ITMEMS 3 WRITTEN PROCEEDINGS - FINAL

Proceedings 2006, Cozumel - Mexico
Third International
Tropical Marine Ecosystem
Management Symposium
ICRAN_BOOKLET.indd 1 28/08/2007 09:48:16

The International Coral Reef Action Network
(ICRAN) acted as the organiser and Secretariat
for the Third International Tropical Ecosystem
Management Symposium (ITMEMS3). We would
like to acknowledge the generous support of
the following organisations:
Coastal Ocean Research and Development in
the Indian Ocean (CORDIO)
www.cordio.org
Global Environment Facility’s International
Waters Learning Exchange and Resource
Network (GEF IW:LEARN)
www.iwlearn.net
Global Environment Facility’s Small Grants
Programme (GEF SGP)
www.undp.org/sgp
Government of the
United States of America
www.state.gov
International Coral Reef Action Network
www.icran.org
International Coral Reef Initiative
www.icriforum.org
Japan Wildlife Research Center
www.jwrc.or.jp
Lighthouse Foundation
www.lighthouse-foundation.org
Ministry of the Environment
Government of Japan
www.env.go.jp
National Commission for Natural Protected
Areas
www.conanp.gob.mx
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
www.noaa.gov
Oak Foundation
www.oakfnd.org
Office for Environmental Response and
Coordination, Government of Palau
www.palau-oerc.net
RAMSAR
www.ramsar.org
United Nations Development Programme
Global Environment Facility (UNDP GEF)
www.undp.org/gef
United Nations Environment Programme
Caribbean Environment Programme
www.cep.unep.org
United Nations Foundation
www.unfoundation.org
World Bank’s Coral Reef Targeted
Research Program
www.gefcoral.org
In addition to the above acknowledgements,
we would like to thank Mayor Gustavo Joaquín
Ortega, of the City of Cozumel, for his generous
support in hosting ITMEMS3.
Acknowledgements
Preface 3
ICRI Foreword 4
Report of the Symposium 5
Action Statement 9
Introduction to the Local
Government Leaders Forum 21
Local Government Leaders
Statement 22
Coral Reefs and Climate Change
Statement 23
Regional Caucus Statements 25
ITMEMS3 DVD with Presentations,
Photos and Participant Directory 38
CONTENTS
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Foreword
International Coral Reef Initiative
There is an increasing urgency in the need
to reverse the degradation of the world’s
coral reefs and associated ecosystems.
Growing populations and developments
on the tropical coastal zone continue to
threaten the functioning of the habitats on
which societies and economies depend. It
is widely recognised that action needs to
be taken, and now. First convened in 1998,
ITMEMS was established as a core activity of
ICRI in order to support the implementation
of the ICRI Framework for Action. ITMEMS
seeks to strengthen the capacities of coastal
and marine managers and their partners to
conserve and promote the sustainable use of
coral reefs and associated ecosystems.
ITMEMS3 was an important milestone in
identifying actions to take from local to
global level. Maintaining close linkages
between ICRI and ITMEMS processes and
developing the agendas in tandem enabled
the dialogue to traverse the two meetings.
This represented an important opportunity
to ensure that the hands-on day-to-day
concerns of managers reach and inform the
reefs and related ecosystems over the course
of the next 5 to 10 years.
The proceedings of ITMEMS3 join those of
the previous ITMEMS in providing a major
source of information on the practical issues,
problemsandachievementsoftropicalmarine
resource managers. The proceedings highlight
the action-orientated recommendations
made by participants of the symposium, and
the priority issues identified through regional
caucuses. An interactive DVD is included,
which contains the full range of workshop
reports and presentations from the plenary
and workshop sessions. It is intended that
these, appropriately acknowledged, will
provide useful materials for information
exchanges, education and capacity building.
Every effort has been made to ensure
the inclusion of the wealth of material
generated at ITMEMS3. Reports have not
been edited for content, or consistency of
style. The responsibility of which rests with
the authors and does not represent the views
of organisations herein. The proceedings
can also be accessed online through
www.itmems.org
We are confident that this collective body
of work, with the previous ITMEMS material,
continues to build our understanding and
knowledge of these critical and complex
ecosystems. We are hopeful that this
information will enhance management and
conservation efforts and forge new networks
and partnerships to more effectively address
the challenges we face.
The ITMEMS Secretariat
The Third International Tropical Marine
EcosystemManagementSymposium(ITMEMS3)
was jointly hosted by the Secretariat of the
International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI)
and the Governments of Palau and Japan,
in partnership with Mexico’s National
Commission for Protected Natural Areas
(CONANP) and the Municipality of Cozumel.
Building on the foundations and approaches
of previous ITMEMS, the symposium sought
to enhance the capacities of coastal and
marine managers to implement programs
and projects that support the conservation
and sustainable use of coral reefs and related
ecosystems at the local, national, regional
and global levels.
Teams representing a wide range of
expertise, institutional affiliation and
geographic spread worked together to
develop an exciting program of short-format
participatory workshops to explore critical
issues, draw out experiences and lessons
learned, and develop a set of action-oriented
recommendations to inform policy, and
support the effective management of coral
3 4
global agenda.
The recommendations made by managers
of tropical marine ecosystems at ITMEMS3
are the key to the future efforts for coral
reef conservation. ICRI adopted a resolution,
which will transform these recommendations
into prioritized and actionable items to be
taken forwards through the Secretariat
and by its members. The resolution
represents a significant achievement for
ICRI, a commitment to take action on issues
consistent with ICRI’s Mandate. ICRI, in
cooperation with the ITMEMS Secretariat, will
make effort to implement this resolution.
Tsunao Watanabe
ICRI Co Chair Japan
Youlsau Bells
ICRI Co Chair Palau
Preface
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Introduction
Ecosystems Management Symposium
(ITMEMS3) continued the process of sharing
and learning the lessons of experience in
managing coral reefs and related ecosystems.
The proceedings of ITMEMS3 join those of
the previous ITMEMS in providing a major
source of information on the practical issues,
problems and achievements of managers.
This report includes an account of the
program development and implementation
that may be of assistance in appreciating
the context and strength of the symposium
conclusions and recommendations. It may also
provide some assistance for those considering
meetings with similar objectives.
Designing the Program
As with earlier ITMEMS the core business of
ITMEMS3wasconductedthroughsmallparallel
workshops each of around 25 people designed
to facilitate the substantial involvement of all
participants. Also as previously, limited time
was allocated for plenary presentations and,
as far as possible, sessions were closed at the
end of the afternoon to leave evenings free
of formal side meetings so that participants
were available for informal peer networking
and mentoring that had been identified as a
highly valuable activity in previous ITMEMS.
The first steps in the work of the Organizing
Committee were to identify the lessons
learned from the experiences of participants
from not only the first two symposia, but
from other coral reef management meetings
and workshops, to identify the relative
importance of a range of themes that might
be addressed through case studies and
workshop discussion.
An on-line consultation process was
conducted with the coral reef management
community and partners, hosted on the ICRI
Forum.Drawingontheresponses,theProgram
Committee developed initial discussion lists
of themes and key management questions
relating to each of the themes. A call for
ITMEMS3 case studies was made, relevant to
the proposed themes, and suggestions sought
on other priorities and key management
questions.
An organizing group was formed for each
one of the thirteen specific themes selected
for discussion. Organizing groups were
asked to build and manage a program for
the theme, identify relevant case studies
from those offered in response to the call,
and seek additional case studies where the
offered range was limited. Where themes
overlapped, organizing groups prepared joint
workshops to address cross-cutting issues.
The organizing groups were also asked
to develop an initial list of management
questions to focus their workshops on
Report of the Symposium
ITMEMS Secretariat
5
discussion leading to outcomes, conclusions or
recommendations. Based on the experiences
of ITMEMS3, and to ensure comprehensive
outcomes from each workshop, it was
recommended that dialogue and experience
sharing based on the topic under discussion
should result in one action recommendation
focused on improving and strengthening
management capacity for immediate
implementation. The outcomes of theme
discussions are presented by organizing
groups through a series of reports and
recommendations.
Lessons Learned and Innovations
Organizing a symposium such as ITMEMS
presents interesting challenges. For most
managers and management programs the
preparation of additional reports for a
symposium or workshop is a major task,
additional to already busy schedules.
Attendance at conferences is not commonly
incorporated in management programs and
budgets so finding the time and, in many
cases, obtaining the funding and approval to
participate can be a last minute decision.
For the organizers this means program,
total attendance and budget uncertainties
until late in the process. This has been the
case for all three ITMEMS. In the event for
ITMEMS3 total registrations were 324 from 45
countries, 280 of these were received in the
last month before the Symposium.
The nature of the program with active small
group parallel workshops requires multiple
workshop rooms as well as a hall suitable for
plenary meetings and presentations. The
logistics of ITMEMS3 suggest that it would
be difficult to manage a total enrolment
of more than 400 without losing important
aspects of effective peer group contact and
networking.
The organization of each ITMEMS has
included innovation and the evolution of
a model that addresses the operational
contexts of management. For earlier ITMEMS
these have included the development of
the output focused workshop formats and
regional caucuses. The size constraints of the
ITMEMS model and the important peer group
issues for regional managers suggests that
future developments could involve a cycle of
regional TMEMS with the quadrennial ITMEMS
putting the regional management issues and
priorities into a global context for reviewing
and updating the ICRI Framework for Action
to halt and reverse the decline in the world’s
coral reefs and related ecosystems.
For ITMEMS3 regional caucus arrangements
were strengthened on the basis of experience
from ITMEMS2. There were also 2 major
program innovations - a Local Government
Leaders Forum to address the roles and needs
of local government in coral reef and coastal
management and a special session on Peer-
to-Peer Networking.
Regional Caucuses
Regional caucuses were an innovation at
ITMEMS2, which was partially successful.
