SKN to seek regional assistance to deal with monkey problem

By L.K. Hewlett
Editor- SKNVibes.com

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – ST. KITTS AND NEVIS Prime Minister Hon. Denzil Douglas says continuing problems with the island’s monkey population adversely affecting agriculture has impelled him to ask for collaboration rectifying the problem.

Douglas informed the island’s media core last Wednesday (July 9) that the nation looked toward dramatically decreasing the amount of food imports in these tough economic times.

In line with this initiative, the government has strategically issued hundreds of acres of former sugar lands to small farmers to increase national food production. However, monkeys continue to be a source of frustration for local farmers, as the animals consume or destroy fruit and vegetable crops.

“As a result of this growing problem I have had the opportunity in our last OECS Secretariat meeting in St. Lucia to ask for the collaboration of the regional governments and institutions in assisting in the control of the monkey population, which continues to be a nuisance to our small farmers,” the PM said.   ~~Adz:Right~~

St. Kitts Minister with responsibility for Agriculture, Hon Cedric Liburd and Nevis Department of Agriculture Director, Kelvin Daly have similarly indicated to SKNVibes.com in recent months that the monkeys are a “huge problem” on both islands, but no concrete plans to deal with the animals have been indicated by either government as yet.

While many farmers have called for the eradication of the animals, tourism stakeholders and animal conservationists alike have argued that the monkeys are vital part of the Federation’s unique ecosystem.

The vervet or green monkeys of St. Kitts-Nevis are of the genus Chlorocebus and were transported to the Caribbean by African slaves. Within the Caribbean, various species are also known to live in Barbados and Saint Maarten.

The animals have been known to cause similar distress to farmers on the other islands and in their native Africa, and one report from 2006 even indicated that a green monkey caused an island-wide blackout in Barbados when it climbed onto a power line near a vital feeder in the system.