Challenges and conservation efforts in Haiti’s Parc National des Trois Baies

PORT-AU-PRINCE—Northern Haiti’s park, the Parc National des Trois Baies (PN3B) or Three Bays National Park, is one of the country’s nine marine protected areas established to preserve its rich biodiversity. Despite being designated as a protected area in 2013, the park faces significant challenges in protecting its species.

This vast area spans approximately 292 square miles, covering five municipalities: Limonade in the North department, Caracol, Terrier-Rouge, Fort-Liberté, and Ferrier in the Northeast department. The PN3B is home to diverse ecosystems, including extensive mangrove forests and coral reefs—the largest on Haiti’s northern coast.

A 2016 study by The Nature Conservancy and the Inter-American Development Bank identified 179 native plant species, including five on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List, and 95 bird species, with notable mentions of the Hispaniola Amazon and Caribbean Flamingo, among many endemic species in the park’s area. Despite the area’s ecological wealth, local communities and fishermen exert pressure on the park’s resources.

Over 10 years after the government’s decision to establish the mechanism to protect the area’s biodiversity, the park’s governance remains problematic. The Ministry of the Environment and the National Agency for Protected Areas (ANAP) struggle to gain local support and effectively manage resources. The absence of the Protected Area Surveillance Brigade (BSAP) further complicates conservation efforts.

Jean Wiener, director of the Foundation for the Protection of Marine Biodiversity (FOPROBIM), highlights poverty as a major barrier to biodiversity conservation in the region. “FOPROBIM works to strengthen community capacities, engage in reforestation, and establish coral gardens,” he said. “However, poverty drives locals to exploit mangroves for charcoal, threatening essential breeding grounds for marine life. Moreover, inadequate fishing practices, such as using small mesh nets, hinder species replenishment.”

People living near the park threaten both marine and terrestrial species by cutting down red and black mangroves for charcoal production, prematurely fishing aquatic species, and arbitrarily exploiting rocks from the site for construction. 

Recent efforts by local government

A decree signed by the three municipalities was enacted to prohibit small mesh nets, encouraging sustainable fishing practices in the area. Wiener emphasizes that catching mature fish is more beneficial than depleting juvenile stocks. Despite these efforts, a more robust environmental protection policy from the central government is necessary, Wiener added.

To support local community efforts, FOPROBIM has developed alternative income sources, such as ecotourism and beekeeping, to reduce reliance on fishing. Beekeeping projects are being implemented across nine communities, providing training and materials to new beekeepers. However, the lack of tourists due to Haiti’s current security crisis hampers the economic diversification program.

According to Wiener, local initiatives to help protect the PN3B would be effective if BSAP had the necessary means, including adequate equipment and agents, to fulfill its duties.

The park’s conservation efforts are undermined by insufficient support from the institution, which has failed to fulfill its monitoring mission. “FOPROBIM managers can only alert authorities to ongoing issues, as they lack enforcement power,” he said. “ This is the BSAP agents’ responsibility.”

The FOPROBIM director conceded that while the PN3B holds incredible ecological and cultural value, like many other protected areas in Haiti, effective conservation requires comprehensive policies, community involvement, and adequate enforcement to safeguard its resources for future generations.

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