Mesoamerican Barrier Reef Legal Reports: Mexico
Author
Alejandra Rabasa and Xiao Recio-Blanco
Date Released
July 2019

This document was prepared by the Environmental Law Institute in partnership with Rare. The report provides information regarding the structure and function of the Mexican government, as well as the institutional legal framework for the governance of small-scale fisheries and Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Specifically, this report summarizes main actors and the legal framework for artisanal/small-scale fisheries, and for management of fish resources in protected areas.

Sustainable Fisheries & Coastal Zoning in Curaçao: Legal & Institutional Assessment of Authorities & Approaches
Author
Read D. Porter, Kathryn Mengerink, and Bruce Myers
Date Released
July 2016

In February 2015, the Government of Curaçao and the Waitt Institute signed a memorandum of understanding to launch Blue Halo Curaçao (BHC), a comprehensive ocean and coastal management initiative with a goal of achieving the sustainable management of Curaçao’s ocean and coastal waters. BHC seeks to develop a Curaçao Sustainable Ocean Policy that will ensure long-term health of Curaçao’s waters through ocean zoning, protected areas, and fisheries reforms.

Legal Framework for Marine Protected Area Enforcement in Three Bays National Park, Haiti: Challenges and Opportunities
Date Released
May 2018
Legal Framework for Marine Protected Area Enforcement in Three Bays National Par

In 2015, the Environmental Law Institute, in collaboration with the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute (GCFI), examined the legal frameworks for MPA enforcement in eight countries within the Caribbean. The resulting report helps to guide efforts to build capacity for effective MPA enforcement in the region. In 2018, the Environmental Law Institute was tasked with conducting a review of the legal framework for MPA enforcement at Three Bays National Park, Haiti, which serves as a ninth chapter to that report.

Coordination in the Natural Resource Damage Assessment Process: Project Planning and Selection
Author
Amy Streitwieser, Teresa Chan, and Jay Austin
Date Released
June 2018

Our report, Coordination in the Natural Resource Damage Assessment Process: Project Planning and Selection, describes some tools that are available to the Deepwater Horizon NRDA trustees during project planning and selection that could help coordinate their activities internally within the NRDA program and with external entities. In particular, it focuses on (1) project screening criteria; (2) strategic frameworks; and (3) joint restoration planning.

Coordination in the Natural Resource Damage Assessment Process: General Tools and Mechanisms
Author
Amy Streitwieser, Teresa Chan, Jay Austin, Azi Akpan
Date Released
March 2018

As a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, a number of different funding processes have been put in place to help restore and recover the Gulf of Mexico. The three main ones are the natural resource damage assessment (NRDA), the RESTORE Act, and the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund (GEBF), which together will distribute over $16 billion. Each of these processes has its own objectives, timelines, governance structure, and opportunities for the public to engage.

Fast Tracking Restoration: Addressing Resource Constraints in Federal Agencies
Author
Benjamin Solomon-Schwartz, Teresa Chan, Amy Streitwieser, Jay Austin, Azi Akpan
Date Released
December 2017

In general, federal agencies can only expend funds allocated to them through the Congressional appropriations process. Under some circumstances, however, federal agencies are allowed to accept outside funds or share personnel with other entities. This report highlights some of these circumstances. Appropriately applied, these provisions may assist federal agencies overseeing Gulf restoration in addressing at least some of their resource constraints related to environmental compliance.

Policy Options for a Bermuda Nearshore Marine Spatial Planning Process
Author
Read D. Porter, Dr. Kathryn Mengerink, Bruce Myers, David Roche, Xiao Recio-Blanco
Date Released
November 2016

Bermuda’s nearshore marine environment is a critical economic, environmental, and social resource that supports a wide array of recreational and commercial uses, including but not limited to commercial and recreational fishing, dive tourism, commercial and cruise shipping, and undersea cabling. These uses must coexist, and the challenge of managing the intensive use of the Bermuda Platform and other nearshore waters will increase in the future as new activities, like offshore energy and aquaculture facilities, are introduced.

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