and by making recommendations to the appropriate governmental agencies on environmental issues.
  

6. 
   Network of Protected Areas
   

The existing marine protected areas in The Bahamas comprise approximately 154,011 hectares, spread over 10 national parks and three marine reserves (BEST, 2009a). They include coastal and open ocean sites, inclusive of seabird nesting sites, turtle nesting beaches, coastal mangroves, seagrass beds, coral reefs and spawning aggregation sites. Species protected as a result of these areas include, but are not limited to, the Queen Conch (Strombus gigas), Nassau Grouper (Epinephelus striatus) and West Indian Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) and endemic Rock iguanas (Cyclura spp.).

In addition to the five marine reserves, The Bahamas has nine marine parks, which are managed by BNT, the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park (1958); Moriah Harbor Cay, Exuma; Pelican Cays Land and Seas Park, Abaco; Black Sound, Abaco; Walker’s Cay, Abaco; Union Creek, Inagua; West side of Andros National Park; Andros Barrier Reef National Park; and Bonefish Pond, New Providence. The Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park was designated a no take zone in 1986. Casual observation and scientific research demonstrate that the fish are larger and more abundant within the park than outside of the park limits (Sluka etal.). To help sustain the marine resources, The Bahamas has committed to protect and manage 20% of the marine resources by 2020.