OFFICERS from the departments of forestry and fisheries, together with Saint Lucia National Trust staff and residents of Vieux Fort and Praslin, recently joined regional experts to establish mangrove nurseries to help replenish the island's critically threatened wetlands.
"Some persons in Saint Lucia understand the value of healthy mangroves, while others still regard it as swampland. However, with support from the communities and partners in Vieux Fort and Praslin, there is a sense of hope," said Alleyne Regis of PCI Media Impact, who is leading the community engagement.
"It is refreshing to see the survival and sustainability of such a valuable plant species be embraced by the communities," he added.
An initiative of the Eastern Caribbean Marine Managed Areas Network, the project is to see the establishment of two temporary nurseries, as well as the training of community representatives and more than 10 forestry and fisheries officers.
"The activities emphasise community participation so that these persons continue to care for the mangroves beyond the life of the project. The community members will be involved in all aspects of the work, including nursery establishment, seedling collection, planting healthy seedlings back into wetlands and monitoring site conditions," The Nature Conservancy (TNC) said in a release to the media.
"Mangroves are one of the most critical trees in the Eastern Caribbean. They provide a breeding ground for fish and protect shorelines from the negative impacts of strong waves and wind," the TNC added.
According to a 2014 report by the Forestry Department, more than 90 per cent of Saint Lucia's wetlands are threatened by the illegal dumping of trash, dieback and encroachment from development.
"Given these threats, the sustainable management of the Ma Kote mangroves has been ongoing for over two decades, pioneered by the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute, the Department of Forestry and the Saint Lucia National Trust," the TNC said.
Ma Kote is the largest mangrove system in Saint Lucia. In 2002, it was designated a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention, a global treaty for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands.
Meanwhile, data collected throughout project is to inform coastal management decisions and the creation of a permanent nursery that promises
long-term restoration of the wetlands.
Dieback is a condition in which a tree or shrub begins to die from the tip of its leaves or roots backward due to disease or an unfavourable environment.