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The concept was developed further at
ITMEMS3 and most regions had effective
caucuses that agreed to follow up on the
issues discussed, and to seek to organize
and participate in regional meetings based
around the ITMEMS concept. This important
development supports an earlier decision of
the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI)
seeking to develop regional capacity, agendas
and cooperative programs to implement the
ICRI Call to Action to halt and reverse the
decline of the world’s coral reefs.
Local Government Leaders Forum
The Local Government Leaders Forum (LGLF)
was a plenary workshop with a key group of
participants that is generally not involved in
discussions of the management, science and
conservation communities. The LGLF, hosted
by Mayor Ortega of the City of Cozumel, was
designed to address the common situation
that while most management of coral reefs
and related ecosystems occurs at the local
level most of the policy discussion and
provision of information does not engage
local communities or local government
leadership.
The LGLF was held over three days, parallel
to the main ITMEMS event. Local government
leaders from a range of countries in tropical
marine regions were invited to attend to
discuss the role of local government in the
management and sustainable use of tropical
marine ecosystems. Discussions resulted
in the development of an LGLF Statement
outlining management priorities and key
issues, which it is hoped will prove valuable
in taking the issues of local government
and marine management further in both
communities.
The local government leaders welcomed
the opportunity to interact with ITMEMS
participants, and requested additional
opportunities for participation in regional
caucuses and workshops to enhance their
own knowledge and learning, sharing lessons
and experiences, and identifying new ways
to address problems and issues in their home
environment.
Speed Peer to Peer Networking Session
The second program innovation was a
structured networking session designed to
encourage the active engagement of all
participants during ITMEMS. It was held on day
3 to provide participants with an opportunity
to make new and effective contacts for the
exchange of lessons and knowledge.
This innovative session received
widespread praise. Participants welcomed
the opportunity to meet their peers from
different regions, and to engage colleagues
from different fields, as a means to strengthen
their networks of contacts working on like
issues and projects, and to identify areas for
future collaboration and partnership.
The session was deemed particularly
helpful for non- English speaking participants.
Conducting the session at the opening of the
symposium, as an icebreaker event, was
encouraged for future symposia to facilitate
networking.
Related Events
In keeping with the intention that evenings
should primarily be available for informal
peer-to-peer networking and mentoring a
number of side events and meetings were
scheduled before or after the main ITMEMS3
program. Specialized workshops on Coral
Disease, the Caribbean Bleaching Event
(NOAA), Coral Reef Health (GEF IW: LEARN
and the WorldFish Center), and Training of
Trainers (Reef Check) took place before the
formal start of ITMEMS3. An International
CoralReefCrimeSceneInvestigationworkshop
was conducted over 4 days following the end
of the Symposium. Social Monitoring Group
and Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network
management meetings also took place during
the week.
ITMEMS3 Field Trip
A field trip was co-organized by ICRAN and the
Global Environment Facility’s Small Grants
Program (the GEF SGP), to the Sian Ka’an
Biosphere Reserve to provide an opportunity
for participants to visit various SGP sponsored
projects with a focus on community-led
coastal and marine conservation.
Producing an Outcome
The Symposium produced tangible outputs
in the form of an updated Action Statement,
case studies, workshop reports, which are
available online (www.itmems.org).
Less immediately demonstrable, but as
important, is the practical demand-led
capacity building and review of program
activities that arose through the networking
and mentoring discussions within workshops
and outside of the formal sessions of
the symposium. This function and the
opportunity to compare notes and ideas
with other program managers and designers
facing similar issues is particularly important
because of the limited opportunities and
time available for capacity building for many
people who are involved in management that
affects coral reefs and related ecosystems.
The most important dimension of an ITMEMS
is that it is not just a one-off Symposium
that occurs every four years. It is part of an
iterative learning and experience sharing
process that continues and evolves between
meetings. We look forward to building
further on the lessons of ITMEMS3 and to
the development of supporting regional
workshops so that these symposia become
established as core events addressing the
ICRI objectives of capacity building and
review or evaluation of management of coral
reefs and related ecosystems at the global
and regional levels.
The ITMEMS3 Secretariat will continue
communications with the ITMEMS community
to track and provide feedback to participants
on activities, and partnerships that have
flowed from ITMEMS, to determine the impact
and assist in forward planning for ITMEMS4.
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Introduction
The 1995 Call to Action by the International
Coral Reef Initiative is even more urgent
today than when it was first made.
ITMEMS3 was held in Cozumel, Mexico on
October 16 to 20, 2006. It brought together
over 300 people from 45 countries reflecting
a broad range of experience of managers,
scientists, private sector, non-governmental
organizations, development and funding
agencies to review progress since ITMEMS2
in 2003 and to share and discuss lessons
learned in implementing the ICRI Framework
for Action.
ITMEMS3 consisted of 49 workshops and
two special sessions that considered priority
issues or problems of management of tropical
marine ecosystems that had been identified
by managers from all coral reef regions of
the world early in the Symposium planning
process. The workshops were prepared and
managed by organizing groups to address 13
themes:
n Building resilience into coral reef
management
n Disaster management and restoration
n Enforcement and investigation
n Fisheries and aquaculture
n Human impacts
n Information and knowledge management
n Modeling and decision support
n Communication, education and awareness
n Integrated and participatory strategies
n Sustainable tourism
n Economic valuation and incentives in
marine natural resources management
n Partnerships and strategic alliances
n Sustainable financing
A specific objective of the Symposium
was to develop recognition and mutual
understanding of the roles of local
government, and the technical and scientific
management community in management of
coral reefs and related ecosystems. This
was addressed through a Local Government
Leaders Forum Chaired by the Mayor of
Cozumel, Hon Gustavo Ortega Joaquin, with
participants from Tanzania, Philippines,
Cook Islands, Australia and Hawaii, USA. The
Forum developed the Cozumel Declaration
(Pg. 21).
An additional special session focused on
peer to peer networking between the full
range of participants from managers to
scientist to local community representatives,
NGOs and government.
ITMEMS3 participants recognized that,
amongst many threats, the emergence of
climate change as an over-arching threat
to tropical marine ecosystems increases
the imperative for action and effective
management. As such a separate statement
on climate change in relation to tropical
marine ecosystems was drafted and adopted
by the symposium (Pg. 23).
The proceedings of ITMEMS3 contain the
detailed reports and recommendations of
each workshop. This statement has been
developed from the reports of the workshops
of ITMEMS3 to reflect recurring and emerging
issues in more than 400 recommendations. It
has been designed to focus on overarching
priorities for action in the next 5 – 10 years
to address the four elements of the ICRI Call
to Action, which are:
n Integrated Coastal Management
n Capacity Building for Management
n Research and Monitoring; and
n Performance Evaluation and Review
This Statement builds upon and reflects
the principles and processes established
in multilateral environment agreements
and other relevant international programs.
The detail and context of the issues and
recommendations in this Statement should
be read and interpreted in light of the
individual theme and workshop reports, and
the Action Statements of previous ITMEMS.
The principles and overarching actions
identified in the 1995 Framework for Action
continue to provide a valid strategic context
for this Statement.
Principles
The ICRI recognizes the following principles:
n Achieving the ICRI’s purpose requires the
full participation and commitment of
governments, local communities, donors,
NGOs, the private sector, resource users
and scientists; thereforetruepartnerships,
cooperation and collaboration exemplify
the ICRI activities
n The overriding priority is to support
actions that will have tangible, positive
and measurable effects on coral reefs and
related ecosystems and on the well-being
of the communities which depend upon
them
n Human activities are the major cause
of coral reef degradation; therefore,
managing coral reefs means managing
those human activities. Individuals whose
decisions and actions affect coral reefs–
from boardrooms to beaches–need to
become aware of and committed to the
conservation and sustainable use of coral
reefs and related ecosystems
n The diversity of cultures, traditions and
governance within nations and regions
should be recognized and built upon in all
the ICRI activities
n Integrated coastal management,
with special emphasis on community
participation and benefit, provides a
framework for effective coral reef and
related ecosystem management
n Developing national capacity to conserve
and use sustainably coral reefs and related
ecosystems requires a long-term (decadal)
commitment. Improvement of coral
reef management requires a permanent
commitment and an adaptive approach
n Strategic research and monitoring programs
should be an integral part of the ICRI
because management of coral reefs and
related ecosystems should be based on the
most relevant scientific information
n Actions promoted under this framework
should take account of, and fully use,
the extensive body of international
agreements and organizations that address
issues related to coral reefs and related
ecosystems. The ICRI will facilitate the
leveraging and channeling of existing
resources among all sectors for the benefit
of coral reefs and related ecosystems
Actions
All those committed to supporting the ICRI
and this Framework for Action are called
upon to take account of and to act on the
following at the international, regional and
national levels.
n Support national and regional efforts
to establish and coordinate strategies,
priorities and programs to implement the
ICRI Framework for Action
n Ensure that sustainable management of
coral reefs and related ecosystems is
considered at future relevant international
meetings
n Develop and/or strengthen national,
regional and international mechanisms
for gathering and sharing information and
expertise on the sustainable management
of coral reefs and related ecosystems
n Promote improved access to financial
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ACTION STATEMENT

