Haiti

Haiti makes up the western part of the island of Hispaniola with a land area of 27,750 sq km and a coastline1,820 km long. Reefs occupy discrete areas around the coastline - particularly around the southern peninsula, [1] while the north coast is extremely exposed and is bordered by a barrier reef separated from the mainland by a 30 m deep channel. Very little is known about Haiti’s coral reefs. What information does exist is largely for the area around the capital Port-au-Prince and Les Arcadins islands. Haiti’s reefs have mainly low coral cover, with high coral cover in a few places, and few fish throughout. [2]

Haiti is one of the most densely populated and poorest countries in the western hemisphere. [3] With a total population of approximately 8 million, there is widespread unemployment and underemployment, and more than two-thirds of the labor force do not have formal jobs. [4]

The Reefs at Risk analysis rates all the reefs around Haiti to be threatened by human activities. The predicted threat from fishing pressure affects every reef. Widespread unemployment, densely populated coastal zones, easy access, and narrow shelf areas mean that the reef resources have been heavily used to provide a livelihood and sustenance. Watershed-based sources of sediment and pollution threaten most reefs. Heavy reliance on the agricultural sector has led to extensive land clearing, and poor agricultural practices have led to increased erosion. Coastal development threatens over 90 percent of the reefs. Marine-based sources threaten only about 10 percent because of the lack of shipping infrastructure.

The coastal resources appear to have been severely degraded by a combination of factors including destructive use, over-exploitation, pollution, and poor management practices. These resources, probably the most heavily exploited and poorly managed in the Caribbean, are the main source of livelihood and sustenance for the estimated 30,000 fishers and their families, [5] and fish also provide 50 percent of the protein for the country.

There are no sewage treatment plants or sanitary landfills and the levels of nutrients flowing from settlements into coastal waters are high. This, and the overfishing of herbivorous fish, has been linked to an abundance of fleshy algae in the reefs off Les Irois, the Arcadins Islands (the site of the only reefcheck survey to date in Haitian waters), and the Baie de Port-au-Prince. This bay is also severely polluted with oil, and solid waste. [6]

Fishing occurs mainly in shallow coastal waters because of the limited capacities of the country’s traditional artisanal fishing fleet. [7] The fishers target mainly lobster, conch, and shallow-reef fishes. Spear fishing, use of hookah, light fishing at night, and the use of poisons (chlorine) are methods used, and all of these activities are illegal, but because of extensive poverty and zero capacity for law enforcement, there is a complete disregard for fishing regulations. [8]

The current situation in Haiti is very challenging. [9] There are neither MPAs nor capacity for management. Restoration of management capacity will require funds, training, and a stable government. [10] One non-governmental organization (NGO) is attempting to monitor, research, and protect the marine environment. [11]

[1] J. Woodley et al., “Status of Coral Reefs in the Northern Caribbean and Western Atlantic,” in Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2000. C. Wilkinson, ed. (Townsville: Australian Institute of Marine Science, 2000), p. 264

[2] D. Linton et al., “Status of Coral Reefs in the Northern Caribbean and Atlantic Node of the GCRMN,” in Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2002. C. Wilkinson, ed. (Townsville: Australian Institute of Marine Science, 2002), p. 283

[3] J. Mateo & M. Haughton, “A review of the fisheries sector of Haiti with recommendations for its strengthening,” in Proceeding of the Fifty-fourth Annual Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute. L. Creswell, ed. (Fort Pierce, Florida: GCFI, 2003).

[4] CIA. 2002. World Factbook. Published online at http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/

[5] J. Mateo & M. Haughton, “A review of the fisheries sector of Haiti with recommendations for its strengthening,” in Proceeding of the Fifty-fourth Annual Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute. L. Creswell, ed. (Fort Pierce, Florida: GCFI, 2003).

[6] M. Spalding et al., World Atlas of Coral Reefs (Berkeley, California: University of California Press and UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Center, 2001), p. 150.

[7] J. Mateo & M. Haughton, “A review of the fisheries sector of Haiti with recommendations for its strengthening,” in Proceeding of the Fifty-fourth Annual Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute. L. Creswell, ed. (Fort Pierce, Florida: GCFI, 2003).

[8] D. Linton et al., “Status of Coral Reefs in the Northern Caribbean and Atlantic Node of the GCRMN,” in Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2002. C. Wilkinson, ed. (Townsville: Australian Institute of Marine Science, 2002), p. 285

[9] J. Mateo & M. Haughton, “A review of the fisheries sector of Haiti with recommendations for its strengthening,” in Proceeding of the Fifty-fourth Annual Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute. L. Creswell, ed. (Fort Pierce, Florida: GCFI, 2003).

[10] J. Woodley et al., “Status of Coral Reefs in the Northern Caribbean and Western Atlantic,” in Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2000. C. Wilkinson, ed. (Townsville: Australian Institute of Marine Science, 2000), p. 264

[11] D. Linton et al., “Status of Coral Reefs in the Northern Caribbean and Atlantic Node of the GCRMN,” in Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2002. C. Wilkinson, ed. (Townsville: Australian Institute of Marine Science, 2002), p. 292