On Wednesday 27th February the Future of Reefs project (FOR: Anguilla) held its national meeting at the Teachers Resource Centre in the Public Library. The meeting was chaired by Professor Selina Stead from Newcastle University, UK, and the over 40 attendants included representatives of various government departments, such as the Fisheries Department, Environment Department, Environmental Health Department as well as the Anguilla National Trust, representatives of the fishing industry, tourism industry, the ALHCS Environmental Club, Youth Environmental Society of Anguilla (YESA) and independent citizens. The aim of the meeting was to generate discussion on the role of coral reefs in Anguilla, the history of marine use in the country and the ways in which coral reefs and the sea are governed.
Anguilla was selected to be one of the founding countries for investigating the importance of reefs to the people in the Caribbean recognising its important position in the Caribbean. Over the last month and a half, two marine scientists from Newcastle University, UK, Dr Sarah Young and Pia Schuchert, have been conducting research into the coral reefs in Anguilla. The team focus is on the communities of Sandy Ground, Island Harbour and West End. This strategic approach ensures representation from a fishing-based economy (Island Harbour), a tourism-based economy (West End) and a mixed tourism and fishing economy (Sandy Ground).
The meeting was opened by the Director of the Environment Department, Karim Hodge, who opened by talking about how many Anguillians remain unaware of how important reefs are because most people never see them, many don’t know that they are alive and some people think that they are no more than just rocks. According to Mr. Hodge,
“The truth is that without coral reefs there would be no white pearl sand beaches, no near-shore fish, choice fish or/and shellfish; and for those diving and snorkelling tourists who come looking for recreation at the reefs might not come.Reefs also play an important role in coastal defence and with Anguillians observing that hurricane frequency is on the increase then it is important that we look after our reefs here in Anguilla to prevent beach and land erosion. Anguillians have a love for the sea which is tied to our sea faring nature which spans our craft of boat building, boat racing and fishing. Like most of the Caribbean Anguilla relies heavily on coral reefs for its various benefits and services. Each year, our coral reefs contribute millions of dollars in terms of tourism, fisheries and the provision of coastal defence from storm events like hurricanes. For many Anguillians our reefs represent a substantial source of revenue / income or a vital food supply.”
Coral reefs throughout the Caribbean and Anguilla have been severely damaged by a number of factors including: hurricane, disease, coastal construction, unsustainable fishing, and unregulated discharges to name a few. These impacts on coral reefs are complex and addressing them requires a management approach that uses biological, social and economic information.
The Anguillan economy is founded on a healthy marine environment. Recent data shows that coral reefs in Anguilla are in bad shape. The inshore fishery provides less and less fish. In places the beaches are eroding away. The future of Anguilla depends on the Future of our Reefs. Only the Anguilla community can turn the tide of degradation and rejuvenate this vital resource.
Professor Stead went on to outline the Future Of Reefs (FOR: Anguilla) project, which is funded by the Department of Environment and Rural Affairs in the United Kingdom, the importance of the coral reef ecosystem and marine environment for Anguilla , and the possible threats it faces.
The information collected to date has revealed a lot about how Anguillians think about, use the sea and the reefs, what changes people have noticed over time, how well people think the coral reefs are being managed and how important the reefs are the people of Anguilla.
To understand how Anguilla will be able to cope with future changes, it is important to understand past changes and adaptation processes. To do this, participants were asked to create an interactive timeline, with all the perceived major changes in the country since the 1950’s.This was done in three sectors: fisheries, environment and tourism, also taking into account changes in community, regional and international relations. The timeline was put up on the wall and all participants were given the chance to have a close look and determine which of the two changes they believed to have had the strongest impact on Anguilla in the past.
The afternoon session was a group workshop to understand how marine policy is being made in Anguilla. The way in which government departments, other organizations and concerned citizens are involved in collecting information, analysing data, making decisions, implementing decisions and evaluating and monitoring progress. One of the groups focussed on decisions made in the fisheries sector, another on environment and community and a third group on tourism and socio-economics. The goal was to highlight the strengths and weakness in the current process and be the starting point for a discussion on ‘the future of coral reefs in a changing environment’.
The meeting ended with a lively discussion on how some of the challenges to maintaining a healthy and vibrant marine environment could be met.
The FOR: Anguilla project is currently conducting interviews in Island Harbour and will be moving to West End in a couple of weeks. Look out for your opportunity to contribute to this important research.
– Press Release
(Published without editing by The Anguillian newspaper)