and technological resources to enable
institutions, regional centers and networks
to assist and informgovernments, industries
and communities
Addressing conservation and sustainable
use of coral reefs and related ecosystems
requires activities in the following areas:
n Public awareness, education and training
n Ratification of, or accession to, relevant
international instruments
n Stakeholder participation at all levels;
training policymakers and private sector
decision-makers in the development and
implementation of coral reef management
n Marine science and technology
n Environmental law, particularly
environmental impact assessment
regulations
n Micro-enterprise development and access
to financing on a small to medium scale
RECOMMENDATIONS
INTEGRATED COASTAL MANAGEMENT(ICM)
Building Resilience Into Coral Reef
Management
Coral reefs are facing increasing stresses from
causes including rising sea temperatures,
over-exploitation, land based sources of
marine pollution and severe events including
storms and tsunamis. Climate change is now
recognized as one of the most serious long-
term threats to the biodiversity and services
provided by tropical marine ecosystems.
ITMEMS3 recommends that:
n Managers should promote action to limit
climate change to ensure that further
increases in sea temperature are limited to
2 C above pre-industrial levels and ocean
carbonate ion concentrations do not fall
below 200 µmol. kg
n Management planning must incorporate
recognition that mass coral bleaching
will have the potential for similar social
and economic consequences as other
environmental impacts such as droughts,
oil spills and other disasters, and will
require similar responses
n Facilitate and finance actions to increase
resilience of coral reef social-ecological
systems, particularly through marine
management area networks comprising
adequate areas of coral reefs and
associatedhabitatsinnon-extractionzones,
protection of water quality and herbivore
populations, and adaptive governance
n Facilitate and finance the development
and implementation of coral bleaching
response programs, including contingency
funding
Disaster Management and Restoration
The world today is witnessing more frequent
and more widespread calamities, due either
from natural or anthropogenic causes that
damage or destroy coastal ecosystems on
unprecedented scales. Nations are often
ill prepared to assess and take measures to
reduce subsequent damage because of the
lack of baseline information.
In order to be better prepared for proper
disaster management and restoration
n Contingency plans be developed according
to the nature of coastal areas which will
provide for proper coordination at the
regional, national and local level before,
during and after a disaster
n Land use planning in the coastal zone
must consider the wide range of important
economic values that coastal ecosystems
provide, not least their important coast
protection functions
n Integrated coastal management be
promoted and implemented to build
resistance and resilience into tropical
marine ecosystems
n Economic incentives need to be developed
in conjunction with supporting legislation
in order to encourage the preservation and
restoration of coastal ecosystems
n Maritime nations survey their coasts,
particularly coral reefs and associated
ecosystems, to establish baseline data to
serve as benchmarks in the face of disasters
and support management
n Maritime nations ensure that they have
appropriate early warning systems in place,
as well as communication and disaster
preparedness strategies and techniques
n Many countries need to urgently amend the
legislation covering damage compensation
claims. Guidelines would usefully be
produced highlighting the key steps and
requirements in legislative change
There are a limited number of methods
for restoring areas of coral reefs affected
by disasters or human impacts. There are
currently no techniques available to restore
significant areas of corals; most current
techniques are not cost effective. They have
limited ecological scale but are applicable
to the restoration of sites of high economic
value.
n Decisions on whether or not to restore
damage should consider the probability
of survival of transplants, a low level
of likelihood that the impact will be
repeated in the long term, and ensuring
that the resources devoted to restoration
do not distract effort from more valuable
alternative activities
n Assessment of appropriate compensation
for damage from the responsible party
should be based on the total economic
value of benefits foregone as a result of reef
damage as well as the costs of restoration
Enforcement and Investigation
TheITMEMS2Statementandrecommendations
on enforcement remain valid today but there
has been little progress in implementing
those recommendations.
n Resource management agencies involve
enforcement expertise to ensure active
and early consideration of enforcement
issues during planning processes
n Resource management agencies provide
awareness and education for the public
on laws, regulations and consequences
of violations including publicizing the
outcomes of prosecutions to promote
deterrence and improve compliance
n Donororganizations,NGOsandgovernments
should not focus only on science and
planning but support the development
and maintenance of enforcement capacity
to ensure that management strategies
succeed
n Incorporate Ecological Risk Assessment
(ERAs) to focus compliance and impact
mitigation planning
n Nations should take actions against illegal
activities by their citizens overseas
Fisheries and Aquaculture
Tropical nearshore and coral reef fisheries
are generally not well managed.
n Support reform of fishery governance at
multiple levels to harmonize policies to
ensure consistency, sustainability and
integration of fisheries management
with other elements of tropical marine
ecosystem management
n ICRI encourage and support sustainable
fisheries management based on a whole
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ecosystem based approach
n ICRI support the design, implementation
and performance monitoring of MPAs as one
important tool in a suite of tools to protect
important and vulnerable life history
phases, habitats and ensure sustainability
of fisheries
n Identification of fishery management
objectives should consider the wide range
of economic value provided by healthy
fisheries (e.g. actual or potential dive
recreation tourism revenues)
n Support the development and adoption of
policies that encourage rights and local
tenure based management to eliminate
open access marine regimes in the
ocean. This approach will encourage co-
management and sustainable fishing
n Encourage diversified skills for community-
based income generating activities to
increase community resilience
Human Impacts
Preliminary research findings suggest that
marine protected areas have a lower disease
prevalence than reefs that are fished and
recover more rapidly after stress.
n Marineprotectedareasshouldbepromoted
and implemented as a management tool
for containing coral disease
Dredging and port development and
inappropriate reef restoration around
coral reefs can create significant impacts.
However, these are often essential activities,
and the Permanent International Association
of Navigation Congresses (PIANC), through
Working Group 15, is developing guidelines
that are relevant to tropical marine
ecosystems.
n Interested parties review the PIANC
draft Guidelines on “Dredging and port
constructionaroundcoralreefs”andprovide
comments for editorial consideration
n When finalized, the Guidelines be
considered for endorsement by ICRI
as a minimum requirement for marine
construction activities around coral reefs
n The Guidelines be extended to include
mangroves and seagrass as critical tropical
marine ecosystems
Integrated and Participatory Strategies
The participation of stakeholders and cross-
sectoral engagement is fundamental to the
development of successful management
strategies. In particular, it is vital to ensure
that those bearing the costs of policies or
projects are identified, as well as those
benefiting. The integration of traditional
management and knowledge systems with
modern scientific and economic equivalents
presents important challenges in the design
and implementation of management.
n The inclusion of traditional management
into a hybrid or integrated strategy
should occur in partnership with local
government, central government and
traditional leaders
n Investing in peer-to-peer learning among
communities is the most effective means
to develop and support the capacities
needed to adapt and adopt best practices
globally
Sustainable Tourism
Sustainable tourism has the potential to
create long term economic, social, cultural
and environmental benefits although
there are many examples of economic and
environmental failures.
n Partnerships with the tourism industry be
developed to generate mutual benefits
for the environment, industry and local
communities
n Integrated cost benefit analysis be
conducted by credible experts to promote
policy and development so that tourism
creates long-term economic, social,
cultural and environmental benefits
n Coordination frameworks, such as the
Guidelines on Biodiversity and Tourism
Development of the Convention on
Biological Diversity (CBD), be implemented
to ensure stakeholder participation in the
creation of a local vision for sustainable
development for its continued execution,
implementation and monitoring of
compliance
n Avehicleformulti-stakeholderparticipation
fromwhichamutuallybeneficialpartnership
be developed with the cruise ship industry,
including cruise industry commitment,
to define and adopt a voluntary code of
practices and procedures to better manage
shore-based excursions
n Mechanisms are created to ensure
transparency and accountability in creating
appropriate legislation to implement and
enforce policies of intra-government and
inter-sectoral coordination, strengthening
enforcement penalties, and empowering
local communities
n Prior to cruise destinations development,
there is existing mandatory government
criteria for adequate sustainable
infrastructure and destination management
tools that address cruise tourism impacts
n The tourism industry is engaged and
incentives created for the promotion and
adoption of sustainable policies, products,
and practices
n Community based tourism should be
supported as a tool that can achieve
both poverty alleviation and local marine
conservation; support should include
policy development, capacity building and
financing
n Community based tourism projects should
be developed using participatory and
conflict assessment tools; and should be
based on realistic goals and expectations,
sound environmental and cultural impact
assessments, and good project governance
including transparent management of
tourism generated benefits
Economic Valuation of Marine Natural
Resources
Understanding of the full range of values in
tropical marine ecosystems is important for
the development of effective management
strategies.
ITMEMS3 recommends:
n Integration of the full environmental and
social costs into all resource decision-
making with respect to coastal policies
and projects using extended cost benefit
analysis (e.g. in ICZM and EIAs) to capture
the true impacts of different human
activities
n Standardization of economic valuation
and reporting approaches to ensure better
comparability between values measured
in different locations
n Future international tropical marine
environment conferences highlight the
potentially powerful role of coral reef
economics
Sustainable Financing
Long-term financial planning and monitoring
for revenue generation, funds management,
and expenditure should be fundamental to
all ICM activities. Revenue generation must
not adversely affect conservation goals.
13 14

