The Anguilla National Trust (ANT) congratulates Shoal Bay Villas and Carimar Beach Hotel on successfully being certified as wildlife friendly.
As part of a Darwin Plus-funded project that focuses on enhancing the resiliency of Anguilla’s most endangered species, the ANT developed and soft-launched the Anguilla Wildlife Certified initiative, late last year, in an effort to encourage Anguilla’s hotel and villa sector to engage in environmentally-sensitive and sustainable operational practices. The certification programme is tailor-made to the Anguilla context, and focuses on hotel and villa operations on adjacent beaches, nearshore waters, and on property grounds.
Both Shoal Bay Villas and Carimar Beach Hotel have voluntarily adopted practices that reduce impacts of development and recreational activities on Anguilla’s wildlife and wild spaces, for example, by protecting and enhancing existing natural habitat, providing safe spaces for native and endangered species, limiting use of harmful pesticides and herbicides, and moving towards alternative energy sources. While some of the certification requirements are based on existing environmental legislation, the initiative also challenges tourism partners to go beyond minimum legislative requirements, while still remaining practical and achievable.
While the tourism industry is Anguilla’s largest economic contributor it also has the potential to have significant environmental impacts. At the same time, there has been increasing demand by leisure travellers for sustainable travel and tourism which respects and enhances local communities, conserves natural and cultural heritage, and minimises damage, waste, and pollution as a result of their travel.
The Anguilla Wildlife Certified initiative provides a tangible and assessable process through which Anguilla’s hotels and villas can measure their sustainability efforts and market their successes to their existing and potential clients. The ANT hopes to develop a similar certification programme for Anguilla’s restaurants in the coming year.
For more information about the Anguilla Wildlife Certified initiative, or to be assessed for certification, please contact the Anguilla National Trust at 235 5297 or antadmin@anguillanet.com.
– Press Release
