Coastal parks as development catalysts: A caribbean example

Abstract

The site of the proposed Pitons National Park comprises an area of 1600 acres of terrestrial and marine habitat that extends southward from the town of Soufriere on the west coast of St Lucia in the eastern Caribbean. The park has great potential as a focal point for the economic revitalization of this depressed region, particularly considering the diversity of natural and cultural attractions in its immediate environs. Total investment required for the establishment of the park is estimated at EC$4·4 million (EC$2·70=$US1·00) for land acquisition, a road system and visitors' center. Annual operating costs of EC$0·7 million would be offset by an estimated income of EC$1·07 million in the first year from concession operations, entrance fees and the sale of crafts and souvenirs. By the third year of operation, park income will double, while annual income to Soufriere from lodging and related expenses will reach an estimated EC$23·8 million. Establishment of the park will create 400 permanent jobs and help to stabilize the local economy, including the long-term viability of the local fishing industry through sustained management of the reef systems. Without the establishment of the park, however, the economic future of Soufriere remains clouded. However positive this proposal sounds, the Government is also currently considering an alternative proposal to construct a large hotel-casino complex on the site of the proposed park, while accommodating a small guest-house within the park may be feasible, a large hotel development would certainly alter the concept of the Pitons as a public resource, and also directly affect the current proposal to manage the area's resources in an intergrated fashion.