ITMEMS3 recommends:
n Lobbying for governments to maintain a
minimum budget towards the maintenance
of MPAs, regardless of others sources of
funding
n Strengthening financial accountability
and transparency for MPA and coastal
resource management, based upon
effective accounting systems, reporting,
and stakeholder communication
n Developing appropriate legislation to allow
local decision-making, establishment of
fee systems, and expenditure of funds
generated by the MPA
n Coordinating PA site and system level
planning to facilitate allocation of funds
and cross-subsidization of management
costs between MPAs
n Developing revenue sharing mechanisms
with local communities, such as MPA
user fees, conservation concessions, and
alternative livelihoods
CAPACITY BUILDING FOR MANAGEMENT
Management
Managers can take action to reduce the
impacts of climate change in tropical marine
ecosystems.
ITMEMS 3 recommends:
n Creating incentives for development of
partnerships for adaptation
n Increasing investments in targeted
messages to accelerate adaptation to
climate change
n Investing in village-to-global education
and communication for climate adaptation
that will integrate traditional and
scientific knowledge into implementation
of adaptation strategies for coral reefs
around the world
Enforcement must be viewed and supported
as one of several strategies to promote
improved compliance with regulations.
n Professionalforaandnetworksbedeveloped
forinvestigatorsandenforcementpersonnel
to promote regional and international
exchange of expertise
n Where the legal framework allows,
community-based initiatives be promoted
and supported to strengthen compliance
and foster community stewardship
n Formal local, national and international
interagency mechanisms be developed to
ensure coordinated response capacity for
enforcement and investigation
Fisheries and Aquaculture
Fishers are not adequately involved in policy
making for fisheries and ocean conservation.
n A fisheries forum within ITMEMS should be
included in future meetings that provides
opportunity for fishers to share their
experience and network
Human Impacts
The issue of coral disease is not widely
understood.
ITMEMS3 recommends:
n The identification of methods and
opportunities to inform local leaders of the
importance of water quality as an issue to
be addressed in relation to ecosystem and
human health
n Production of a documentary on coral
diseases for broad-based popular
consumption, linking the issues of water
quality,agricultureandotheranthropogenic
impacts to coral health and disease
Information and Knowledge Management
ITMEMS3 recommends:
n Resources should be made available for
capacity building in data collection,
analyses, management and effective
communication
n Providing countries with data management
support, tools and training
n Establishing a network among local
communities, NGOs, governments and
scientists for the exchange of tools and
lessons learned
Communication, Education and Awareness
Knowledge does not necessarily change
behaviour, but communication, education
and awareness programs can be developed
to foster change. While there have been
significant advances in improving global
awareness, these have not resulted in
behaviour changes at a pace and scale
that stems the decline of tropical marine
ecosystems.
ITMEMS recommends:
n A second International Year of the Reef
(IYOR) be held in 2008, building on the
history and lessons of the 1997 IYOR
n IYOR 2008 is a call to action to strengthen
commitment at all levels to reverse coral
reef decline and sustain the benefits of
coral reef ecosystems
n The IYOR should help establish partnerships
and initiatives that result in longer-term
improvements in management capacity
and community engagement at all levels
n Development of communication, education
and awareness strategies to engage local
communities and increase social, economic
and political benefits as part of local
solutions for global problems
n IYOR should build synergies with major
events already planned for 2008, by seeking
active linkages and partnerships with those
events, and work with local partners to
broaden the impact of their initiatives to
reach new constituencies for conservation
n Special efforts must be made to collaborate
with the private sector to engage in and
continue best business practices, and
support awareness among their customers,
as part of their partnership with IYOR
n The urgent start of coordination,
fundraising and promotion for IYOR as
sufficient planning and resources will be
critical for its success
Communication is vital in establishing viable
ecologically sustainable tourism
ITMEMS3 recommends:
n Promotion of communication as a
mechanism for creating a sense of
ownership and increasing empowerment
for all stakeholders
n Creating a user- friendly, multi-lingual
information platform to make resources
available for managers and other
stakeholders, including but not limited
to MPA management plans, community-
based initiatives, educational materials,
technical expert lists, employment
announcements, funding opportunities,
links to organizations, press releases,
scientific publications, etc.
Communities have a vital role to play
in the stewardship, sustainable use and
management of marine natural resources. It
is essential that tropical ecosystem managers
recognize and build on community knowledge
to use resources sustainably.
ITMEMS recommends that:
n Support be given to facilitate interaction
of community representatives with other
stakeholders, especially local government
1615

