Stakeholder engagement was used to refine research objectives; guide methodology development; acquire/document information including local knowledge; share and validate information produced; develop locally relevant and accessible information; and appraise the application of participatory geographic information systems. To allow for transparent, inclusive and equitable cross-scale interactions, stakeholders were engaged through one and two-way communication mechanisms (newsletters, press releases, flyers, technical reports, a website, summary and validation meetings) and through a dedicated internet e-group.
The application of clearly defined governance principles was of key importance to the collaborative construction of an appropriate ecosystem-based PGIS
A large initial investment (time and effort) to conduct a thorough preliminary appraisal was essential to appropriately design and implement the PGIS
Periodic validation meetings not only provided quality assurance but the recurrent sharing of results showed stakeholders how information was being used
Participatory geographic information systems (PGIS) resulted in the production of comprehensive and accessible information tailored to the needs of the Grenada Bank stakeholders. The PGIS process also strengthened cross-scale linkages, promoted a transparent and inclusive working environment and built capacity across a transboundary scale. Despite the overall success of PGIS in this context, there are constraints that should be considered. First, the cost of PGIS should be carefully evaluated. Accordingly the timeframe and objectives of a PGIS should be well defined and level of participation to be expected clearly elaborated before undertaking a similar endeavor. In this building block, stakeholder engagement was time-consuming, yet instrumental in fostering a collaborative work environment and creating buy-in.
Capacity building for participatory MPA management
Viable economic alternatives
Partnership approach to monitoring
Enforcement programme
Eco-Tourism, Outreach, and Education
Facilitating tourism to conservation areas provides alternative sources of income to local community members by increasing tours and providing room and board to tourists and travel representatives. Also, increased tourism reduces extraction and/or unsustainable use of natural resources, including turtles and their habitats. This raises awareness and provides education on hawksbill turtles, oceans, and general environmental stewardship.
• Growing voluntourism sector, increasing market for outcome-oriented ecotourism.
• Importance of international marketing to recruit volunteers, increase project’s exposure, and ultimately raise more funds to expand work.
• Community festivals are an effective approach to raising awareness and cultivating youth stewardship.
Identifying new and important habitats for hawksbill turtles is vital to restoring their population. Visiting coastal communities and fishing ports to conduct interview surveys with local inhabitants and glean information on potentially important sites for hawksbills and conducting opportunistic in-water and beach monitoring leads to the discovery of important habitats.
• Increased community buy-in to hawksbill conservation for economic and social reasons has facilitated cooperative relationships with local people that result in valuable data.
• Hawksbills depend on highly vegetated coastlines for nesting.
• Mangroves provide critical habitat for hawksbills and can lead to declining populations if destroyed or fragmented.
Consistent use of tangle-nets, visual surveys, and hand captures provide valuable insights to hawksbill turtle biology, life history, residency times, growth rates, and dietary requirements of hawksbill turtles, as well as connectivity between nesting and foraging areas.
• Ability to work with local partners to secure transportation for cruises.
• Advanced geo-positioning technology and field scientific equipment has enabled more sophisticated research.
• Challenges associated with reconciling U.S. organizational policies regarding accounting procedures and insurance requirements with on-the-ground logistics and the provision of services to facilitate in-water monitoring.
Improvement and restoration of marine turtle habitats requires changes in laws and policies. Direct collaborative work with government institutions, non-profit organizations, and community members improves management and performance of protected areas, improves and restores habitats, provides greater benefits to marine turtles, and advances the natural habitats on which marine turtles depend.
• Increasing efforts/funding by international organizations (including U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation) to support endangered species conservation in developing nations.
• Ambitious proposals that depend on co-leadership from government fisheries science agencies are prone to political disruption.
Importance of developing legislation that effectively regulates coastal development so it does not negatively impact nesting and juvenile hawksbill behavior.
