THE COASTAL RESOURCES OF THE NORTHERN RANGE

November 8-10, 2004

John Agard

WHAT COASTAL ENVIRONMENTS ARE IN

INCLUDED?• Near-shore terrestrial: e.g. rocky and sandy

shores.

• Intertidal: e.g. mangrove forests, ports and marinas

• Benthic:e.g. seagrass beds, coral reefs, soft bottom environments

• Pelagic: e.g. fisheries

MAJOR DRIVERS OF CHANGE WHICH AFFECT COASTAL RESOURCES OF THE

NORTHERN RANGE

• Urbanization on the coast which targets flat land for ports, houses, industry, hotels, recreation.

• Pollution from land based sources especially sewage, litter

• More efficient fish harvest technology e.g. long-lining, trawling, gill-netting

SUMMARY OF CONDITION AND TRENDS IN COASTAL ECOSYSTEM

SERVICES

Mangrove Forests

Size (ha)

North Coast

Scotland Bay <1

Maracas Bay 25

Tyrico Bay 1

Las Cuevas 3

Yarra River 1

Marianne River 15

Grand Riviere 1

Size (ha)

North East Coast 

Matura River 5

Salybia 4

 North West Coast

 Bayshore / Diego Martin River <1

Chaguaramas <1

Hart's Cut <1

Cuesa River <1

Mucurapo 3

Sealots <1

Mangrove Forests

• Northern Range has about 60 ha of mangrove forests remaining and declining

• Major driver is changes in coastal land use.

• Tradeoffs: water purification, fish nurseries, coastal stability

Beaches

• According to IMA the north coast is less susceptible to erosion than other coastal areas, which consist of soft, friable sedimentary material.

• The main problem reported is litter deposited by recreational users

Seagrass

• Patches of seagrass remaining at William’s Bay, Trinidad and Tobago Yacht Club and Salybia.

• Trend: area of seagrass is stable.

Coral Reefs

• Small reefs exist at Toco and the five islands.

• No recent assessments of condition done.

FISH CATCHES

Maracas72%

Blanchisseuse10%

Toco5%

Matelot13%

FISH CATCHES

0

50000

100000

150000

200000

250000

300000

350000

400000

450000

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

Fis

h C

atc

h (

Kg

)

Maracas

Blanchisseuse

ECONOMIC VALUE OF FISH CATCHES

0

500000

1000000

1500000

2000000

2500000

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

TT

$ MaracasBlanchisseuse

FISH CATCHES

• According to Fisheries Division statistics, fish catches mainly landed at Maracas on the north coast, have increased 8 fold from about 50,000 kg in 1998 to 400,000 kg in 2001 worth about 2 million TT$.

• The statistics do not include the significant fish catches which are landed in Venezeula.

PROVISION OF SAFE AND NATURAL HARBOUR AT

CHAGUARAMAS• 65 yachts 1990 increased to 2590 yachts by

1997.

• US$ 340,00 per month spent by yachties.

• 60 million TT$ invested in associated facilities.

• 1300 full time and 145 part time jobs created in 1997.

Water Quality

• Sporadic studies of water quality indicate declining water quality at popular bathing beaches mainly due to increased sewage contamination.

• IMA studies have established a link between bathing in sewage contaminated water and increased incidence of associated gastro-intestinal illnesses.