n Community representatives be invited as
full participants to national, regional and
international meeting
n Funding be provided for facilitating the
establishment of CBOs and building their
capacity to support their initiatives
n Support be given to facilitate community
level exchanges and sharing of best
practices
n Sustainable livelihoods be promoted
for community empowerment linked to
conservation management
Partnerships and Strategic Alliances
Recognizing that partnerships are powerful
tools that can promote capacity building,
leveragefinancialsupport,strengthencultural
participation, and facilitate complementary
experiences, and actions around common
management goals.
ITMEMS3 recommends:
n Attheonsetofeverypartnershipfortropical
marine ecosystems, partners should define
common goals and objectives, agreed roles
andresponsibilities,equitability,andshould
provide transparency and accountability in
a process for managing and strengthening
that partnership
n Partnerships for tropical marine ecosystems
should harness formal and indigenous
knowledge and empower community and
stakeholder participation in management
processes while applying and reinforcing
cultural heritage
n Including comprehensive background
information (e.g. socio-economic and
ecological data for tropical marine
ecosystems) to support the partnerships
n Developing appropriate communication
tools (use of a common language for
tropical marine ecosystems) to facilitate
information sharing/exchange within the
partnership(s) and to the outside world
Economic Valuation
Economic valuation is increasingly recognized
as being powerful in influencing decision-
makers, promoting sustainable resource
management and leveraging management
funds. However, awareness is lacking at all
levels with respect to how economic values
can be applied, and their potential power.
n Training and support, in the basics of
economic valuation and how environmental
values can be applied (e.g. case studies,
cost benefit analysis and design of
economic incentives), is required for
ecosystem managers and decision-makers
with appropriate guidance materials
Tools, mechanisms and systems for revenue
generation, management of funds and
expenditure, need to be institutionalized
within MPA authorities at the site and
system level.
ITMEMS3 Recommends:
n Increasing financial and economic expertise
within MPA staffing
n Applying best practices for tools and
mechanisms that promote MPA sustainable
financing including the establishment and
operationsoftrustfunds,businessplanning,
accounting systems, financial modeling,
diversification of income sources, system
level planning, and reporting
RESEARCH AND MONITORING
Management
Partnerships between scientists and managers
are essential to address the challenges posed
by climate change.
ITMEMS 3 recommends:
n Facilitating and financing assessments
of risk and vulnerability of coral reefs to
climate change
Disaster Management and Restoration
ITMEMS3 recommends:
n Baseline monitoring of coastal areas
prone to natural disasters to develop and
maintain vulnerability mapping
n Undertaking more scientific research on
cost-effective methods applicable to
large scale restoration of marine tropical
ecosystems
n Studying the role of marine tropical
ecosystems in coastal protection in
different regions of the world
n Review available data and information
on damage valuation claims worldwide
to understand the potential for seeking
compensation
ITMEMS3 recommends:
n Guidance be provided to resource managers
regarding the entire investigation and
enforcement process
n Enhancingthedirectapplicationofresearch
and monitoring into assisting enforcement
and investigation
Human Impacts
Laboratories with capacity to handle
advanced water analysis and ecotoxicology
assessments are important for research and
monitoring of coral disease. An inventory
of such laboratories exists for the Caribbean
(The Association of Marine Laboratories of
the Caribbean; AMLC).
ITMEMS3 recommends:
n Preparation of additional inventories of
laboratories that can handle advanced
water quality analysis and ecotoxicology
studies for other regions, modeled after
the AMLC
n Development of regional scale
recommendations for water quality
standards, and improvement of monitoring
of coral disease levels and their inclusion
in existing monitoring programs
Awareness of marine invasive species and the
threats that they pose is generally low, but
their impacts can be severe.
ITMEMS3 recommends:
n The continued development of methods for
early detection of marine invasive species
n Research into methods of eradication of
marine invasive species
n Research into the ways in which climate
change may affect or compound the threat
of marine invasive species
Information and Knowledge Management
The formats and procedures for data
collection, analysis, storage and accessibility
of data collected in monitoring and surveys
can have a significant impact on data
applications and availability. Establishing
ecosystem and socioeconomic baselines and
trend assessments are essential for ICM and
risk reduction.
ITMEMS3 recommends:
n Implementation and integration of
ecological and socioeconomic monitoring
in tropical marine ecosystems management
and more effective communication of the
results
n In planning for research and monitoring,
consider not only the financial requirements
for data collection, but also for storage
analysis and dissemination costs. Provide
countries with data management support,
tools and training
n Improving data archiving and metadata
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accessibility, with full acknowledgement
of partners and sources
n Investing in peer-to-peer learning networks
to accelerate the implementation and
increase the effectiveness of marine
resources management
n Encouraging all countries and regions to
assemble status and trend assessments for
raising awareness, including the IYOR in
2008
Modeling and Decision Support
Participatory modeling provides the means of
integrating socio-economic and biophysical
models.
n Participatory modeling should be used
to enhance the legitimacy of models and
their use by decision makers
The integration of traditional management
strategies and knowledge with modern
science and conservation practice is
important for the achievement of ecological
sustainability and the maintenance of local
livelihoods and culture.
ITMEMS3 recommends:
n Recognition that social science is
fundamental for understanding traditional
management systems and appropriate
forms of management intervention
n Bothscientificandlocalknowledgesystems,
and mechanisms for detecting and reacting
to changes in socio-ecological systems,
should be harnessed in the development of
hybrid management systems
n Traditional systems should be respected as
partners in management and research, and
the sharing of scientific knowledge with
communities should be done in a respectful
manner
n Recognition that traditional knowledge
can be strengthened and enhanced by
science, and empower communities in
management
Economic Valuation of Marine Natural
Resources
ITMEMS3 recommends:
n A global assessment of the availability
of coastal economic value data and
information to identify gaps and focus
research
n The establishment of centralized and freely
available economic valuation database
to improve the scope of benefit transfer
studies, so that values from one study can
be used to evaluate the values for other
similar resource or impact situations
n An analysis of global best practice in
legal frameworks and associated damage
compensation approaches to underpin
effective marine ecosystems damage
compensation claims
n Investigation into how economic incentive
mechanisms can be better applied, in
particular the scope for “payments for
ecosystem services” (e.g. off-site fishery
benefits and coast protection services)
and payments for indirect damages
(e.g. sedimentation and greenhouse gas
emissions)
There is a recognized absence of financial
and economic data, which is critical for MPA
planning and management, hence the need
for more research.
ITMEMS3 recommends:
n Investigate establishing payments for
ecosystem services such as fisheries
replenishment from no-take zones, and
coastal protection by natural resources
(mangroves and coral reefs)
n Determine costs of management for MPAs
and ICM as a foundation for financial
planning and develop benchmarks for the
evaluation of cost-effectiveness
n Monitor improvements in financial
performance (revenues and costs) using
financial modeling
PERFORMANCE, EVALUATION AND REVIEW
Sustainable Finance
There is a wealth of experience in financial
procedures and mechanisms that should be
shared among MPA practitioners.
ITMEMS3 recommends:
n Reviewing, collecting and disseminating
case studies on revenue generation
mechanisms
n Evaluating cost burdens to ICM practitioners
from donor reporting requirements
2019
Photo-JamesOliver

2221
LOCAL GOVERNMENT LEADERS STATEMENT
Local Governments hold the key to the future
of coral reefs and other tropical marine
ecosystems. Greenhouse gas emissions,
land based sources of marine pollution,
unsustainable coastal development,
overfishing and destructive fishing are local
problems that impact at the global level.
Healthy coral reefs are a beautiful indicator
of healthy coastal and marine ecosystems and
an increasingly valuable natural resource.
The economic, social and cultural futures
of people of tropical coasts and islands are
linked to the health of coral reefs.
Local Government is on the front line of
the issues that directly affect the future
of coral reefs and associated ecosystems.
Many local governments face huge and
constantly changing challenges in providing
for sustainability – meeting the needs of the
present without compromising the needs of
the future.
We are grateful for the opportunity
provided for us to engage with the expertise
of the coral reef management and scientific
community through participation in the
program of the Third International Tropical
Marine Ecosystem Management Symposium.
We have identified six major issues that
shouldbeaddressedtodevelopthepartnership
between the global coral reef management
community and local government
Empowerment
We call upon the management and scientific
community to support the empowerment and
resourcing of local governments to manage
tropical marine ecosystems.
Networks
We call upon the management community to
work with local government and community
networks to develop informed partnerships to
address the management of tropical marine
ecosystems.
Capacity Building
We call upon the management community
to work with local government to develop
practical technical capacity at the local level
to address marine ecosystem issues.
Knowledge and Communication
We call upon researchers to communicate
current research information in a manner that
addresses the needs of local government.
Political Will
We call upon the management community
to work with local government to build
the political will to meet the challenges of
managing tropical marine ecosystems.
Recognition of Achievement
We encourage the management community
to publicly recognize the achievements of
local government in sustainable management
of marine resources.
This statement was endorsed by:
Gustavo Ortega Joaquin - Mayor, Island of
Cozumel, Mexico
Mahmoud Juma Issa - Mayor, Zanzibar
Municipal Council, Tanzania
Ann Bunnell - Deputy Mayor, Townsvile,
Queensland, Australia
Lucilo Bayron - Vice Mayor, Puerto Princesa
City, Philippines
Teariki Matenga - Mayor, Tukitumea,
Rarotonga, Cook Islands
Hermani Braganza - Mayor, City of Alaminos,
Pangasinan, Philippines
Jeremy Harris - Former Mayor, Honolulu,
Hawaii, USA
Background
Local government can have a decisive
leadership role in sustainable management of
tropical marine ecosystems but is often the
missing partner in discussion of management
needs and possibilities. Now there are a
growing number of examples where local
governments have taken up the challenges.
A new ITMEMS event, the Local Government
Leaders Forum, enabled local government
leaders to share their experiences and
to identify priorities for closer and more
effective involvement of local government
in management of coral reef and tropical
marine ecosystems.
The LGLF provided an opportunity for
managers and scientists to learn of the
issues, priorities, problems faced and
successes achieved by local government in
tropical marine environment management.
Conversely, it provided an opportunity for
local government leaders to learn of projects,
management approaches and research that
may be relevant to their work.
Importantly the LGLF provided an
opportunity to identify future programs of
collaboration and technical support so that
good management practice is recognized and
supported, and is taken up more generally
by local government in tropical coastal and
island areas. The hope is that the local
government leaders will work together to
inform and inspire other delegates on the
work being done and the opportunities and
needs for future programs.
The LGLF was a timely event, as the
crucial roles of local government are being
recognized in a growing number of
international programs. Valuable support
for the representation of local government
leaders at ITMEMS3 was provided by
the World Bank GEF Coral Reef Targeted
Research Program, which is presently
investigating and analyzing global good
practice in local government management
of tropical marine environments.
The outcomes of the LGLF were
reported to the International Coral Reef
Initiative, feeding into priority setting for
the next five years, and reaching broader
international policy discussions.
Participation
Seven local government leaders
participated in the forum, each presenting
information on their local government and
coral reef issues, and interacting directly
with ITMEMS participants in a question and
answer session.
Outcomes
The Leaders identified six priority issues
that should be addressed to develop
the partnership between the global
coral reef management community and
local government. These issues were
captured in a Local Government Leaders
Statement, which forms a key part to
these Proceedings, and which provides an
opportunity for local government leaders
to highlight the key steps that they would
like to see taken to support and enhance
their work in managing tropical marine
environments and natural resources.
Local Government Leaders Forum (LGLF)

