Marine Conservation in Dominica

Marine Conservation in Dominica brings together laws, protected areas, agencies, and community projects to safeguard coral reefs, sea turtles, fisheries, and marine mammals while supporting coastal livelihoods. The legal foundation is set mainly by the Fisheries Act No. 11 of 1987, the National Parks and Protected Areas Act, the Forestry and Wildlife Act, and the Beach Control Act, which together enable marine reserves, regulate fishing, protect beaches and wildlife, and designate park authorities.

Laws and institutions

Fisheries Act No. 11 of 1987: Establishes management powers for fishery waters, authorizes local management areas, protects marine life, and empowers officers to enforce gear rules and licensing. The Act frames research, monitoring, and seizure powers that support modern conservation.
National Parks and Protected Areas Act: Creates the national parks system, including marine components such as the Marine Section of the Cabrits National Park, and sets roles for wardens and a parks council.
Forestry and Wildlife Act: Protects wildlife and regulates hunting and taking of species, with sea turtle close seasons and beach protection enforced in tandem with the Fisheries Division.
Beach Control Act: Vests foreshore and seabed in the State, provides for licensing of uses on beaches and seabed, and supports integrated shoreline management.

Execution is shared mainly by the Fisheries Division and the Forestry, Wildlife & Parks Division, supported by local councils and cooperatives. The Forestry, Wildlife & Parks Division manages three national parks and numerous eco-sites that interface with marine access points and turtle nesting beaches.

Priority protected areas and species

Soufriere Scotts Head Marine Reserve (SSMR): At the island’s southwest tip, SSMR protects a submerged volcanic crater rim with walls, pinnacles, fumaroles, and fringing reefs. The reserve prohibits anchoring and requires use of installed moorings to prevent coral damage. Visitor guidance and management plans stress regulated scuba diving, snorkeling corridors, and operator compliance. Champagne Reef, inside the reserve, features continuous volcanic gas bubbles that attract divers year round.

Marine Section of the Cabrits National Park: The marine unit adjoining Fort Shirley and Prince Rupert Bay protects reefs and seagrass beds used by fishers, dive operators, and yachts. A management plan developed under the OECS OPAAL project, and later community co-management work under ECMMAN, introduced zoning, user engagement, and SocMon surveys to align rules with livelihood needs.

Sperm Whale Reserve: Announced in November 2023, this west coast reserve covers about 788 square kilometres, aiming to reduce ship strikes and gear entanglement while managing tourism interactions in a critical calving and feeding area for an Eastern Caribbean population estimated at roughly two hundred to under three hundred animals. Plans include traffic corridors, monitoring, and a Senior Whale Officer post.

Sea turtles: Close seasons, nest protection, and beach-based monitoring are applied through Forestry and partner NGOs, with long-running initiatives on southeast beaches such as Rosalie and La Plaine. Law and action plans address nesting female protection, egg poaching, lighting, and community patrols.

Management tools on the water

Mooring fields and no-anchoring rules. In SSMR and other sensitive sites, anchoring restrictions protect coral and sponges, with dive and yacht moorings maintained to concentrate use at hardened points and avoid chain scouring. Public guidance is clear that boats must pick up moorings, not drop hooks, inside reserve limits.
Gear and method controls. Fisheries officers enforce bans on destructive methods such as explosives and poisons, regulate mesh sizes, and can seize illegal gear. These powers are central to keeping reef fish populations viable.
Zoning and user codes. At Cabrits, zoning separates snorkeling and diving from transit corridors, while community agreements with fishers help time gear setting and retrieval to reduce conflicts with tour operators. SocMon reporting documents how rules and education improve compliance over time.

Science, monitoring, and regional programmes

Dominica has tapped regional programmes to couple ecology with livelihoods:

OPAAL created frameworks for protected areas with community benefits and provided the first management planning for the Cabrits marine unit.
ECMMAN funded community-led improvements, stakeholder mapping, and mooring maintenance, while introducing SocMon methods to track perceptions, use patterns, and compliance.
National and site-level monitoring tracks reef health at high-use dive sites such as Champagne Reef and assesses visitor pressure. Communications from tourism and conservation stakeholders highlight the volcanic bubble fields and reef walls as globally distinctive features worth careful stewardship.

Economic and social impact

Marine conservation delivers direct and indirect benefits:

Tourism value: Diving and snorkeling at SSMR and Cabrits generate guide fees, gear rentals, boat charters, and certifications. Signature sites such as Champagne Reef are consistently promoted by national tourism and travel media, drawing higher-spend visitors who stay longer.
Whale watching: The new whale reserve positions Dominica as a leader in conservation-led tourism. International coverage links the reserve to job creation, strengthened branding, and climate co-benefits related to whale ecology.
Fisher livelihoods: Managed zones, gear rules, and seasonal measures aim to stabilise catches and reduce gear loss. Co-ops around Prince Rupert Bay and Scotts Head have participated in planning exercises that channel investments to moorings, docks, and visitor services.
Education and civic pride: Sea turtle patrols, school talks, and community science create local guardianship, especially during nesting season. Action plans and NGO reports document reductions in poaching on monitored beaches and rising participation by youth.

Threats and responses

Habitat damage: Anchors, careless finning, and unplanned coastal works can break coral and smother seagrass. Responses include mooring expansion, strict no-anchoring policies in reserves, and operator briefings that emphasise buoyancy control and no-touch diving etiquette.
Pollution and runoff: Heavy rain events move sediments and nutrients into bays. Park and fisheries teams prioritise reef monitoring after storms and partner with coastal projects to manage runoff. OPAAL and later assessments called for routine water-quality tracking linked to park management plans.
Illegal or unregulated fishing: Destructive gear and unlicensed operations are deterred through patrols, gear seizure, and community reporting lines, supported by legal powers under the Fisheries Act.
Vessel strikes on whales: The whale reserve’s traffic corridors, encounter rules, and dedicated officers target this risk while maintaining research and carefully managed tourism.

Planning and policy coherence

Marine conservation is increasingly framed within a National Ocean Policy approach in the OECS that links fisheries, tourism, shipping, and climate resilience. That lens helps Dominica coordinate spatial planning in the exclusive economic zone with park and reserve rules closer to shore, aligning investment in moorings, ranger capacity, and visitor infrastructure with conservation goals.

On land–sea connections, the National Parks and Protected Areas Act allows marine and terrestrial planning to be integrated at places like Cabrits National Park, where reefs, seagrass, and the historic garrison occupy one protected landscape. Reviews of the protected areas framework highlight progress and capacity gaps, recommending steady budgets, interagency coordination, and community roles in compliance.

What visitors and operators should know

Use established moorings inside SSMR, never anchors, and follow posted zones. Book with licensed dive and whale-watch operators who brief clients on site rules.
Respect turtle nesting beaches during close seasons, keep lights low at night, and report nest sightings to Forestry or partner groups.
At Cabrits, observe the guidance of park staff and community partners. Zoning and SocMon findings inform rules that keep space for fishers, yachts, snorkelers, and divers.

Programme Direction

Dominica’s approach mixes strong legal tools with site-specific management and community participation. The southwest crater-rim reserve and the Cabrits marine unit protect reefs and seagrass used by residents and visitors, while the west-coast sperm whale reserve adds a large-scale sanctuary for a globally important population. Continued attention to moorings, education, monitoring, and fair enforcement can keep the “Nature Isle” reputation aligned with real ecological outcomes that support jobs and biodiversity.