Page sponsored by Texaco Caribbean Limited
Publication: Daily Nation
Paper Section And Page: 15A
Paper Date: Wed, May 2, 2001
Byline: by Terry Ally
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Page sponsored by Texaco Caribbean Limited |
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THE Barbados Marine Trust says that over-fishing appears to be the major problem affecting the island's reefs.
This assessment was based on a reef check done on Earth Day, April 22, but the trust cautioned that it was a survey of five strategically selected areas which it planned to repeat every six months to establish trends.
"While initial results indicate that the coral reefs in Barbados are in better condition than their counterparts in many other areas, it must be borne in mind that this information is taken at one point in time. A real assessment of the state of our reefs must be made over time and it is imperative that similar checks be made on a regular basis," said executive director Loreto Duffy-Mayers.
The five reefs checked were Oistins, Hastings, Carlisle Bay, South Bellairs, and Tropicana. While the reefs generally were reasonably good in terms of the abundance of and quality of corals found, they were severely lacking in numbers of and species of reef fish, the trust said. The divers were asked to count the numbers of specific species such as grunts, parrotfish, groupers, snappers, butterfly fish, and eels. Apart from grunts and parrotfish, the other species were hardly evident.
"Small numbers of groupers and snappers were sighted only on the reefs at Carlisle Bay and South Bellairs which is inside the Folkestone Marine Reserve and a no fishing zone. This is more than likely due to the fact that these areas are not fished to the same extent as the other reefs, and would indicate that over-fishing is the major cause of the lack of fish on our reefs. This can also be substantiated by the high numbers of black sea urchins found on all sites. The Trust also recommended that water quality must be carefully monitored because there was also evidence of stress from other sources. Pollutants such as sewage, agricultural run-off, gully run-off, and silt are major threats to the health of our reefs and measures must be put in place immediately to prevent them from entering the sea. However, all fishing practices including pot fishing on reefs and spear-fishing, must also be examined closely since this would appear to be the main cause of the lack and variety of fish species and numbers on the reefs."
The reef at Hastings showed no stress from run-off and it was presumed that was because the currents were strong and sediments were not allowed to settle. The reef with the greatest stress was at Tropicana where a gully, reportedly used as a dumping ground for dead animals, drains into the sea.
The exercise was part of the international
activity named Reef Check and was organised locally by the Barbados Marine
Trust, with the assistance of Resource Management Unit of the University of the
West Indies, Coastal Zone Management Unit, Bellairs Research Institute,
Underwater Barbados, and Coconut Court Beach Hotel. About 35 volunteer divers,
snorkelers, scientists, students, and tourists participated in the check.
THE Graeme Hall Nature Reserve and the Forestry Department of St Vincent and the Grenadines are planning a joint conservation programme for the endangered Amazon Parrot.
The two opened talks and drafted a proposal for the five-year programme which includes elements of captive management and research, study of the behavioural ecology of the parrot in the wild and a local education campaign designed to encourage the resident communities to help protect the parrot by promoting a stronger sense of national pride in the endemic wildlife of St Vincent and the Grenadines.
"The St Vincent Amazon Parrot is one of the largest, most intelligent and charismatic birds in the Caribbean. It is a perfect conservation flagship species to promote the preservation of biodiversity in forest regions that it inhabits in the wild," associate director of the Graeme Hall Bird Sanctuary, Roger Sweeney, said during a meeting with director of the St Vincent Forestry Department, Nigel Weekes.
He was in Barbados to visit a captive group of
St Vincent Amazon Parrots that have been living in Barbados since the early
1970s. The group of birds had originally been brought to Barbados as part
of the former Oughteson Zoo collection. Since the closure of the zoo in 1998,
the birds have been cared for as part of a conservation outreach programme
managed by the Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary. The parrot is the national bird of
St Vincent & the Grenadines and is considered to be a priority for
conservation and research.
Oxygen bar brings breath of fresh air
BANGKOK residents have a new place to escape to
from the city's notorious heat and pollution - Thailand's first oxygen bar.
The bar, which opened this week in the capital's bustling shopping district,
offers 20-minute hits of scented oxygen accompanied by soothing music and a cool
drink for about US$3.95.
"I think it's very relaxing and it's like forcing more oxygen into your body," said Morrakot Thavisri. "Normally you walk outside and there's not enough oxygen, especially in Bangkok. And I think this is a really great idea."
Bangkok has a reputation for poor air quality.
Thailand estimated in 1997 that cars in Bangkok belched out 527 ton of nitrous
oxide and other pollutants per day. Officials insist the city's air quality is
improving although more recent reliable data is not available.
General manager Budsadee Sakuntalak said his oxygen bar customers -- so far
about 40 per day -- were not only looking for cleaner air. Oxygen bars are
already popular in Hong Kong and Japan. (Reuters)