2423
Photo-PaulMarshall
Over 300 managers, scientists, and
representatives from the private sector,
development and funding agencies, and local
government attended the Third ITMEMS in
MexicoinOctober2006toshareinformationof
their experiences in tropical marine resource
management. This statement was developed
and adopted by the participants of ITMEMS 3
to focus attention on the emerging impacts
of climate change on coral reef ecosystems,
and to highlight actions required to respond
to the serious long term threats posed.
There is no longer any doubt that the earth’s
climate is changing, causing rapidly warming
seas and ocean acidification. Warming seas
are causing increased mass coral bleaching
and mortality, with little evidence that corals
and their symbionts can evolve fast enough
to keep pace.
In addition to these impacts, there is
now strong evidence that acidifying seas
are reducing calcification rates. Other
consequences, such as rapid sea level rise and
increased frequency and intensity of tropical
storms, and impacts on other organisms and
ecosystems, further emphasize the urgent
need to limit the rate and extent of global
climate change.
Projected changes in temperature and
ocean acidity pose significant problems for
reef-building corals. As reef-building corals
build the habitat and ecosystem in which
many tens of thousands of organisms live,
these changes in global climate are causing
major changes to the biodiversity of the
ocean. Because coral reefs directly support
at least 100 million people and multi-billion
dollar industries, like tourism and fisheries,
these impacts will cause significant socio-
economic impacts and threaten food security
in developing nations around the world. Two
strategies must be implemented to mitigate
the impacts of climate change to coral reefs.
The first is to limit climate change. The
second is to build the resilience of tropical
marine ecosystems and communities to
maximize their ability to resist and recover
from impacts such as mass coral bleaching.
Within this context our ability to effectively
reduce other stressors will determine the
future of coral reefs.
Actions required to support reef resilience
to climate change are:
1 Limit climate change to ensure that further
increases in sea temperature are limited to
2 C above pre-industrial levels and ocean
carbonate ion concentrations do not fall
below 200 μmol. kg
2 Recognise that mass coral bleaching
will have similar social and economic
consequences as other environmental
disasters such as oil spills and droughts and
will require similar responses
3 Facilitate and finance actions to increase
resilience of coral reef social-ecological
systems, particularly through marine
management area networks comprising
adequate areas of coral reefs and associated
habitatsinnon-extractionzones,protection
of water quality and herbivore populations,
and adaptive governance
4 Facilitate and finance assessments of risk
and vulnerability of coral reefs to climate
change
Coral Reefs and Climate Change
A Statement from the Third International Tropical Marine Ecosystem
Management Symposium
5 Facilitate and finance the development
and implementation of coral bleaching
response programs, including contingency
funding
6 Create incentives for development of
partnerships for adaptation.
7 Increase investments in targeted messages
to accelerate adaptation to climate
change
8 Invest in village-to-global education and
communication for climate adaptation
that will integrate traditional and
scientific knowledge into implementation
of adaptation strategies for coral reefs
around the world
Further information on Coral Reefs and
Climate Change, including pragmatic,
science based suggestions for adaptive
management and effective response to mass
coral bleaching events can be found in A Reef
Manager’s Guide to Coral Bleaching, available
for download from: www.coris.noaa.gov

THE CARIBBEAN CAUCUS
We, the custodians of the Caribbean tropical
marine ecosystems, recognize that the
dramatic and unprecedented decline in
tropical marine and coastal systems under
our care is already beginning to undermine
the foundation of our culture, economy and
the environmental services provided by these
ecosystems for sustainable development.
Already 50% of coral reefs and mangroves
around the Wider Caribbean have been lost or
are seriously threatened as a direct result of
human activities resulting in coastal erosion,
reduced fisheries and loss of biodiversity.
Critical threats are undermining our future
prospects for sustainable development.
These include the following priority areas for
immediate action:
1 Climate change
2 Coastal development and unsustainable
tourism
3 User conflicts
4 Inadequate financing for science and
monitoring
2625
5 Lack of commitment by policy makers
6 Over fishing
Urgent action is needed by policy makers,
governments, communities and funding
agencies to create an enabling environment
whereby greater emphasis should be placed
upon marine conservation initiatives across
the region before it is too late.
Through closer collaboration and better
communicationregionallyandinternationally,
a greater understanding of our marine
ecosystems will develop, benefiting
communities, countries and the region.
We recognize our responsibilities as
stakeholders and commit to:
n Promote community engagement through
public awareness and education
n Identify training and capacity requirements
necessary for effective management
n Undertake ecosystem monitoring and
communicate results effectively to policy
makers and the public
n Create a regional network of scientists
and managers to exchange information,
conservation solutions and tools
Recommendations
With respect to the priority areas listed below
we urge Local and National Governments
of the Wider Caribbean to carry out the
following immediate actions:
Climate Change
Recognizing the vulnerability of the Caribbean
to climate change, and in view of the major
negative impact that it has and will continue
to have on marine ecosystems:
n Work as a regional body to reduce emissions
by developing and enforcing emission
standards
n Reduce stressors to marine ecosystems that
make them more vulnerable to climate
change
Coastal Development
Inappropriate coastal development threatens
ecosystems resulting in a deterioration of
environmental, economic and human health:
n Implement Integrated Coastal Zone
Management (ICZM) where it does not exist
and strengthen existing ICZM centres
n Prepare,adoptandintegrateenvironmental
policy into coastal development plans to
ensure sustainable development of the
countries
n Utilize and enforce EIA findings in the
approval of major coastal development
Water Pollution
In view of increasing levels of nutrients in the
water negatively affecting the coral reefs
and associated ecosystems:
n Strictly regulate and manage waste water
effluents and point sources of marine
pollution
n Ratify and implement the LBS (Land based
sources of marine pollution) protocol of
the Cartagena Convention
Overfishing
In view of the negative effects of over fishing
in the tropical marine ecosystems:
n Alleviate poverty to reduce the needs of
subsistence fishing
n Strictly regulate and manage fisheries in a
sustainable way
n Establish No Take Zones to allow recovery
of fish stocks
n Provide alternate livelihood training for
displaced fishers
n Share good practices in sustainable
fisheries
Connectivity
In view of the regional connectivity of the
tropical marine ecosystem of the Wider
Caribbean:
n Ratify relevant International Conventions
such as the SPAW (Specially Protected
Areas Wildlife) Protocol and the Ramsar
Convention on Wetlands
n Strengthenregionalcooperativebodiessuch
as GCFI, AMLC, CaMPAM and CARICOMP
n Identify connectivity linkages within the
large marine ecosystems and collaborate
to enhance stewardship of these critical
ecosystem elements and processes
Sustainable Funding
In view of the need to effectively protect
areas of marine ecosystem significance:
n Create protected areas trust funds
n Create adequate legislation in order to
enable sustainable financing for the existing
and proposed MPAs, Biosphere Reserves,
World Heritage Sites, Ramsar Sites etc
n Contribute to sustainable development
projects
Photo-ShaliniCawich
REGIONAL CAUCUS STATEMENTS
Photo-CharlesSavall

