Policy Papers Developed by NRCA

This Action Plan builds on the International Coral reef Initiative (ICRI). This document focuses on Five main areas:

• Integrated coastal zone management and related institutional policy and legal issues;
• Environmental education and awareness;
• Co-management of coastal resources;
• Prevention and reduction of sources of marine pollution;
• Research and monitoring for the management of coral reef and coastal resources.

Species diversity is normally considered to be one of the primary indicators of a healthy ecosystem. In Jamaica, wild endangered animals are protected under the Wild Life Protection Act (1945). Investigations conducted by the NRCA between 1993 to 1996 revealed that there has been a significant increase in the number of protected animals held in captivity over the years. Wildlife attractions linked to nature tourism are considered to be one of the contributing factors. The specific objectives of this policy are to:

• Regulate the conditions under which protected animals are held in captivity;
• Develop suitable measures to ensure that the already selected individuals/operations that are in existence may be exempted from the Wildlife Protection Act.
• Promote captive breeding of a species for commercial purposes (ecotourism attractions) by providing an economic alternative to domestic livestock production and to stimulate people to develop and interest in conservation work.

This Action Plan is being developed as a component of the Management Plan for the American Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus). The activities of this action plan are envisioned for three phases: short, medium and long term.

Short Term objectives include:

• The development of institutional capacity to deal with nuisance crocodiles;
Activities that will be undertaken in order to implement these objectives include:
• Public education
• Establishing procedures for problem crocodiles
• Establishing an Action Plan Group
• Training

Medium term objectives include:

• Determining the island-wide. population and the carrying capacity of the habitat;
• Enforcing the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act and making recommendations for changes where deemed necessary.
Activities that will be undertaken in order to implement these objectives include:
• Identifying and mapping relocation sites;
• Conducting an island-wide crocodile survey;
• Enforcing the Wildlife Protection Act.

Long term objectives include:

• Promoting the crocodile as an animal, which afford economic benefit by means of commercial rearing and ecotourism.
Activities that are anticipated to be undertaken in order to implement the objective include:
• Establishing eco-tourism and protected areas/wetlands
• Farming