St. Maarten Private Eye

Love the Lagoon, Environmental Protection in the Caribbean

Having first opted for the Clean Marinas and Good Mate programs EPIC is now working towards establishing the Blue Flag Program for Marinas on Sint Maarten as the program is recognized worldwide and is more appropriate for Sint Maarten’s needs.

The Blue Flag Program is an exclusive, voluntary eco-label awarded to beaches and/or marinas that meet a specific set of criteria concerning environmental information and education, water quality, safety, services and environmental management.

The program is designed to raise environmental awareness and increase sound environmental practices among tourists, residents, beach and marina management and staff. Blue Flag criteria is designed to work with the national, regional and local legislation of each country, thereby assuring that the legislation is being followed, it can also be used to set a benchmark higher than that which already exists.

EPIC’s Love the Lagoon project and its components are voluntary programs aimed at helping marinas improve those parts of their operations that impact the environment around them. Benefits for marinas, boatyards and therefore for St. Maarten are as follows:

• The marina and/or Boat yard will operate in a more efficient and environmentally friendly manner, and in return the marina should see long-term cost savings and increased income from boaters looking for clean marinas at which to stay.
• Compliance with current and soon to be implemented environmental regulations.
• Prevention or reduction of penalties for non-compliance with environmental legislation.
• Certification by the Clean Marinas Commission as a Clean Marina, giving certified Marinas and Boatyards a market advantage among environmentally conscious consumers.
• Improved boating environment.
• Improved natural environment. A cleaner and healthier Simpson Bay Lagoon.
• Recognition by boaters that the marina is meeting sound environmental measures and encouraging good boating habits.
• Recognition and promotion by the marine industry that the facility considers the environment an important asset in conducting business.
• Recognition by the community that the facility is a good environmental citizen.

What you can do to help protect the Simpson Bay Lagoon!!! PART I

Best Management Practices for Solid Waste and Debris
An earlier Lagoon Log mentioned the problem of illegal waste dumping, the next few paragraphs discuss Best Management Practices for solid waste and debris.

Plastic is non-biodegradable and will linger in the environment for centuries when dumped. Fishing lines, netting, plastic bags, ropes and other debris can entangle animals’ fins, flippers or wings, snare their legs or paws or wrap around their beaks. Other debris such as cigarette filters or plastic bags, look like food to many aquatic animals. Once ingested the plastic can block the digestive tract, killing the animal within days.

What Boaters Can Do to avoid Lagoon pollution by Solid (domestic) Waste:

• Bring all of your trash back after boating, fishing or other beach or Lagoon activities.
• Do not throw your cigarette filters overboard. They are non-biodegradable, contain toxic chemicals and may persist in the environment for years.
• Purchase reusable products and containers.
• Save and reuse plastic bags
• Take your recyclable materials back to your homeport for recycling.
• Use the Garbage facilities at the marina. If they are inadequate, request better services from the facility manager. If trash bins are overflowing, do not add to the problem. Take your garbage with you to a more appropriate disposal location.
• Organize and/or participate in beach and shoreline cleanups.

What Marinas Can Do to avoid Lagoon pollution by Solid (domestic) Waste:

• Keep trashcans, dumpsters and recycling bins from overflowing, empty them responsibly regularly.
• Encourage boaters to take recyclable materials back to their home port for recycling.
• Encourage boaters to take all batteries back to their homeport for reuse or proper disposal.
• Consider investing in the export of collected glass and plastics to recycling or reuse facilities in neighboring islands or the U.S.

Make sure you read the next Lagoon Log for more recommendations on what you can do to help protect the Simpson Bay Lagoon.

Rueben J. Thompson
Project Manager
Love the Lagoon
Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC)

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