management
n Provide funding for training
n Provide opportunities for inter-island
technology and skills transfer
n Develop a regional grant writing group to
foster collaboration between inter island
agencies
n Develop internship programs
Resources Needed
n Sustainable financing
n Institutional Strengthening
n Commitment
n Local level
n National Level
n Regional Level
n Legislation and Enforcement
n Public Engagement
We do not inherit the earth from our
parents; we merely borrow it from our
children”
2827
Photo-BRT
Capacity Building
Recognizing that more trained individuals are
needed to:
n Support effective environmental
THE MESOAMERICAN CAUCUS
The Mesoamerican Caucus recalls and
reiterates the recommendations of ITMEMS2
in 2003 to confront the threats faced by
marine ecosystems in general and coral reefs
in particular, including:
The planning and use of the resources:
1 Capacity building for decision making at
all levels: individual, institutional and
systemic
2 Participationofcommunitiesandindigenous
groups in the management and sustainable
use of resources, in decision making and
in design of management plans, through
means of effective means of consultation
3 Public awareness-raising through
environmental education programs
4 Enforcement of the law at local, national,
and regional levels
5 Support to monitoring and studies in the
area, including development of research
protocols related to connectivity in marine
protected areas and other ecological
topics
6 Cross-disciplinary financing to support the
proposals presented in this declaration
At the same time the Mesoamerican Caucus
has identified the following additional
priority areas:
1 Development of mechanisms (periodic
meetings) to transfer information among
scientists, site administrators, local
population and decision and policy makers
2 Restoration of degraded environments,
including a program of first aid for corals
which helps alleviate the effects of natural
and anthropogenic disasters
3 Strengthening of activities to prevent and
respond to unforeseen events
4 To the extent possible, establish the
actual and potential economic value of
Mesoamerican marine environments with
a view to giving them the priority they
deserve
5 Take measures to reduce or eliminate the
problem of corruption which constitutes a
great obstacle to the implementation of
these recommendations
6 Reaffirm the other statements of previous
ITMEMS, as well as those of Tulum
plus 8
Having reiterated the priorities of ITMEMS2
and added new priorities, the participants
of ITMEMS3 urge all involved to implement
them by means of:
1 Identification, by the organizers of the
event, of a regional executive secretary to
follow up these recommendations
2 On the basis of participation of the involved
actors, document, at a minimum on an
annual basis, the accomplishments in each
of these areas over the next 3-4 years
3 Evaluate progress achieved at the next
meeting of ITMEMS
A spanish translation of this statement is available from
the ITMEMS website: www.itmems.org
Photo-RubenTorres

governments among countries, resource
managers, scientists, regional programs
(PEMSEA, COBSEA, ASEAN APEC etc.)
to inform decision makers initiate and
coordinate action from regional to local
levels
2 Implement effective enforcement at
multi-level and inter-agency level as
well as community-based enforcement/
involvement in collaboration with local
governments by establishing more
effective MPAs, no-take or multi-use MPAs
and establishing incentives through cross-
compliance mechanisms (e.g. certification
and recognition)
3 Integrate population management
initiatives in coastal marine programs (e.g.
co-responsible parenthood)
4 Link Research and Information to adaptive
management actions with Research
on recommended actions at the local
level by utilizing up-to-date information
such as satellite imagery for monitoring
standardizing databases so as to be more
accessible to managers and applying
scientific-based restoration efforts
5 Propose alternative Income and Sustainable
Financing such as user fees, environmental
fees, revenues, taxes with donor funding to
help develop locally generated financing
6 Establish a network among East Asian
countries for Environmental Education and
tools as a campaign to educate consumers
on the excesses of unsustainable fishing
practices (e.g. live food fish trade)
Proposed Actions by the Region
1 To establish a regional network for action
plan to conserve the coastal and marine
resources in this region (Japan to act as
Coordinator for the regional network)
2 To identify a focal point of each country
and seek resources for the implementation
of the action plan at the national and local
3029
Photo-CJWantenaar
THE SOUTHEAST ASIAN CAUCUS
n Recognizing the important role that local
governments play in managing coastal
ecosystems
n Taking into consideration the insufficient
opportunity to share findings with policy-
makers
n Having established various networks
linkages to promote regional national
coordination such as the Asia Pacific Coral
Reef Network
n With research having been carried out and
information disseminated with no baseline
to monitor and evaluate progress of
existing networks and research, and with
action being not filtered down to the core
community level
n The countries of the East Asian region have
recognized that the major threats are
soil run-off, over-fishing and destructive
fishing, tourism, aquaculture and live reef
fish trade
Recommended Actions From Countries
In The Region
1 Expand existing network of local
level
3 To convene a regional level Tropical Marine
Ecosystem Management Symposium to be
held in sync with the International Year
of the Reef (ICRS 2008) for national level
focusing on good practices, more interface
between scientists, managers, local
governors and other stakeholders
Photo-TerriYoung

region to discuss salient issues. As this was
the first regional caucus for this region, the
discussion was mainly dedicated to debating
the possible purposes of such caucuses and
possible frameworks for future caucuses.
In general, regional caucuses were seen as
useful tools for dissemination of knowledge,
but capacity for effective caucuses has to be
built up.
Recognize that:
1 Mainly WIO was represented in the
regional caucus meeting, so the discussion
concentrated on the WIO region, however
there is scope for WIO to collaborate with
the Red Sea and Persian gulf area
2 There are existing structures in the WIO
such as the Coral Reef Task Force (CRTF)
that could play a role of facilitating coral
reef activities
3 Broadly there is a lack of awareness across
the region about ICRI and ITMEMS amongst
managers, scientists and decision-makers
Discussion Points
The following points were generated during
the discussion
1 It was agreed that a ‘Regional Caucus’ is
potentially a useful concept
2 A wider spectrum of nations, managers
and scientists from the region should
be represented at the next ITMEMS. In
addition, regional ITMEMS caucuses should
be promoted
3 Nationalandregionalnetworksformanagers
should also be encouraged
4 The caucus could play an important role
in raising awareness of international
initiatives (e.g. ITMEMS or ICRI and other
coral reef-associated ecosystem networks)
within nations in the region
5 The caucus could facilitate the
dissemination of recommendations made
at international symposia (e.g. ITMEMS) to
Coral Reef Task Force and to focus on:
1 Raising awareness about ICRI, ITMEMS and
other coral reef networks and activities in
the region
2 Facilitating the organization of regional
ITMEMS to be held prior to other key regional
meetings such as the WIOMSA scientific
symposium or the Nairobi Convention COP
or the WIO Consortium meetings
3 Facilitating increased attendance and
representation at the next ITMEMS
4 Raising awareness about the potential
bleaching of 2007 and encouraging
monitoring across the region
5 Facilitating contribution to the GCRMN
status report in time for the next ICRS
(2008)
6 Exploring ways to form links between coral
reef initiatives and other marine ecosystem
initiatives e.g. at the International Seagrass
symposium (2008) or mangrove meetings
7 Facilitating the coordination of Year of the
Reef activities across the region
3231
Photo-EdMcManus
WESTERN INDIAN OCEAN, RED SEA AND
PERSIAN GULF CAUCUS
Background
Ecosystem Management Symposium (ITMEMS)
was held in Cozumel, Mexico during October
16-20, 2006. It is the core activity of the
International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI)
and offers a unique forum for coastal and
marine managers to ensure that the hands-
on, day-to-day concerns of marine and
coastal managers reach and inform the
global agenda. It brings peers and partners
together to share experiences and lessons
learned; identify effective local solutions
to common management problems; inform
future action to manage tropical marine
ecosystems; evaluate progress since prior
ITMEMS and strengthen and expand the
network of tropical marine managers.
Some of the activities taking place during
this symposium were regional caucuses
for the main tropical regions, including for
the Western Indian Ocean, Red Sea and
Persian Gulf region. These caucuses provide
an informal platform for managers in the
managers, scientists and decision makers
thus creating a direct link between science
and practical application
6 The caucus could play a role in influencing
proposals for funding by identifying and
prioritizing issues of regional concern
7 The caucus could provide a mechanism
for ITMEMS to reach out to managers of
ecosystems associated with coral reefs
(mangroves and seagrass beds)
8 The caucus could facilitate the process of
developing regional action plans to deal
with emerging issues (e.g. the upcoming El
Niño)
9 The caucus could play a role in identification
of gaps in capacity building as well as
advising and encouraging governments to
allocate resources for marine and coastal
management
Mechanisms/Future Actions
A virtual (email) regional caucus should be
created to be administrated by the Regional
Photo-PhillipGoeltenboth

