St. Georges | November 26, 2015 – Grenada won first place at an award ceremony in Dominica last week which celebrated conservation campaigns on six different islands. The campaigns are part of a regional initiative, “This Is Who We Are,” that promotes the importance of protecting marine and coastal ecosystems.
The ceremony was held in Cabrits National Park, overlooking one of Dominica’s marine protected areas. Mayor of Portsmouth, Mr. Titus Francis welcomed an audience of over 100 community members, international campaign teams, local fishers and government representatives.
The main awards were announced from a sealed envelope by Parliamentary Representative of Portsmouth, Mr. Ian Douglas. Grenada won first place with Saint Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines in second and third place.
A panel of international judges determined the winners based on innovation, impact, and campaign sustainability.
Grenada’s campaign was extraordinary in their partnership with popular ambassadors who amplified their conservation messages to larger audiences. This included “Face of Grenada” such as international musician Mr. Killa, and “Face of Grenada” fashion models.
“The presentation gave us an opportunity to reflect on our successes, challenges and accomplishments. Receiving this award gave a good feeling inside because we were rewarded for all our hard work for the past six to nine months,” said Ms. Yvonne Edwin of the Saint Lucia Department of Fisheries.
Former Chief Fisheries Officer, Mr. Andrew Magloire, applauded Dominica’s own journey to the campaign ceremony, highlighting their partnership with the Department of Fisheries.
Mr. Norman Norris, Fisheries Officer, made remarks on behalf of the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Mr. Johnson Drigo.
Director of Forestry, Mr. Minchinton Burton, also presented awards to six project “Heroes,” who were nominated from each participating country for their commitment to protecting their island’s ocean resources.
All six campaigns will receive prize money to continue promoting the importance of marine protection and the “This Is Who We Are” initiative will continue as a regional effort.
The campaigns are sponsored by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety as part of the Climate-Resilient Eastern Caribbean Marine Managed Areas Network (ECMMAN) project. The project is implemented by The Nature Conservancy and the campaigns are guided by PCI Media Impact.
*************************
DISCLAIMER
This article was posted in its entirety as received by SKNVibes.com. This media house does not correct any spelling or grammatical error within press releases and commentaries. The views expressed therein are not necessarily those of SKNVibes.com, its sponsors or advertisers
Grenada News