ROADTOWN Tortola, January 30th, 2012 – The Virgin Islands will join with this rest of the world on February 2, 2012 to observe World Wetlands Day under the theme, “Wetlands and Tourism.”
Acting Chief Conversation and Fisheries Officer, Mr. Kelvin Penn described the annual observance as it relates to the theme stating that the value of our wetland and their benefits can build stronger economies, sustainable livelihoods, healthy people and thriving ecosystems.
“Wetlands Day is aimed at raising public awareness of wetland values and benefits in general and the Ramsar Convention and with this I urge the community to take a moment to appreciate the value of our local wetlands and take advantage of the benefits that they offer,” he said.
Mr. Penn continued to explain the Ramsar Convention adding that, “Focusing on tourism, one of the many services that wetlands provide, creates an avenue through which we can educate visitors on the value of our wetlands.
Since May 10, 1999 there is one designated Ramsar site in the British Virgin Islands, located at the western end of the island of Anegada”.
According to Mr. Penn the western salt ponds are very good examples of salt pond wetlands within the Greater Antilles.
He added that they support a number of endangered fauna and flora species including the endemic Anegada Rock Iguana and the re-introduced colony of Caribbean Flamingos.
“These birds nestle within the mangrove for feeding and good nourishment and the mangrove helps to prevent flooding during storms, and banks from scouring and erosion by waves.
The salt pond comprises of a range of brackish saline lagoons and ponds amongst shrub dominated vegetation, tidal mudflats and mangrove.
Each year tourists visit the site primarily for bird watching and locals use it for subsistence fishing, gathering of shellfish, bait collection, grazing, cutting of vegetation and mining,” he concluded.
The Conservation and Fisheries Department will host lectures at various schools in the Territory this week to educate them on the importance of observing Wetlands Day.
Wetlands Day was first observed in the British Virgin Islands in 1997 and it commemorates the day of the adaptation of the Convention on Wetlands, which is an intergovernmental Treaty signed on February 2, 1971 in the Iranian city of Ramsar, on the shores of the Caspian Sea.
This international agreement signed by 160 countries was established as a multinational convention, in order to protect important wetlands serving as habitats for birds.
The Conservation and Fisheries Department under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Labour is committed to working closely with fishermen to manage the fisheries resources, monitoring the natural environment and wildlife, mapping the Territories natural resources, providing information on the environment to the public and developing policies and legislation for managing the natural environment.
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