Developing a Core Set of Indicators for Decision-making and Adaptive Management at the Tobago Cays Marine Park, St. Vincent and the Grenadines Research Paper

The Tobago Cays in St. Vincent and the Grenadines was declared a marine park in 1997. The Tobago Cays Marine Park 
(TCMP) is a 66 km2 
, non-extractive, Marine Protected Area (MPA). It is the only legislated marine park in St. Vincent and the 
Grenadines. Since its re-launch in December 2006, a management plan has been developed and implemented and user fees are being 
collected. Limited socio-economic assessments have been conducted at the TCMP, usually as components of implemented projects, 
but have not been part of any on-going monitoring programme. The SocMon Caribbean methodology for socio-economic 
monitoring has been used to carry out surveys but due to limited capacity, the TCMP has been unable to carry out further assessments or initiate sustained monitoring. Therefore, regular socio-economic monitoring is not being conducted to assist with 
management decision-making and adaptive management at the site. As such, through a sub-grant from the CERMES-implemented, 
Socio-economic Monitoring by Caribbean Challenge MPA Managers project (CC SocMon), information has been collected that will 
help in the development of a core set of socio-economic indicators that may be used to guide and inform decision-making and 
management. Core indicators relevant to stakeholder perceptions of changes in conditions of marine resources; level of stakeholder 
participation and satisfaction in management; and stakeholder perceptions on the level of enforcement, compliance and protection 
within the MPA have been identified as the most important to the TCMP at this time. The 2006 re-launch date has been used as a 
reference point for current monitoring.

Area of Interest: St. Vincent

Year:2012