to the CRU should be supported and their
interaction with the CRU facilitated.
Recommendation 2 from ITMEMS2:
Promote the involvement of stakeholders in
identifying viable alternative employment
options, opportunities and resources in order
to reduce pressure on coral reef ecosystems.
What Has Been Achieved to Date:
This is an area that needs continuous input and
support. Implementation has been sporadic,
e.g. various alternative livelihoods projects
implemented by NGO and governmental
organizations. Such activities have been
implemented on a larger scale after the
tsunami, mostly through humanitarian
agencies. This has also increased the
involvement of local stakeholders.
Recommendations for the Future:
The involvement of stakeholders is key
for successful identification of viable,
environmentally as well as economically
sustainable livelihood options, and should
be the basic principle for all livelihoods
enhancement or diversification activities.
Recommend the strengthening of effective
enforcement mechanisms and improve
capabilities within countries to fulfill
requirements under all treaties and
conventions.
Frequently laws are not implemented or
enforced. Progress has been made in some
areas, including through enforcement
capacity building. There are also changes at
the policy level, such as the India Biodiversity
Act 2002, which includes provisions for the
protection of reef resources outside PAs. In
the aftermath of the Indian Ocean Tsunami
3433
activities implemented on site, municipality,
province and state level. Improvements in
data management are still needed. Private
sector involvement and support is currently
well below potential, e.g. the utilization of
dive center based monitoring and connecting
this to national monitoring programs. It was
noted that private sector engagement can
extend beyond reef monitoring to e.g. water
quality monitoring.
1 Ensure relevant monitoring and capacity
building activities carried out by ‘non-
traditional’ partners are integrated into
the ICRI, GCRMN and related coordination
processes
2 Continue to build capacity in biophysical
and socio-economic monitoring as well as
data management and analysis for improved
reliability and use of the data
3 Increase commitment to socioeconomic and
community based monitoring
4 Strengthen private sector partnerships
in monitoring (as well as other aspects of
management)
Photo-PhilTownsley
SOUTH ASIAN CAUCUS
The recommendations outlined in this document are the
outcomes of the deliberations of the South Asia regional
caucus meetings held during the Third International
Tropical Marine Ecosystems Management Symposium, in
Cozumel, Mexico, October 2006. The South Asian Caucus
was composed of members of national government
institutions, NGOs and civil society organizations, and
represents the views of practitioners, researchers
and decision makers on marine ecosystem issues from
across the region. The group revisited recommendations
emerging from ITMEMS2, 2002, reviewing and updating
these as appropriate. The recommendations are targeted
at governments, NGOs and civil society alike, and
represent priority actions that need to be taken in order
to safeguard the future of important marine ecosystems
and resources.
Recommend the establishment of a South Asia
Coral Reef Unit to facilitate implementation of
various regional and international initiatives
in the management of coral reefs.
Though a Coral Reef Unit (CRU) or similar body
has not yet been established, the concept
has recently been taken forward under a
project in the region. Relevant stakeholders
from the governmental, NGO and research
sector involved in the project agreed on the
principle of a CRU in September 2006. ToR
and formal name of the CRU are to be agreed
on by early 2007.
Governments as well as other organizations
are asked to support the CRU and to ensure its
operations are maintained beyond the lifetime
of the project. Provisions should be made to
ensure that the CRU will be financially and
institutionally sustainable. Other initiatives
and organizations in the region operating on
a national or a regional level and relevant
2004 a Coastal Management Plan has also
been taken forward. Communication and
networking on a local-national level is
insufficient, even within institutions, both
vertically and horizontally.
1 Capacity building and awareness raising
targeted at a range of stakeholders,
including the judiciary and those involved
in policy formulation
2 Ensure more effective use of scientific and
monitoring data to inform the development
of new laws and policies
3 Improve communication and networking of
stakeholders involved in enforcement using
mechanisms such as the future CRU and
CMP processes
4 Improve enforcement by developing the
capacity to enforce regulations through
supply of equipment e.g. boats and
communications
Improve funding for biophysical and socio-
economic monitoring, restoration, capacity
building, establishment or improvement of
databases, networking including sharing of
information and experiences.
There has been some progress made but it
is limited and there is a need not only for
more funding but also more efficient use of
existing funding, including within national
monitoring programs. Socioeconomic and
community based monitoring appears to
be less developed, and less resourced than
biophysical monitoring, and socioeconomic
monitoring work underway is often not
brought to a broader audience (e.g. in GCRMN
Status reports). Work done outside the ICRI/
GCRMN sphere is not being effectively fed
into these processes, including e.g. many

4 Enforcement of MPA regulations should be
strengthened, but this should be coupled
with suitable consultative processes to
address the needs of local communities and
other stakeholders
Recommend the strengthening of education
and awareness programs at all levels to
ensure sustainable use of coral reefs.
Several successful education and awareness
activities have been implemented in the
region. However, there is a lack of continuity,
andinitiativesarelimitedbyprojectlifetimes.
Education and awareness needs to be a
continuous, ongoing process and built more
firmly into conservation and management
activities. There is a lot of existing education
and awareness material that is not always
reaching those that could benefit from it,
and much of it is applicable to the region
with some adaptation. In some cases existing
materials are not sufficient, and there is still
the need to develop new materials.
1 Successful programs from other regions
should be replicated and the use of
exchange programs supported
2 Strengthen networking regionally and inter-
regionally
3 Develop school based conservation
programs, including appropriate resource
materials
4 Integrate coastal systems, into school
curricula, including information on their
benefits, conservation and sustainable use
5 Establish resource centers for the general
public
6 Ensure that conservation projects always
have awareness component, including
dissemination mechanisms
PACIFIC CAUCUS
The Pacific Island region includes some 38
million km of ocean and is host to unique
coastal and marine biodiversity. Pacific
island countries are highly dependent on
their extensive marine resources for their
livelihoods and economies, in particular
fishing.
In most countries, traditional resource
management systems of marine and
coastal resources are the dominant unit
of management. Changes in lifestyles and
population growth though, have put pressure
on island coastal and marine environments.
Balancing development and the protection
of natural resources and culture is critical in
a context of small economies, remoteness
and limited capacity. Responding to emerging
issues such as unsustainable fishing practices,
expanding tourism activity, new technologies,
waste management and adapting to climate
change are key management issues for the
region.
Working with communities and building
the capacity of government are the most
effective means to ensure the protection of
coastal and marine environment and maintain
community livelihoods.
Issues identified by the group as particularly
important to the Pacific region:
n Pacific island communities culture (e.g.
marine tenure) and aspirations as essential
to marine resource management
n Persistent and emerging threats and
opportunities such as tourism and fishing
(Threats include: subsistence overfishing,
live fish trade, aquarium trade, foreign
offshore fishing and aquaculture offshore)
n The management of remote reefs and
related marine ecosystems
3635
5 Governments are requested to ensure that
capacity built for management of marine
and coastal areas is not lost through the
currently common staff rotation systems,
e.g. through the creation of marine units in
management authorities
6 Support restoration of degraded ecosystems
where necessary, and in accordance
with internationally agreed policies and
approaches such as the ICRI resolution
Recommend the implementation of MPA
concept and the application of long-term
monitoring results in decision making for
effective conservation and management of
coral reef ecosystems.
There is still a need for more MPAs in many
parts of the region and establishment
of a representative network of MPAs, as
reflected in IUCN WCPA appraisals and other
assessments. The current MPA situation is
well below internationally agreed targets.
Enforcement remains problematic, with
illegal activities still taking place in several
MPAs, and management plans are frequently
not implemented. There is a need for
more private sector involvement and buy-
in, e.g. tourism operators benefiting from
MPA could be more directly involved in MPA
management.
1 A regional network of well managed,
representative MPAs should be established,
with the support and input from relevant
organizations including e.g. WCPA Marine
2 MPAs should be better integrated into
broader coastal and marine management
strategies
3 Continue to build management capacity
among MPA staff
What ITMEMS Can Do
Technical Support and Capacity Building
n Support/strengthen existing mechanisms
(e.g. policy, institutions, community
based management) for marine resource
management and provide support for
implementation
n Foster partnerships across sectors,
government and community for long
term sustainability of community based
initiatives and protection of marine
resources
n Build capacity at regional, national and
local levels to reduce dependency on
external expertise
n Increase management driven research and
give priority to investment to communities
and government management needs
n Increase focus of activities on the effective
management of Pacific Islands EEZ
(such as seamounts, deep sea corals and
remote reefs) from over exploitation and
destructive practices
n Increase focus of activities on adaptive
management mechanisms to increase
resilience to climate change and other
global threats (such as disease)
Photo-NicBarnard

3837
n Document extent and potential impact
of emerging technologies and threats and
propose management solutions, and tools
for effective management responses
AwarenessRaisingofSmallIslandDeveloping
States (SIDS) Issues
n Raise awareness of threats to Pacific
marine ecosystems in international fora
and generate support for addressing them
n Use the Year of the Reef 2008 as a vehicle
for raising awareness of those issues
n Take active steps to reach out to fisheries
and tourism organizations to engage in
ITMEMS
Specific Actions
Leverage financial and technical support
for:
n A regional meeting engaging governments,
community NGOs and private sector to
communicate regional priorities and
develop concrete actions for supporting
them
n The development of a regional framework
for the establishment and management of
MPAs
n Strengthening and maintenance of national
and regional marine ecosystems manager
learning networks
n The development of a user friendly guide
to the outcomes and products of ITMEMS
for Pacific communities and government
officials
Resourcing
n Initiate a dialogue with donors to review
procedures for funding community related
activities to take account of the need for
long term engagement with communities
and recognize the need for flexibility.
Funding for community projects should be
long term (at least 10 years) and in line
with their absorptive capacity.
Photo-NicBarard
Front Cover Photo Credit:
BRT, C J Wantenaar, Steve Turek
Design by Lo-Fi Creative
www.lo-ficreative.co.uk
These proceedings were collated and edited
by the ICRAN Coordinating Unit.

ICRAN_BOOKLET.indd 40 28/08/2007 09:49:09

ITMEMS 3 WRITTEN PROCEEDINGS - FINAL

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