How we work

C-CAM’s approach to natural resources management is based on the maximum involvement of communities though co-management based on the best available scientific and social information. When it was first established, C-CAM focused on carrying out baseline studies of the Portland Bight Area to provide the background information needed to manage the proposed protected area. This included studies of the coastal communities, the wetlands and birds.

C-CAM’s philosophy is that we cannot manage the area alone. Therefore we have established several co-management councils, including Portland Bight Fisheries Management Council (PBFMC), Portland Bight Tourism Council (PBTC), Portland Bight Industrial Council (PBIC) and Portland Bight Citizens Council (PBCC).  The Councils are designed to allow us to collaborate and partner with community groups, NGOs, business people, government departments and agencies to manage the area. This has greatly enhanced C-CAM’s effectiveness in the area.

The most consistent council has been the PBFMC which has been meeting every month for more than 15 years.  The members include Marine Police, Jamaica Defense Force Coast Guard, Fisheries Division, Jamaica Fishermen’s Cooperative, National Environment & Planning Agency and all fisheries organizations on the beaches in the area as well as other fishing interests.  The members of the PBFMC discuss and try to come up with solutions raised by fishers, lobby on behalf of fishers, review acts (e.g. Fisheries Act), provide training to fishers, provide interchange with other fishers though exchanges (e.g. Haitian fishers 1998, Colombian Fishers (2006)).  We also facilitate fishers participating in local, national and international workshops by seeking funding, transportation, visas among other things.   This council seeks to empower fishers.

The Portland Bight Citizens Council (PBCC) was a forum that allowed community representatives  to come together with agency representatives as well as the political directorate to discuss and seek solutions for community issues – no /poor garbage collection, pollution, no street lights, bad roads, drain cleaning etc.. Once Parish Development Councils (PDCs) were established we recognized that there was overlap in their functions. The C-CAM Executive Director is the secretary of the Clarendon PDC & chairs the Vere Development Area Council (VDAC) (one of three DACs in Clarendon), C-CAM is also a member of PDCs in both parishes.  These Councils have provided an equivalent opportunity to assist communities in seeking solutions to their problems.

Corporate partnerships

Jamalco

Monymusk

Urban Development Corporation

NCB Foundation

Government partnerships

National Environment & Planning Agency

Fisheries Division

Forestry Department

Clarendon and St. Catherine Parish Councils

Non-government partnerships

Clarendon and St. Catherine Parish Development Committees

University of the West Indies

(And many others to be listed)

International partnerships

UNESCO

GEF

C-CAM has also worked closely with the government agencies to implement international conservation partnerships e.g.

• Portland Bight Ramsar Site

The wetlands of Portland Bight were declared as a RAMSAR site in 2006.  In tandem with this we have celebrated World Wetlands Day for the past few years by hosting a day of events including boat tours of wetlands, mangrove restoration, environmental games for students (from schools in Clarendon and elsewhere), power point presentations/videos on the importance of wetlands as well as poster display on the importance of wetlands and why we should protect them.

• Portland Bight Proposed Biosphere Reserve

For a number of years we have been trying to get the area designated as a Biosphere Reserve.  In February 2008 our Executive Director was invited to a workshop in Spain where the matter of creation, management and importance of Biosphere Reserves were discussed.