79
Development of Cruise Liners
and Operator Networks
TCMP is a prominent fixture on the schedules of
many of the cruise liners operating in the Eastern
Caribbean during the high tourist season from
November to March annually. It is estimated that
there can be over 74 cruise ships scheduled to
visit the Cays in any tourist season and a total of
up to 16 visits per month in the peak months of
December and January. These ships are estimated
to carry up to 750 tourists per trip. There can also
be an additional four trips per day by other operators in the park with an average of between 40
and 100 tourists per trip to TCMP. Such overcrowding has resulted in the deterioration of the
quality of coral reefs and the marine ecosystem.
Management, therefore, needs to put measures in
place to urgently address this issue.
The Water Taxi Operators Association
Water taxi operators organised themselves into
the Southern Grenadines Water Taxi Operators
Association. They are responsible for providing
training to members on the relevance of the park
to the community and how to conduct themselves
responsibly. Approximately 55 water taxis are
operating in the park. These vessels provide taxi
services as a part of their business. Some water
taxi operators said they have real concerns about
(a) a lack of additional services in the park to
attract persons to stay for long periods and (b) a
lack of adequate support to assist them to enhance
their operation.
The Emergence of the Vendors
Association
Some vendors ply their businesses in the TCMP,
trading in T-shirts, handicrafts, rice, bread, fresh
fish, fruits and vegetables to visitors. The park is
strictly zoned, i.e. trading in TCMP is restricted
to the northern beach of Petit Bateau. However,
some speedboats travel from one yacht to the
other selling bread, fruits, T-shirts, conchs and
lobsters. Some vendors are accused of being
involved in illegal spearfishing in the lagoon,
which they then sell to tourists. Vulnerable people, specifically vendors and water taxi operators,
would need guidance and support to anticipate
the impact of climate change and implement
adaptation strategies if they are to sustain their
livelihoods and quality of life into the future
(Hernandez-Delgado 2015).
Reflection on the Creation of Paradise
in the Tobago Cays, Southern
Grenadines
The TCMP was implemented by central government utilising a top-down approach towards
achieving CCA and sustainable livelihoods in the
southern Grenadines. During the latter half of
1980, the government recognised the destruction
of the resources in the Cays both by human
actions and by the impact of climate change on
coral reefs and other natural resources. The combined long-term impacts of climate change,
chronic coastal environmental degradation, ecosystem decline and increased human vulnerability were having a severe effect on the local
tourism economies of the southern Grenadines
(Hernandez-Delgado 2015). Over the years, there
was a sharp reduction in tourists to the park due
to overcrowding and degradation of the coral
reefs and other ecosystems from over 90,000 in
2008 to around 50,000 in 2012 (Doyle 2012).
Tourists were continually complaining of being
harassed by vendors, water taxi operators and
fisherfolk. The lagoon was devoid of turtles,
conch and fish due to overfishing and the dumping of sewage from yachts anchoring in the Cays.
These islands were overexploited by extensive
tourism and non-sustainable development practices, which have the potential to destroy their
limited natural resources, thus placing the local
economies and livelihoods at risk (HernandezDelgado et al. 2012).
The former Prime Minister requested planning
officials in Kingstown to work on the creation of
a national marine park. In a top-down approach,
policy designers are viewed as the central players
and focus their attention on factors that can be
manipulated at the fundamental level to ensure
that the approach works (Matland 1995). The
government spearheaded the development of the
National Parks Act, which was enacted by
Parliament, and created a national entity to manage TCMP and other parks. The creation of TCMP
The Top-Down Approach to Creating Paradise: The Tobago Cays Marine Park (TCMP) Marine Livelihoods…
Development of Cruise Liners
and Operator Networks
TCMP is a prominent fixture on the schedules of
many of the cruise liners operating in the Eastern
Caribbean during the high tourist season from
November to March annually. It is estimated that
there can be over 74 cruise ships scheduled to
visit the Cays in any tourist season and a total of
up to 16 visits per month in the peak months of
December and January. These ships are estimated
to carry up to 750 tourists per trip. There can also
be an additional four trips per day by other operators in the park with an average of between 40
and 100 tourists per trip to TCMP. Such overcrowding has resulted in the deterioration of the
quality of coral reefs and the marine ecosystem.
Management, therefore, needs to put measures in
place to urgently address this issue.
The Water Taxi Operators Association
Water taxi operators organised themselves into
the Southern Grenadines Water Taxi Operators
Association. They are responsible for providing
training to members on the relevance of the park
to the community and how to conduct themselves
responsibly. Approximately 55 water taxis are
operating in the park. These vessels provide taxi
services as a part of their business. Some water
taxi operators said they have real concerns about
(a) a lack of additional services in the park to
attract persons to stay for long periods and (b) a
lack of adequate support to assist them to enhance
their operation.
The Emergence of the Vendors
Association
Some vendors ply their businesses in the TCMP,
trading in T-shirts, handicrafts, rice, bread, fresh
fish, fruits and vegetables to visitors. The park is
strictly zoned, i.e. trading in TCMP is restricted
to the northern beach of Petit Bateau. However,
some speedboats travel from one yacht to the
other selling bread, fruits, T-shirts, conchs and
lobsters. Some vendors are accused of being
involved in illegal spearfishing in the lagoon,
which they then sell to tourists. Vulnerable people, specifically vendors and water taxi operators,
would need guidance and support to anticipate
the impact of climate change and implement
adaptation strategies if they are to sustain their
livelihoods and quality of life into the future
(Hernandez-Delgado 2015).
Reflection on the Creation of Paradise
in the Tobago Cays, Southern
Grenadines
The TCMP was implemented by central government utilising a top-down approach towards
achieving CCA and sustainable livelihoods in the
southern Grenadines. During the latter half of
1980, the government recognised the destruction
of the resources in the Cays both by human
actions and by the impact of climate change on
coral reefs and other natural resources. The combined long-term impacts of climate change,
chronic coastal environmental degradation, ecosystem decline and increased human vulnerability were having a severe effect on the local
tourism economies of the southern Grenadines
(Hernandez-Delgado 2015). Over the years, there
was a sharp reduction in tourists to the park due
to overcrowding and degradation of the coral
reefs and other ecosystems from over 90,000 in
2008 to around 50,000 in 2012 (Doyle 2012).
Tourists were continually complaining of being
harassed by vendors, water taxi operators and
fisherfolk. The lagoon was devoid of turtles,
conch and fish due to overfishing and the dumping of sewage from yachts anchoring in the Cays.
These islands were overexploited by extensive
tourism and non-sustainable development practices, which have the potential to destroy their
limited natural resources, thus placing the local
economies and livelihoods at risk (HernandezDelgado et al. 2012).
The former Prime Minister requested planning
officials in Kingstown to work on the creation of
a national marine park. In a top-down approach,
policy designers are viewed as the central players
and focus their attention on factors that can be
manipulated at the fundamental level to ensure
that the approach works (Matland 1995). The
government spearheaded the development of the
National Parks Act, which was enacted by
Parliament, and created a national entity to manage TCMP and other parks. The creation of TCMP
The Top-Down Approach to Creating Paradise: The Tobago Cays Marine Park (TCMP) Marine Livelihoods…