National Strategic Biodiversity Action Plan 2014-2020.

The National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) is a document with a multi-sectoral approach aimed to safeguard natural resources and ecosystems while still allowing for their efficient and sustainable utilization as a driver of economic growth and development. The NBSAP seeks to establish a strong and effective management system for specific species, vulnerable ecosystems and protected areas. The overall objective of the NBSAP is to ensure the biological diversity of Antigua and Barbuda is sustainably and equitably used, protected and conserved so that it contributes positively to the social and economic development of the country. In achieving this objective, the strategy seeks to ensure the realization of the following goals: (a) a national system, including protected areas, for the management and conservation of biodiversity is established; (b) the strengthening of the capacity of government natural resources management institutions, as well as non-governmental organizations; (c) ecological legislation providing adequate protection of biological diversity is improved or developed where necessary, enacted and enforced; (d) public awareness of environmental issues, ecological education and public participation in decision-making is strengthened. The outline of the strategy covers the full scope of the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Chapter 5 sets out five strategic goals and related indicators and actions to be undertaken. These goals, as mentioned above, are established on the basis of the Convention on Biological Diversity strategic goal and Aichi Biodiversity Targets for 2011-2020. The first strategic goal is to address the underlying causes of biodiversity loss by mainstreaming biodiversity across government and society. The actions to be implemented include carrying out a collaborative environmental public education programme; developing and implementing an annual competition for nationally recognized awards for environmentally friendly management by businesses and service organizations; developing mechanisms to enforce sustainable levels of use of biodiversity including sanctions and penalties against environmental crimes. The second strategic goal is to reduce the direct pressures on biodiversity and promote sustainable use. The actions to be implemented include: integrated management together with appropriate internal management structures within the coordinating unit developed; clear and measurable environmental outcomes based on environmental indicators; a systematic monitoring regime, and maintenance of the necessary capability to monitor and mitigate based on the information generated by the monitoring programmes; implementation of a systematic data gathering programme. The third strategic goal aims at improving the status of biodiversity by safeguarding ecosystems, species and genetic diversity. The establishment of a Protected Areas System for terrestrial and marine conservation is envisaged. The fourth strategic goal is to enhance the benefits to all from biodiversity and ecosystem services. This includes the establishment of plant nurseries, in particular a forest and agricultural nursery, for the propagation of, and research on required planting stock.
The document aims at making agriculture and forestry more productive and sustainable. Under strategic goal 1, target 4 addresses the development of training and awareness programmes aimed at ensuring farmers and other parties engage in sustainable conservation and production methods.
Regarding governance, the fifth strategic goal of the strategy is aimed at enhancing the implementation through participatory planning, knowledge management and capacity building. A key component is the establishment of a National Fund to facilitate the sustained management of the country’s ecosystems and protected areas. The Fund will be supported by local stakeholders and international partners. This Fund will be enshrined in the Environment Protection and Management Bill.