Article by: Jeannette Victor
Forestry Department
Biological Diversity; though it may seem like a
scientific phrase that would be difficult to understand, it simply means living
organisms and their co-existence. But
what is meant by living organisms and the manner in which they co-exist?
Biodiversity for shorten helps you to create a vivid picture of how all living
things are important to maintaining a healthy environment.
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| Vanilla (Vanilla planifolia) |
Within the Ministry of
Sustainable Development, Environment and Technology hails a small unit called
The Biodiversity Unit. This small unit
comprises of four persons; Sustainable Development and Environment Officer/ Biodiversity
Coordinator, Biosafety Implementation Project Coordinator, Project Coordinator
for the revision of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP)
and the preparation of the national report and a clerk/typist who does
everything else in addition to her main duties. Their responsibilities include
but are not limited to the coordination of activities for the conservation,
restoration and sustainable use of the island’s rich biodiversity which is the
most valuable resource found in our country.
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| Lesser Antillean Bullfinch (Loxigilla noctis sclateri) |
Have you ever wondered, apart
from a lovely melody delivered by a bird, what else can this bird do to benefit
me or why are mangroves so important? Or
why should I play a role in the conservation and sustainable use of our
resources? Well guess what, birds aid in
seed dispersal, the mangroves acts as a safe haven for young fish and
crustaceans, the coral reefs creates a barrier for the shorelines.
Although our island is small, the
biological diversity is quite abundant. While we are aware of various forms of
biodiversity use on a daily basis, there are still avenues that have not been
exploited, e.g. the medicinal values of our poisonous snake venom. Hence the reason the Biodiversity Unit is
charged with those responsibilities, conserving and managing those resources so
they are not over exploited .i.e. the sustainable use.
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| Boriel's Pond, Vieux Fort |
The revised National Biodiversity
Strategy &Action Plan will serve as a roadmap for
more effective management of Saint Lucia’s biological resources to achieve
three very important objectives, i.e. the conservation, sustainable use of
genetic resources and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits that arise
from the use of these resources. This calls for the mobilization of resources
to implement a suite of measures which amongst other things, seek to add value
to genetic resources through research, development and commercialization
respecting principles of sustainable use to engender socio-economic development
of local communities and the nation at large. This new NBSAP also proposes
novel institutional arrangements to guarantee effective biodiversity management
in Saint Lucia.
A number of governmental
departments such as Finance and Economic Development Unit, Forestry Department,
Water Resource Management Agency, Agriculture and Fisheries Department,
Investment Services and Local Government to name a few. Non-government
organizations include Caribbean Youth Environment Network (CYEN) and Saint
Lucia Manufactures Association. These
projects are funded by UNEP and GEF. The
onus is now on us my fellow SaintLucians to give our full support to these
dedicated persons to make it a successful, because if our fauna and flora
species are not saved the implications will be dismal.
