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BIOPAMA Phase II Programme – Caribbean Regional Inception Meeting

St. Kitts and Nevis was represented at the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) and Joint Research Center of the European Commission,  BIOPAMA (Biodiversity and Protected Areas Management) and University of the West Indies hosted Caribbean Regional Inception Meeting from 6th -7th March 2018 in New Kingston, Jamaica. Tricia Greaux – Marine Management Area and Habitat Monitoring Officer with responsibility for the St. Kitts and Nevis Marine Management Area (SKN MMA) was the representative.

This meeting is essentially introducing the Phase II aspect of the BIOPAMA Programme seeking to reinforce marine and terrestrial protected a  reas within the ACP (African, Caribbean and Pacific) countries. Mrs. Hyacinth Armstrong-Vaughn -Protected Areas Officer in the BIOPAMA Programme during welcome remarks and Phase II overview indicated the focus is on conserving and sustainably using the biodiversity within the Caribbean region and included goals such as promoting agility throughout international and regional networks and data collection mechanisms. This Programme will also seek to create greater alignment with Government Officials, Researchers, Managers and Conservationist through protection of biodiversity since t

he natural ecosystem should not threaten the economic development of our nations. Mr. Edmund Jackson, Programme Officer Environment and Climate Change Officer , Secretariat of the ACP expressed that implementation should reflect ownership, sharing of lessons learnt and encourage appropriate reporting.

During the 2 day meeting, highlights of different perspectives from national and regional conservation and management priorities and evaluating the approaches for improving governance and management at multiple scales were discussed. Other major meeting topics included the Caribbean Protected Areas Gateway, Regional Data Management Initiatives, and Data Sharing and Reporting.

The Biodiversity and Protected Areas Management (BIOPAMA) Programme assists the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries to address their priorities for improved management and governance of biodiversity and natural resources.

 

 

 

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6th National Joint Coordinating Committee Meeting

On 13th February 2017 representatives of the Japanese Government and the Department of Marine Resources held its sixth and final National Joint Coordinating Committee meeting at the Old Road Fisheries Complex as they concluded the 5 year Caribbean Fisheries Co-management Project here in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis. Present were Mitsuhiro Ishida and Minoru Tamura from the Japan International Cooperation Agency. Wilmot Alleyne, Kharim Saddler, Hazelmay Richards and Ashadi Duncan represented the Department of Marine Resources. Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) Fishers included; Lester Richards, Franklyn Challenger, Winston Hobson, Darwin Francis, Michael Samuel, Roger Ottley, Richard Dorsette and Earl Freeman.

Mr Alleyne gave the welcome remarks with a brief overview of the FAD Fishery over the past several years and the formation of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism. He stated “one of the goals of the CRFM is to ensure sustainability. After endless discussions 3 recommendations were made, one was to have a co-management approach to fisheries which is where we are today which was implemented in May 2013.” There were 6 OECS countries involved in the Caribbean Fisheries Co-management project namely, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica that explored FAD Fishery.

Mr. Saddler introduced Mr. Kareem Wilkin – Department of Fisheries Nevis, who gave an overview of the activities done within the project period and also the equipment and materials received and distributed among the local FAD fishers such as ropes, swivels, buoys, tents and microphones.

Mr. Tamura gave a brief presentation on Guideline for Fishery Co-management “Facilitating Co-Managed Fisheries in the Caribbean: Good Practices and Guidance from the CARIFICO Experience.” He explained the project’s purpose and target levels which were Country level (developing co-management approaches through pilot project), OECS level (Conducting technical exchange and accumulating lessons learned from pilot project) and Regional level (sharing co-management approaches). Guidelines were done by analyzing information from the countries, workshops and training sessions.

Mr. Saddler and members of the St. Kitts Nevis FAD Fisher Association (SKN FFA) had an open discussion about the way forward in FAD fishery. We have seen that there are several levels of co-management we can reevaluate the collaboration between the DMR and fishers. “Now we have to elaborate on what responsibilities the SKN FFA is willing to accept, however it can change as time goes by but this will be our first priority”, said Mr. Saddler.

