St. Maarten Private Eye

By Rueben J Thompson

Love the Lagoon, Environmental Protection in the Caribbean

The National Nature (Conservation) Ordinance of the Netherlands Antilles or the “landsverordening, grondslagen natuurbeheer en bescherming” as it is called in Dutch was passed in 1998-1999 (amended in 2001).

The ordinance obligates the central government to prepare a national policy (Nature Policy Plan) with regards to the management and conservation of nature and the environment. Equally if not more important is that the ordinance regulates the protection of flora and fauna, the conservation of biodiversity, the management and conservation of habitats and ecosystems and the implementation of International Treaties. To this end it obligates each island government to formulate an island nature policy plan every 5 years, to draft and implement an island nature ordinance and most importantly to establish protected areas. Sint Maarten has not yet drafted a nature plan and has regrettably not yet established any (Terrestrial) Protected Areas, but, was the first island to pass the required Nature Ordinance (2003).

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The National Nature Ordinance also mandates the Executive Councils of the Island territories of the Netherlands Antilles to appoint civil servants and/or other suitable persons as Special Agents of the Police (Buiten Gewoon Agent van Politie) to assist the local police forces with the enforcement of the National Nature Ordinance , the Local Nature Ordinance and other relevant environmental legislation.

Managers and staff members of Nature Conservation Foundations in Saba and St. Eustatius participated in and completed the required 4 week “Special Agents of the Police” course and were sworn in as such by the island’s respective Lt. Governors in 2005.

As stated in earlier Lagoon Logs none of St. Maarten’s environmental/ nature Conservation Foundations currently have any sort of law enforcement authority.

The Island’s environmental foundations are managed by people with years of experience and training in conservation management and in resolving environmental challenges. Appointing them as special agents of police, to support environmental law enforcement efforts, can therefore contribute towards alleviating some of the pressures both St. Maarten itself and the severely understaffed VROM department and relevant inspection departments are currently faced with.

With all the environmental challenges St. Maarten is currently faced with the Executive Council would do well to arrange or endorse efforts for the management and staff of local environmental foundations to follow the relevant course for and subsequently be sworn in as Special Agents of the Police with the specific purpose of supporting environmental law enforcement efforts.

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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