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NATURE WORLDWIDE: NATIONAL PARKS & NATURE RESERVES WORLD INSTITUTE FOR CONSERVATION & ENVIRONMENT, WICE
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1. REVISION OF CATEGORIESFollowing management concepts developed in the nineteen seventies, Honduras has assumed about eighteen management categories for SINAPH. In agreement with the Terms of Reference, part of the rationalisation process is to re-assess which categories should be used for the now existing protected areas. The existing categories are not always clear in their objectives and limitations, which is a major draw-back in setting the rules for all actors. Legal clarity is quintessential for all actors:
It should be well understood that protected areas are distinguished from unprotected (rural) areas by the fact that they are protected from certain human activities or uses. That implies that there are certain sets of regulations set by law that restrict certain rights of land-use as compared to non-protected areas. For each management category it should be made very clear what is allowed and which are the essential restrictions; differences between management categories must leave no room for doubt. With 18 different categories, there is no clarity and we propose that the number of management categories of SINAPH be reduced to the categories listed in Table 7, “Characteristics and use objectives of categories of management areas as proposed in this study” and that their definitions as proposed in the following paragraphs be included both in the law and elaborated in a new Code of Regulation for SINAPH Table 9 : Characteristics and use objectives of categories of management areas as proposed by this study.
1 as defined and regulated in the management plan. The advisory team has taken the six world wide IUCN management categories as the point of departure for defining the proposed categories, as those categories basically cover all the different existing options into clear and distinct sets of rules. Specific legal definitions are proposed for each Honduran category. The precise legal clarity, the wording has been kept exactly the same for all categories where the conditions coincide. Differences are made clear by textual differentiation or absence. A National park is a large – usually over 5000 ha - natural terrestrial or aquatic area of national importance to protect the integrity of a representative sample of one or more ecosystems with their ecological processes and genetic flow, groups of species, unique natural phenomena and to conserve outstanding landscapes and/or natural beauty in an unaltered state. A management plan is subject to approval by the management authority, after a stakeholder hearing process. It defines the nuclear and bufferzone(s) and other zoning, including, for the nuclear zone the visitation areas, and for the bufferzone(s) land-use, areas for habitation and biodiversity conservation, as well as land use regulation and wildlife management to protect biodiversity in the bufferzones. In the nuclear zone(s) non-consumptive use is permitted – if compatible with natural ecological processes and subject to regulation in the management plan - specifically, scientific research, environmental education, visitation and harvesting of water; forbidden are any human productive or extractive land use. In the bufferzones hunting is forbidden, unless by ethnic groups with traditional land-uses, in which case the hunting regimen shall be defined in the management plan. A Nature Reserve is a natural terrestrial or aquatic area of national importance to protect the integrity of a representative sample of one or more ecosystems with their ecological processes and genetic flow, groups of species, unique natural phenomena and to conserve outstanding landscapes and/or natural beauty in an unaltered state. A management plan is subject to approval by the management authority, after a stakeholder hearing process. It defines the nuclear and bufferzone(s) and other zoning, including for the bufferzone(s) land-use, areas for habitation and biodiversity conservation, as well as land use regulation and wildlife management to protect biodiversity in the bufferzones. In the nuclear zone(s) non-consumptive use is permitted – if compatible with natural ecological processes and subject to regulation in the management plan - specifically, scientific research, environmental education, and harvesting of water; forbidden are any human productive or extractive land use. In the bufferzones hunting is forbidden, unless by ethnic groups with traditional land-uses, in which case the hunting regimen shall be defined in the management plan. A Natural Monument is a natural terrestrial or aquatic area – usually less than 5000 ha - of national importance to protect the integrity of a representative sample of one or more ecosystems with their ecological processes and genetic flow, groups of species, unique natural phenomena or to conserve outstanding landscapes and/or natural beauty in an unaltered state. A management plan is subject to approval by the management authority, after a stakeholder hearing process. It defines zoning, including the visitation areas. Non-consumptive use is permitted – if compatible with natural ecological processes and subject to regulation in the management plan - specifically, scientific research, environmental education, visitation and harvesting of water; forbidden are any human productive or extractive land uses. Assuming these definitions, the areas of the “National Parks system” model have been selected as an integrated group of areas that together is expected to conserve the majority of biodiversity of Honduras through ecosystem protection. Each one has ecosystems whose integrity is essential for the conservation of the national heritage of Honduras’ biodiversity. The advisory group recommends that several protected areas be combined into one single protected area: · National Park Pico Bonito would be unified with Texiguat and Arenal; · Golfo de Fonseca National Park would result from the merger of the estuarine protected areas on the south coast; · Bay Islands National Park already consists of the three larger Bay Islands; · Rus Rus National Park would include Warunta in the proposal; · Lago de Yojoa would encompass Santa Barbara and Mount Azul Meambar; · Capiro y Calenturo would be expanded with Laguna Guaymoreto. The unification of these areas would upgrade the splendour of each unit, it would simplify the administration and it would enhance the public recognition of these high-profile national parks. After the merging of these areas, Honduras would have 24 national parks, 4 biological reserves and 2 natural monuments. Whether this can be done legally or only from a management point of view may vary from case to case, but it is important to at least present those areas to the public as integrated national park units. This would also need to be reflected in fully integrated management plans. This should be considered as the regional plans as proposed in the draft strategy for SINAPH. Unification would also lead to reduced management costs, as some of the management functions could be reduced, resulting from the lower management costs for larger protected areas. Protected areas in Honduras, usually include bufferzones. These bufferzones allow for certain forms of utilisation of natural resources, and therefore would fall under IUCN Category VI. On the other hand, Category II and VI areas may contain within them Category I areas. The nature reserve should have the option to define Ia or Ib status by management plan, rather than defining such status by decree. This will allow the area administration the necessary flexibility to properly protect the area. Usually a dual function is ideal and such distinction would most appropriately be established in internal zoning regulations as established in the management plan. The nature reserve part of the Lancetilla Botanical Garden would best qualify under the management category of biological reserve. However, both the botanical garden and its international research programme generate considerable visitation. Visitation is not a primary characteristic for a nature reserve and therefore the JBL - with its reserve as a lower visitation zone - would probably better fit under the category of national monument as defined previously in this document. Specific needs of the area would need to be regulated in the management plan. An observation regarding the integrity of the Bay Islands Marine National Park is at place. While the significance of the area’s marine environment is and remains paramount, there should be more integration of both marine and the unique Caribbean terrestrial ecosystems into the management attention as well as in the presentation to the visitors. Table 10 : Selected Areas and Proposed Management Category
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