“The goal of co-management includes the desire to promote fairness, the sustainability of fishery resources and shared governance” said Mr. Tamura. The overall goal is to balance Economic Development and Resource Management. In the fisheries co-management we set 8 activities which were :

  • Fisher Consultations (ongoing)
  • Organization (established)
  • Trainings (ongoing)
  • User Rules (established)
  • Catch Data (collected)
  • User Fee (delayed)
  • Marketing (ongoing)
  • Maintenance (ongoing)
  • Promote attributes of activities listed above (ongoing)
  • Create a Sub-Regional Network (Fishermen exchange in Grenada)
  • Technical Exchange (Workshop in St. Lucia 2017)

 

 

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Future Marine Biologist Career Day at DMR

On Tuesday 13th February, 2018 – Two students namely Aleyah Powell and Thalia Dore from Gingerland Secondary School, Nevis are desirous of becoming Marine Biologists and have requested to spend a “Career Exposure Day” at the Department of Marine Resources, St. Kitts.

They were introduced to the staff and learnt what each worker is responsible for at the DMR. The day’s activities included a visit to the Basseterre Fisheries Complex to witness processing of fishery products with Wilmoth Alleyne – Enforcement Officer, Ocean Governance presentation by Maritza Queeley- Port State Control Officer, Introduction to Marine Ecosystems by Tricia Greaux – Marine Management Area and Habitat Monitoring Officer, and overview of Export and Trade procedures by Oretha Gilbert, Fisheries Officer.

Aleyah and Thalia were excited at the end of the day and before leaving they expressed gratitude to the staff. When asked how they would describe their day they exclaimed “it was a wonderful, educational experience!”

 

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Whales Beached in Nevis

On Saturday 10th February, 2018, Nine Short-Finned Pilot Whales beached themselves on Dog Bay and at Garlin Bay at Indian Castle, Nevis.

There were mammoth efforts to save three of the nine whales and transport them to be released back into the ocean. Unfortunately one died while being transported. Therefore, two of the nine Pilot Whales were saved and released into the ocean.

Permanent Secretary Huey Sargeant-Ministry of Fisheries et al. in Nevis, Thema Ward – Physical Planning and Environment, Nevis and Lemuel Pemberton- Nevis Turtle Group were leading the efforts. They were then assisted by a delegation from St. Kitts namely Kharim Saddler-Fisheries Assistant (DMR), Sara Ramirez -St. Kitts Sea Turtle Monitoring Network, Paul Fyre and Kelsey Johnson – ROSS University School of Veterinary Medicine.

Necropsies were performed and samples taken in order to help determine a possible cause of beaching. Of the nine whales; 2 were females, 3 were males and the other sexes unknown. The average length of the whales were 3.6 meters or 11.8 feet.

The Department of Marine would like to extend gratitude to the Indian Castle/Gingerland and surrounding area community members, fishers, students, volunteers, researchers and Government entities such as the St. Kitts Nevis Coast Guard, Department of Agriculture St. Kitts, Physical Planning and Environment Nevis.

 

 

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Plans a sail for Yachting Sector

On November 23, 2017, there was the official launch of the St. Kitts and Nevis Yachting Sector Strategic Plan and the Implementation Plan for the Development of the Yachting Sector, 2017-2022. At the launch, senior ministers of Government such as, the Hon. Lindsay Grant (Minister of Tourism), the Hon. Ian Liburd (Minister of Infrastructure), Mrs. Carlene Henry Morton (PS in the Ministry of Tourism in St. Kitts) and Mr. John Hanley (PS in the ministry of tourism in Nevis) were present.

The St. Kitts and Nevis Yachting Sector Strategic Plan and the Implementation Plan for the Development of the Yachting Sector has a National Yachting Advisory Committee: a 20 member strong working group of public-private -sector stakeholders who have been demonstrating a sincere commitment to realising the expansion of the Yachting sector. The DMR has two representatives serving on this committee namely Kharim Saddler and Tricia Greaux. The yachting sector adds value to our tourism product, helps to drive socio-economic development, enhance livelihoods and contribute to revenue generation for the local economy. Several members of the committee coordinated and managed the launch.

Mrs. Carlene Henry Morton (PS in the ministry of Tourism in St. Kitts) spoke highly about the launch. She highlighted the many benefits the country would receive such as increased recognition and development.  She also outlined the objective of the advisory committee, “The National Yachting Advisory Committee, with its mandate to service and oversee the yachting sector in St Kitts and Nevis and to review and advise the Minister on all matters pertaining to the development of the yachting sector, will facilitate this process and move it forward. Of course on this journey we will have our road maps, these critical documents that we are here to launch today will help us to chart that course.”

 

The Hon. Lindsay Grant also expressed similar notions as Mrs. Carlene Henry Morton. Mr. Grant expressed that it was a proud moment for him as a Kittitian and as the Minister of Tourism. He also proceeded to thank the private and public stakeholders who helped to reach the milestone. Grant added that when the medium- to long- term benefits of the establishment of marinas such as Christophe Harbour, berthing facilities and boat yards are considered, they translate into economic spin-offs that pay dividends for local entrepreneurs and ancillary businesses.

