|
|
|||
|
|
|||
Costal development in Bocas del Toro threatens coral reefs throughout the archipelago. "We think we can accept development, but what we are trying to do now is have an environmental plan, so that development is done in a way that preserves the resources we have here in Bocas."— Eligio Binns, mayor of Bocas del Toro, Panama |
Coral reefs often appear to divers as independent communities — symbiotic villages where fish, corals, crustaceans and shellfish seem to exist apart from the vast surrounding ocean, content to live within their own world of blazing color and darting movement.
But reef systems are complex and fragile ecosystems, greatly dependent on what surrounds them. For instance, in Bocas del Toro, an archipelago on the northwest Caribbean coastline of Panama, coral reefs are particularly reliant on the hundreds of neighboring mangrove islands that are now being overrun by rapid development.
Severe clear-cutting of mangrove forests throughout the archipelago has had the following effects on the coral habitat:
-
Increased sedimentation washing over the reefs, killing the fragile coral. Sedimentation and other water pollutants are contributing to an annual 4 percent loss of coral habitat, compared with a predicted average global attrition of 2 percent.
-
The loss of an important nursery for the coastline's habitat. Mangroves provide food and protection for maturing species — such as green morays and blue tangs — that eventually make their way to the reefs.
As part of its work in Panama, The Nature Conservancy is partnering with the local government to create a land-use plan that will preserve undeveloped areas of Bocas del Toro and protect the coral reef and mangrove systems.
And Conservancy staff are also working with local community groups to create sustainable fishing practices throughout the region that will balance the needs of people and nature.
Addressing the Threats from Development
The development on Bocas del Toro and particularly around Bastimentos National Park (which dominates the archipelago) is largely driven by residential tourism — which includes the construction of large second-home communities and the infrastructure that accompanies them.
The residential tourism market has also spurred overfishing around the archipelago, particularly among the lobster and conch population. These species' inability to range over moderate distances make them particularly vulnerable to overharvesting, according to Iker Lasa, the Conservancy’s technical site coordinator in Bocas del Toro. As their numbers dwindle, he notes, lobster and conch are forced to travel long distances across the sea floor to mate.
The Conservancy is working with local partners in the archipelago to address these problems. Lasa is working closely with Bocas del Toro Mayor Eligio Binns and the city council to draft a land-use plan for the entire archipelago — a plan that will preserve undeveloped land and concentrate future development in areas with existing infrastructure.
“There has been great pressure here to create residential development,” Binns says. “We think we can accept development, but what we are trying to do now is have an environmental plan, so that development is done in a way that preserves the resources we have here in Bocas.”
Binns hopes to implement the plan within the next six months before further development plans take hold. “The table is set,” Lasa explains. “They have to act now while they have the support of the government and the local community. If they wait…two, three years from now, you will see: All of this will be gone.”
To address overfishing in the archipelago, the Conservancy is working with 11 indigenous communities in the region under the umbrella of ADEPESCO, a local conservation organization. The partnership is leading conservation efforts, establishing guidelines for natural-resource conservation, identifying alternatives to overfishing and monitoring populations of key species.
Local Solutions for Universal Problems
While Conservancy staff is working to create solutions that are unique to the Bocas del Toro archipelago, the threats facing the reef are common to systems around the world.
In fact, 20 percent of coral reefs have already been lost due to development, destructive overfishing practices, and rising ocean temperatures and acidity rates, according to a recent report from the Conservancy and the World Conservation Union. This report also predicts that 50 percent of the world’s reefs are facing immediate or long-term danger of collapse.
Working with partners, the Conservancy is developing global approaches to address these threats and others, such as climate change and changes in water quality. The Conservancy’s goal is to create lasting conservation results that benefit marine life, local communities and economies.
And with carefully planned development that treads lightly on the surrounding landscape and educates visitors on the fragility of the reefs, these unique ecosystems in Panama and around the world can be preserved and enjoyed for generations to come.
Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photos © Dave Connell/TNC (Mangroves on Bocas del Toro); © Nancy Sefton (Brain coral in Caribbeam); © Graham Marsden/TNC (Development in Bocas del Toro)
