NATURE CONSERVATION
Coastal developments need to be compatible with conservation requirements.
Offshore protected habitats are needed to fully protect marine biodiversity.
Steps need to be taken to prevent alien species being introduced in coastal water
The potential impact of litter and garbage on the coastal environment requires that we minimise or eliminate that threat, by ensuring that there is no wholesale deposition of these items on the coastal areas.
Marine Environmental High Risk Areas should be identified.
WASTE INPUTS AND POLLUTION
There is a need for an inventory of coastal contamination.
Long-term effects and atmospheric impacts of industrial chemicals need to be researched before they come into general use, possibly through the Pesticides Board.
Pollutants from diffuse sources need to be dealt with.
The fate of chemical pollution and the pathways of chemicals through the marine system in coastal waters need to be better understood.
Steps should be taken to reduce the input of litter to the Caribbean Sea.
EXPLOITATION OF LIVING MARINE RESOURCES
Fishermen should be involved in the planning the location of new marine structures and cables.
Before allowing new fisheries projects to develop, research should be carried out to ensure that it would be exploited in a sustainable manner.
Factors affecting marine productivity in the offshore area need to be better understood.
PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT
There is need for an inshore strategic survey to provide information on coastal geology, hydrodynamics and the location of man-made features, for use by coastal planners and resource managers.
There is need for a strategic plan for the Nevis coasts, to provide a framework to guide local developments. This would be an appropriate outcome of the Nevis West Coast Management Plan.