 

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Zing dives in with DMR

The November-December copy of the Zing Magazine – the in flight magazine for LIAT The Caribbean Airline is featuring Tricia Greaux, Marine Management Area and Habitat Monitoring Officer at the Department of Marine Resources.

See sneak peeks of the article below;

What is the most rewarding element of your job?

The ability to share my passion for the marine environment with others daily and to be able to serve as the officer with responsibility for MMAs when St.Kitts and Nevis declared the first MMA, the SKN MMA in August 2016.

What do you do on a typical day – if there is such a thing?

Just like the ocean with its unpredictability, my day is often the same. One day I might be in a high school classroom in St Kitts sharing my passion for the marine environment, the next in Korea being trained as a Sustainable Ocean Initiatives Trainer, or in Grenada becoming a certified Marine Protected Areas Manager. I absolutely love the flow of my job.

What do you like to do in your downtime?

As the Creative Director of the Anjolique Dance Company, our dance pieces create awareness of social and environmental issues (www.anjoliquedance.com). The environment inspires the earrings and hair jewelry that I create, Creative Cultured Creations.  I serve at the Antioch Baptist Church and within my community through the Reach for Recovery SKB Breast Cancer Support Group.

What is your current job title and what exactly does the Department of Marine Resources do?

I am the Marine Management Area (MMA) and Habitat Monitoring Officer at the Department of Marine Resources (DMR) in St. Kitts and Nevis (SKN). The DMR’s vision is “To promote the sustainable use of all living marine resources in all waters of national jurisdiction and areas beyond national jurisdiction of St. Kitts and Nevis.” Using the ecosystem based approach to fisheries management of which you can read more on www.dmrskn.com

ZiNG Caribbean seeks to capture the energy of the Caribbean in a fun, colourful and interesting magazine for the customers of LIAT and people around the world who share our love for this vibrant, beautiful and friendly region. Click this link below to view the ZING EMAG (electronic magazine). http://ta-emags.com/V1/Zing/Z40/

 

 

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Computer program to help DMR

A group of young, excited and innovative program designers of the Information Technology Program at the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College Technical and Vocational Division under the tutelage of Dr. Ricardo Neil approached the Department of Marine Resources to create a program to assist with streamlining procedures.  The group of namely; Jamal Caesar, Rae Browne, Kelesha Berty, Josiah Bradley and Shaquille Carey met with the DMR to outline the implementation plans.

Mr Marc Williams, Director, commented,  “I am pleased with this new venture, it will no doubt increase the efficiency of the Department and place the DMR in a position to better serve  fishers and other stakeholders. This is also a strategic way to introduce the fishery industry to younger persons who will see it as a feasible and viable career choice. Becoming a fisher is not the only job in this industry, we have just explored fisheries software designers”.

 

Jamal Caesar, Rae Browne, Kelesha Berty, Josiah Bradley (Shaquille Carey not pictured)

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Region takes action on Marine Litter

Representatives from the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis are attending the Chile-CARICOM “Workshop on Major Aspects of Coastal Environmental Management” held in Kingston, Jamaica from October 17-20, 2017. The Embassy of Chile, FONDO Chile and the Caribbean Maritime University hosted the workshop with an objective of Marine Litter Action Plans for the participating countries.

During the opening ceremony of the workshop Ms Deniece M. Aiken Vice President, Legal & International Affairs at the Caribbean Maritime University gave remarks. Ms Aiken advocated “we are proud to state that the protection and development of the marine environment is of paramount importance to us…Our university also continues to make strides in supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, in particular Goal 14, which Page 3 of 5 aims to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development; and Goal 13, focused on mitigating climate change and its impacts, which have become much closer to home than years aback. As we have recently seen, the number of deaths attributed to natural disasters continues to rise, hence it is important that we implement policies, measures and strategies that will enable us to respond quickly and mitigate these effects as much as possible.”

Participants from each country delivered presentations demonstrating the similarities between states concerning the workshop objectives. Ms Tricia Greaux, Marine Management Area and Habitat Monitoring Officer from the Department of Marine Resources and Ms Thema Ward Physical Planning Officer from Physical Planning, Natural Resources and Environment Department, Nevis presented a country report analyzing the challenges and opportunities present within the coastal space.

