Molinière- Molinière-Beauséjour Marine Protected Area Beauséjour Marine Protected Area Beauséjour Marine Protected Area (2010)

The Molinière-Beauséjour MPA was gazetted in 2001 by the Fisheries (Marine Protected Areas) Order which presented boundaries and a zoning scheme. Although regulations applicable to MPAs were detailed in the Fisheries (Marine Protected Areas) Regulations, no formal management plan had yet been drawn up, thus preventing the implementation of specific measures and hindering enforcement of regulations for the protection of the area and the sustainable use of its resources.

 Recent surveys around the world, in Grenada and in the Molinière-Beauséjour MPA point to a continuous degradation of reef resources and stress the urgency to take action to preserve these vital ecosystems which tremendous value and critical importance have been largely demonstrated.

Effective management for the conservation and the sustainable use of the coral reefs and associated resources requires the guidance of a strategic document to describe the current status of resources within the MPA – Where we are – which identifies issues and sets goals – Where we want to go – and identifies options to meet them – How to get there. This management plan will be implemented following an adaptive approach and, hence, is not applicable for a specific period. Rather, it is meant to be monitored and revised on a continuous basis as new information will become available or according to changes in the resources status. 

The approach for the preparation of the management plan was to build on existing knowledge and identify knowledge gaps that hinder the conception of management decisions to guide future monitoring and research. Much of the baseline information and management options were identified as outputs of the MPA Realization in Grenada project implemented in 2005-2006. Management options were identified with the support of the MPA stakeholders committee.

In Grenada, the legislative basis for the designation and management of marine protected areas is the Fisheries Act No. 15, 1986 and the Fisheries (Marine Protected Areas) Regulations of 2001. MPA management plan development and implementation comes under the Fisheries Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

Area of interest: Grenada

Year: 2010