Coastal and Marine Governance of Samana Bay

and Plan Quisqueya Verde and NGO initiatives such as Moscuso Puello and The Nature Conservancy in Valle Nuevo.

7.2 Coastal and Marine Governance of Samana Bay

The Dominican Republic does not have integrated coastal management legislation or policy. The Secretary for the Environment and Natural Resources has several offices and Sub- secretaries directly related to coastal and marine governance: for example, the Directorate of Fisheries and the Directorate of Conservation and Management in the Sub-Secretary of Coastal and Marine Resources, and the Sub-Secretary of Protected Areas and Biodiversity. The Sub- Secretary of Environmental Management is responsible for conducting Environmental Impact Assessments. Decree 531 in 1990 established the requirement that investments in the coastal zone must be preceded by Environmental Impact Studies. However, it was not until the Law of the Environment and Natural Resources Law 64-00 was approved that the national system of EIA’s found an institutional home and EIA’s became mandatory. Law 64-00 states, “Planning of national, regional, and provincial development of the country must incorporate the environmental dimension through a dynamic, permanent, participatory, and concerted process among the different entities involved in environmental management.” The new environmental law also provides an enhanced role for municipalities in management of environmental matters at the local level. IRG 2001 reports that both municipal authorities and senior Secretariat officials are enthusiastic about this legislative endorsement. However, the local governments require considerable institutional development assistance to effectively carry out their new mandate. In 1993 the National Office of Planning ONAPLAN and a local conservation NGO completed a preliminary diagnosis of the national coastal and marine zone Pronatura, 1993. From 1996-98 ONAPLAN hosted a UNDPGEF project on conservation of coastal and marine biodiversity. In the late 90’s, the Sub-Secretary of Natural Resources in the Secretary of Agriculture also sponsored a marine and coastal environmental program, including a 1999 study 44 on Integrated Management of Coastal Resources in the Dominican Republic, with an Emphasis on Key Tourism Areas. The UNDPGEF project included Samana Bay. There have been many other conservation projects focused on the Samana Bay region as well, many of which have centered around or involved the Center for the Conservation and Eco-Development of Samana Bay and its Surroundings CEBSE. CEBSE is a non-profit organization created in 1991. The governance strategy promoted by CEBSE is to involve community organizations and resource users in the planning and management of natural resource use in coordination with government institutions and the private sector. Co-management strategies for fisheries and tourism have been primary areas of focus. The geographic scope of CEBSE includes the Bay of Samana, including the Yuna river delta, the karstic region of Los Haitises National Park, and the coastal plan of Sabana de la Mar – Miches. CEBSE has had many partnerships with external donors and organizations. For years, the U.S.-based Center for Marine Conservation now Ocean Conservancy worked with CEBSE to advance community-based outreach and planning, research, and strategies for tourism and fisheries development. From 1996-2000, CEBSE was part of a training program with the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute CANARI and the Swiss Development Organization HELVETAS on co-management of natural resources. Some of the key governance outcomes to date for Samana Bay include: • Integrated Management Plan for the Samana Region CEBSE, 1996 • Tourism and Fisheries Development Strategies • Proposal for designation of Samana Bay and it surroundings as a biosphere reserve • Implementation of co-management plan for whale watching 45

8. Conclusions