Nature in Antigua and Barbuda

Antigua combines volcanic highlands in the southwest, with Boggy Peak reaching up to 402 metres, central plains, hilly limestone country in the north and east, caves, ghauts, wetlands and coastal habitats. Barbuda is a flat coral-limestone island with highlands below 40 metres, the Codrington Lagoon and an offshore beach barrier. Redonda is an uninhabited volcanic dependency island. Habitats include evergreen and dry xerophytic forests, scrubland, grassland, watersheds, mangroves, herbaceous swamps, salt ponds, coral reefs, seagrass meadows, beaches and marine areas. This nature supports fisheries, food security, tourism, birdwatching, walking, snorkelling and diving. At the same time, conflicts over use arise from coastal development, overfishing, sand mining, clearing, livestock grazing, invasive species and interventions to adapt to climate change. The Department of Environment (DoE) develops national environmental policy and works on biodiversity, wildlife, wetlands, protected areas, forestry, environmental impact assessments, data, education and complaints. The National Parks Authority (NPA) manages national parks and their natural, physical, ecological and historical resources. The Fisheries Division, together with the Chief Fisheries Officer, oversees marine resources. On Barbuda, the Barbuda Council and the Barbuda Senior Fisheries Officer have additional responsibilities for coastal and fisheries management. The Environmental Protection and Management Act (EPMA) of 2019 provides a central basis for nature conservation. Schedule IX protects wildlife, including all native bird species, marine mammals, bats and sea turtles. Examples include the Antigua racer snake, the Barbuda Warbler, the Antigua Broad-winged Hawk, the Hawksbill Turtle, the Green Turtle, the Leatherback Turtle, the Magnificent Frigatebird and several reptiles on Redonda. The DoE is the CITES Management Authority. The CITES Appendices I–III Order 2025 has been in force since 30 June 2025. Designated protected areas include Codrington Lagoon National Park, which is also a Ramsar site. A Ramsar site is an internationally recognised wetland; Codrington Lagoon covers approximately 3,600 hectares and was designated on 2 June 2005. The National Marine Managed Area (NEMMA) has existed since 2005 and covers approximately 77.7 square kilometres of marine area. Other examples include Nelson's Dockyard National Park, Boggy Peak National Park and the community-managed Wallings Nature Reserve with 680 hectares. A planned or proposed designation is documented for the Redonda Ecosystem Reserve; no confirmed legally effective classification should be inferred from this. A protected area may be designated by Ministerial Order and may involve management planning and IUCN categories. For Crown Land, the process includes consultations, participation by the Barbuda Council, a public notice and at least 30 days for comments. On private land, owners, neighbours, communities and non-governmental organisations are involved. Closed areas and time- or activity-based restrictions are intended to be signposted on site. For projects with potential environmental impacts, the DoE maintains an EIA Registry. The environmental impact assessment (Umweltverträglichkeitsprüfung) is made available online and during an office inspection for at least two weeks. Following a corresponding request, the DoE publishes its findings within no more than 30 days. The final decision is made by the Chief Town and Country Planner. Protected wildlife may not be taken or disturbed. Written authorisation from the Chief Fisheries Officer is required to take or use marine flora, marine fauna and coral. On Barbuda, fishing requires a Special Area Permit from the age of 16; people under 16 may engage in recreational fishing without this Permit if they comply with all rules. A permit for local fishers is valid for two years, while a permit for non-resident sport or recreational fishers is valid for one week and at most for the period of lawful stay. Fees are set out in the relevant Schedule; current total amounts have not been centrally verified. The Council may set conditions and catch-effort limits; suspension or revocation is possible, and a decision may be appealed within 21 days. On Barbuda, catching and possessing parrotfish and sea urchins is prohibited. Shark fishing there is permitted only for residents for traditional use; the export of shark fins is prohibited. Large conch shells must be handed in on land or at certified disposal areas. The closed season for lobster runs from 1 May to 30 June; minimum sizes also apply: 95 millimetres carapace length, 680 grams total weight or 200 grams tail weight. Queen Conch has a closed season from 1 July to 31 August; Nassau Grouper, Red Hind and Coney from 1 January to 31 March; and parrotfish from 1 May to 31 July. Turtles, eggs and nests may not be taken or disturbed. The DoE has announced a Green Card for access to certain natural areas; its implementation status has not been conclusively confirmed. General access is intended for Victoria Park Botanical Gardens, Codrington Lagoon National Park and Boggy Peak National Park. The NPA announces opening hours and closed areas on site. Commercial photography, video or film production in national parks requires an agreement with the NPA. Examples documented for NPA tours include Rum in the Ruins at 25 US dollars or 65 EC dollars and Clarence House at 20 US dollars or 50 EC dollars; general park fees have not been fully verified. Nature-related education is part of the DoE's mandate and takes place through school lessons, media and public environmental awareness activities. The Environmental Awareness Group offers, among other things, excursions, the Floating Classroom, talks on endangered species and volunteer monitoring. Formal and community- or NGO-based forms of access coexist; no national compulsory qualification or uniform entitlement pathway for nature education has been documented. Antigua and Barbuda are particularly exposed to tropical storms and hurricanes between June and November, storm surges, coastal flooding, wave action, drought, heat, low rainfall, marine heatwaves, sea-level rise, beach erosion, saltwater intrusion, earthquakes and tsunamis. The DoE provides a climate risk map covering cyclone wind, storm surge, drought, marine heatwaves and sea-level rise. NODS coordinates preparedness for multiple hazards, while the Antigua & Barbuda Meteorological Service provides weather and climate data as well as warnings. Complaints about environmental problems can be submitted through the DoE's Environmental Complaints Form.