St. Maarten Private Eye

By Rueben J Thompson

Love the Lagoon, Environmental Protection in the Caribbean

Government departments are currently (hopefully) making their final modifications to the draft Marine Park Ordinance before submitting it to the Executive and ultimately the Island Council for approval.

EPIC acknowledges that the Marine Park Ordinance which establishes much of St. Maarten’s surrounding marine environment as a protected area, with conservation/ green, commercial-, traffic and industrial zones, is an extremely significant step forward towards the protection of the island’s natural heritage. It is however beyond the foundation’s understanding as to why the protection and zoning of a coastal ecosystem as vast and ecologically significant as the Simpson Bay Lagoon is not provided for as part of this ordinance.

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As mentioned and elaborated on in previous Lagoon Logs; the Lagoon serves as a nursery for shrimp, lobster, conch and many species of juvenile reef and deep seafish. Grunts, groupers and other commercially valuable fish are dependent on the mangroves in the Simpson Bay Lagoon for breeding (spawning) and their early growth.

The fact that the Lagoon has not been included for protection as part of St. Maarten’s soon to be established marine park gravely jeopardizes the welfare of the coral reefs and other ecosystems which this same Marine Park Ordinance is designed to protect; because these ecosystems rely heavily on the availability of suitable spawning and nursery grounds as provided by the Lagoon.

Considering that the drafting of the Marine Park Ordinance has already taken almost three years and taking into account that postponing its implementation to allow for the inclusion of the Lagoon would leave the rest of the marine environment in harms way. Government would be well advised to provide for the protection and zoning of the Lagoon into conservation, commercial and recreational areas by amending the ordinance after its implementation or by providing for another ordinance specifically dedicated towards the protection of the Lagoon.

Make sure you read the next Lagoon Log for more answers to your questions and for more information on the Simpson Bay Lagoon.

Rueben J. Thompson
Project Manager Love the Lagoon, Environmental Protection in the Caribbean

Additional Lagoon Logs - By Rueben J Thompson - EPIC

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