A MANAGEMENT Plan for the Shell Beach Protected Area (SBPA), has been completed.The plan was devised by a team of specialists hired in March 2014 to assist the Protected Areas Commission (PAC) to develop the Management Plan for Shell Beach, and was developed through a highly participatory process involving numerous consultations with 11 Amerindian communities located in and around the protected area; and with Conservation NGOs, the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, and sector agencies in the natural resources sector.

The plan addresses conservation and sustainable resource use; law enforcement, and education and awareness; and promotes infrastructure development within the area.

The Draft Management Plan was made available for public review during the period November/December 2014.
Final comments received were subsequently addressed and incorporated into the document.

The finalised management plan aims to sustain the rich cultural heritage of the beach, which is associated with the location of several Amerindian communities; and to protect and conserve biodiversity, including the largest contiguous remaining area of mangroves.

The finalised plan is available at www.nre.gov.gy

Completion of the plan represents one of the major activities engaged under the German-funded Guyana Protected Areas Systems Project (GPAS) Phase II, which was executed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment (MNRE) and implemented by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Commissioner of the Protected Areas Commission (PAC), Mr. Damien Fernandes, disclosed that the draft of the plan, which was thoroughly discussed last November, has been concretised and will guide the work of the PAC for the next five years.

THE SBPA
Located along the North West Coast of Guyana’s Region 1, and stretching for over 120 kilometres of beach and mudflats, the SBPA was designated a protected area with the passage of the Protected Areas Act of 2011.

The beach was identified as a priority site for conservation for the four species of marine turtles that nest there and are currently listed as endangered, namely: the Leatherback, Olive Ridley, Hawksbill and Green turtle, and also for its other rich fauna and fauna present.

The largest intact stand of mangroves in Guyana is found along this beach – another reason for conservation, given the important benefits these ecosystems provide.

(By Clifford Stanley)