Ms Ward commented “Implementation of the local Marine Litter Action Plan will involve multiple government and non- governmental entities on both islands”.  A national effort is needed to reduce the impact of the coastal degradation.

Topics covered within the workshop included; Dumping of Waste at Sea, Marine Environmental Monitoring, International Maritime Organization (IMO) Convention on Pollution Prevention, Marine Debris and designing a plan for monitoring marine beach debris. “We hope everyone does their part to reduce land based sources of pollution. Locals should also to assist in the management of the marine environment through compliance laws and actively participating in the education and awareness efforts “said Tricia Greaux.

Workshop session in progress

Documents presented to participating countries

 

Ms Thema Ward and Ms Tricia Greaux, Workshop participants

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Use It. Protect It. Conserve It. SKN Biodiversity

The Ministry of Agriculture, Marine Resource, Cooperatives, Environment and Human Settlement, the Department of Marine Resources, the Department of Physical Planning, and the Department of Agriculture are among the stakeholders supporting this week’s campaign launch.

On the 10th October 2017, ZIZ Broadcasting Station DJ and Radio Host Sinclair “GQ” Liburd interviewed Marine Management Area and Habitat Monitoring Officer-Tricia Greaux, Conserving Biodiversity Project Coordinator- Claudia Drew and Communication Consultant – Sherlene Neal. The discussion surrounded aspects of the branding and communication campaign to increase education and awareness of St. Kitts and Nevis biodiversity areas were highlighted new Protected Areas (Terrestrial/Land) and Marine Management Areas.

The campaign aims to increase dialogue among the general public and some specific target audiences on biodiversity by demonstrating how biodiversity is linked to life and livelihood. It demonstrates the value of protected areas and marine management areas, particularly conservation zones and why it is important to use the resources wisely and conserve natural resources and biodiversity.

“Conserving the biodiversity of St. Kitts and Nevis and using our natural resources wisely is key to the very survival of our country. We need every resident of St. Kitts and Nevis to understand the important role that they play in conserving biodiversity” said Hon. Minister Eugene Hamilton in his address to launch the strategy.

Activities being conducted in conjunction with the launch include a media tour, visits to fishing and farming communities and visits to schools.

In August 2016, the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis declared the first ever marine management area. The St. Kitts and Nevis Marine Management Area or SKN MMA is an area for management of the marine resources with 5 use zones – fishing priority, conservation, recreation, transport and mixed use. It spans 2 mile radius around St. Kitts and Nevis and includes Monkey Shoals.

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Rum benefits Sea Turtles !

The St. Kitts Sea Turtle Monitoring Network (SKSTMN) is teaming up with Brinley Gold Shipwreck Rum (Brinley) to make the launch of their new White Reserve Caribbean Rum one that benefits sea turtles in St. Kitts. Brinley has agreed to donate a portion of proceeds from first year sales of the new White Reserve Caribbean Rum to the SKSTMN. In addition, Brinley has created turtle-shaped hang tags (see pictures) to place on several Brinley Gold Shipwreck Rum varieties. This will allow customers near and far to learn about the sea turtles of St. Kitts, the SKSTMN, and support sea turtle conservation efforts in the Federation while enjoying Kittitian-born rum. “We are thrilled to be working with this great team and their truly worthy cause. The St Kitts Sea Turtle Monitoring Network is protecting sea turtles & their beautiful habitat… and we are VERY proud to be a part!” said Brinley Gold Shipwreck Rum Owner, Zach Brinley.

The SKSTMN is a registered NGO in St. Kitts as well as a Public Charity in the United States with tax exempt 501c3 status. A community-based organization formed in 2003, the SKSTMN aims to implement a long-standing sea turtle conservation management program, promote community awareness of the plight of sea turtles, and advocate for stronger sea turtle protection laws in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis. SKSTMN Director, Dr. Kimberly Stewart, added, “This partnership with Brinley Gold Shipwreck Rum offers opportunities for conservation education and public awareness regarding sea turtles and the marine environment in St. Kitts that transcend geographic boundaries and we could not be more excited!”

To learn more about the St. Kitts Sea Turtle Monitoring Network and/or make a donation, visit www.stkittsturtles.org, email skturtles@gmail.com, or call the St. Kitts Sea Turtle Hotline at 1 (869) 764-6664. To learn more about Brinley Gold Shipwreck Rum visit http://www.brinleygoldshipwreck.com/. To find Brinley Gold Shipwreck Rum vendors in your area visit http://www.brinleygoldshipwreck.com/find-our-rum or http://opiciwines.com/product-locator/. 

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