Download Declaration - Sister Sanctuary GoM Network

DECLARATION OF A GULF OF MEXICO TRANS-BOUNDARY SISTER SANCTUARY
NETWORK BETWEEN PARQUE NACIONAL SISTEMA ARRECIFAL
VERACRUZANO (PNSAV), PARQUE NACIONAL ARRECIFE ALACRANES (PNAA),
PARQUE NACIONAL ISLA CONTOY (PNIC) AND RESERVA DE LA BIOSFERA
TIBURON BALLENA (RBTB) IN MEXICO, WITH FLORIDA KEYS NATIONAL
MARINE SANCTUARY (FKNMS) AND FLOWER GARDEN BANKS NATIONAL
MARINE SANCTUARY (FGBNMS) IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
I.
Overview
The Gulf of Mexico Sister Sanctuary Network is established because it is understood that effective
management of marine resources in the Gulf of Mexico cannot be achieved without cooperation
between Mexico and the United States, and because special places in the Gulf of Mexico under
protected area management by SEMARNAT’s National Commission for Natural Protected Areas
(CONANP) in Mexico and by NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) in the United
States are physically and ecologically connected by ocean currents and the trans-boundary
movement and recruitment of marine species.
The Gulf of Mexico Large Marine Ecosystem fosters interactions among its residing species. This
interconnectivity enhances the maintenance of healthy species populations. Permanence of these
populations can be guaranteed only if the genetic load allows their adaptation to the Earth’s
changing conditions. As long as this germplasm is wider and accounts for exchange possibilities
among populations living even at large distances, there will be hope for those populations through
MPA connectivity. Therefore, MPAs represent one of the most effective means to conserving wild
populations at a global scale.
II.
Cooperation framework (interinstitutional agreement)
Consolidation of an International Gulf of Mexico Large Marine Ecosystem Marine Protected Area
Network, IGoM-LME-MPAN has been proposed in different ways and at several forums with
support of the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Mexico’s
National Commission for Natural Protected Areas (CONANP), and the bi-national Mexico-USA
Integrated Assessment and Management of the Gulf of Mexico Large Marine Ecosystem Program.
Several legal instruments, under which this cooperation may be achieved, are already in place
such as:
 Agreement between Mexico’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources and the US
National Parks Service (Department of the Interior) on Cooperation for Management and
Protection of National Parks and other Natural Protected Areas, signed on March 23, 2006
in Washington, D.C. and simultaneously the Joint Declaration to Strengthen Cooperation
on Sister Protected Areas between CONANP and NPS.
 Memorandum of Understanding for Marine Protected Areas Conservation and
Management between the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of Mexico and
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States of America,
signed on February 16, 2012 in San Francisco, California.
III.
Protected areas to be included in the sister sanctuary network
Within this framework, the Parque Nacional Sistema Arrecifal Veracruzano (PNSAV), the Parque
Nacional Arrecife Alacranes (PNAA), the Parque Nacional Isla Contoy (PNIC) and the Reserva de la
Biosfera Tiburon Ballena (RBTB) in Mexico are interested in establishing a trans-boundary sister
sanctuary relationship with Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) and Flower Garden
Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) in the United States for implementation of joint
actions.
All of these protected areas are within the Gulf of Mexico Large Marine Ecosystem and are
federally managed by NOAA in the US and CONANP in Mexico.
Cooperation opportunities are broad, with some communication channels already in place to
jointly develop the technical rationale that sustains the intention and need for this relationship.
IV.
Technical rationale
Main common issues and actions
a) Compiling an inventory of the natural resources shared by each protected area and among
all Sister Sanctuary Network PAs and understanding the migratory and reproductive
connections of species within and outside the International Gulf of Mexico Large Marine
Ecosystem Network.
b) Establishing a baseline with a comparable long-term monitoring program which includes
agreed indicators of physical, chemical, and biological parameters.
c) Establishing ad hoc ecosystem restoration and species recovery programs.
d) Sharing data on the mechanisms that disperse invasive species, pathogens and
contaminants in order to define compatible and to the extent possible, joint and
contemporary strategies to control and mitigate their impacts to the marine environment.
e) Exchanging information to locate, validate, and protect fish breeding aggregation sites.
f)
Understanding how human activities and changes to the marine environment could
impact the surroundings inside the Gulf of Mexico Protected Areas.
Cooperation in management will include, but not be limited to:
a) Advancing management of common marine ecosystems by identifying potential
workshops, conferences, and other opportunities for exchanging methods, knowledge,
and experiences of each protected area.
b) Assessing legislation on activities conducted in MPAs to address their specific impacts on
ecosystems
c) Consolidating the involvement of both community and users in the management of MPAs
through consultative or advisory councils for each site, and promoting interaction of these
councils with other sites of the sister sanctuaries network.
d) Creating opportunities for training and stays for all sister sanctuaries network staff.
e) Organizing meetings among all sister sanctuaries network staff to facilitate cooperation
and develop joint conservation initiatives and actions.
Cooperation in environmental education and communication will include, but not be limited to:
a) Promoting knowledge and ownership among users and the general public, of all network
sister sanctuaries in particular, and the Gulf of Mexico Large Marine Ecosystem in general.
b) Communicating the trans-boundary nature of migratory species and ecosystem functions.
c) Exchanging experiences and best management practices among users of marine areas.
d) Developing, exchanging and translating educational materials for use in all network sister
sanctuaries and the two countries to promote the network and its programs.
e) Promoting the sister sanctuary network as a major tool for marine resources
management.
f)
V.
Developing a joint website of the sister sanctuary network.
Expressed interest of both parties: Institutional Support
The Memorandum of Understanding for Marine Protected Areas Conservation and Management
between the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of Mexico and the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration of the United States of America, signed on February 16th, 2012
states that Mexico’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources through the National
Commission for Natural Protected Areas (CONANP) and the United States National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, through the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) recognize
the need to preserve and improve the environment for present and future generations; are
convinced of the mutual interest for strengthening the existing friendship as well as the
cooperation regarding environmental issues, and consider the advantages of working together to
contribute to the conservation of marine protected areas
Likewise, Article l of the MoU establishes a cooperation framework to allow the Participants,
within their own competencies, to carry out joint activities in order to contribute to the
conservation, administration and management of marine protected areas, especially those located
in the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Coast regions.
VI.
Work plan Preparation
A work plan is to be prepared jointly by managers of all network sister sanctuaries. This could be
started with a workshop on recognition of common species and ecosystems and the possibilities
for joint collaboration for their Conservation. The Parque Nacional Isla Contoy offers its Research
Station facilities to conduct it, preferably in August 2013, time during which the whale shark is still
around the area.
VII.
Work plan Execution
The work plan shall be carried out by all network sister sanctuaries, which may modify the
content, as well as prioritize tasks and seek incremental funding for its execution.
CONANP’s General Directorship for Institutional Development and Promotion (DGDIP) may
support management so that cooperation actions can be conducted according to the plan, besides
following up on the plan.
VIII.
Activities report: Assessment of the sister sanctuary network
With the aim of assessing the feasibility of conducting cooperation actions between sister sites
(PNSAV, PNAA, PNIC, RBTB, FKNMS, and FGBNMS) specific reports on each workshop shall be
prepared, as well as annual reports to define work plan progress and results. This will allow
controlling all actions carried out.
Besides information that allows showing the international community the benefits resulting from
trans-boundary collaboration between protected areas of different countries, not only
international recognition but also the possibility of getting access to international funds to support
continuation of this collaboration may be obtained.