Wider Caribbean Environmental Agricultural Constraints and Resource Management AMBIO 1981
...NEED FOR MARINE AND On the other hand, there is substantial COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT of pollutants on marine organisms and evidence that mangrove swamps, coral ecosystems in the Wider Caribbean Re- POLICIES reefs, Thallasia beds and coastal lagoons gion is limited. However, there are indica- contribute to the life cycle of a great Most Caribbean countries have not fully tions that stress conditions do exist in majority of the commercial species of fish eveloped the managerial and custodial coastal areas adjacent to several urban and shellfish captured in the region. Thus, ethics or the policies needed to adequately and industrial sites in the region. The de- degradation of these ecosystems resulting protect and use their coastal and marine gree of this stress has to be assessed and from pollution, or from physical disrup- assets. The most important reasons for the effects on public health and marine tion of coastal areas, has a far more severe this situation are as follows: a) national resources need to be quantified in order to effect than if the fishery was linked to economic problems often overshadow en- provide a substantive case for managing productivity in open waters. vironmental considerations so that costs developmental activities...