CHARACTERIZATION OF THE USE AND UTILIZATION OF HYDROBIOLOGICAL RESOURCES IN CARIBBEAN PROTECTED AREAS OF COLOMBIA’S NATIONAL NATURAL PARKS.

Abstract

Colombia’s protected areas have biodiversity preservation as one of their objectives. When dealing with hydrobiological resources, they become the source supporting nearby areas where fiheries communities should use them in a sustainable way. Nevertheless, regional stress go beyond areas’ boundaries which, added to the limited capabilities of institutional control, have forced to look for different strategies to face this conflct. In this context, the Colombian National Natural Park Authority (PNNC in Spanish) began the process looks for defiition and implementation of actions for the recovery of aquatic resources, and initially outlined the characterization of some societal elements and the pressure on hydrobiological resources as fundamentals for the implementation of such a strategy in fie protected areas in the Colombian Caribbean: Tayrona, Old Providence McBean Lagoon, Rosario and San Bernardo Corals, Floral and Faunal Sanctuary Los Flamencos, and Salamanca Island Way National Park. The methodology applied in order to implement this study was that proposed by Invemar’s Fishing Information System (Sipein in Spanish). A total number of 1664 fihermen were censed; they have 7545 dependent persons, 29.3% of them youngsters. It was observed that 40% of the fihermen alternate fihing with other activities within the protected areas (tourist guides, boatman, scuba aid, and seller) and outside them (farmer, construction worker, minor merchant). 63 places of origin adjacent to protected areas and circumscribed to fie Caribbean Colombian provinces were determined for fihermen working in the protected areas. 1146 fihery economic unities potentially use protected areas. The role assumed by PNNC and other regional agencies aimed to minimize pressure within those protected areas is discussed. The construction of joint strategies involving resource managers, researchers, academics, government, and NGOs in the national, regional, and local levels is highly recommended. Elements to be considered in strategies are: prevent and control, economic alternatives outside of protected areas, and monitoring to validate the management. For the future, sustainable fihing in the region will depend upon a network of Marine Protected Areas along with other management measures to reduce fihing mortality.