St Kitts is remarkable for having pristine reefs which attract divers and snorkellers to this beautiful Caribbean island, but it's not taking this granted and a new project has just been launched to help evaluate future threats to coral reefs and the livelihoods associated with them.
The Future of Reefs in a Changing Environment (FORCE) was launched on April 4, with a consultation whose participants included those whose livelihoods are connected with the coral reefs. These include tourism workers, fishermen, Coast Guard personnel, and water tour operators.
St Kitts is just one of four countries taking part in this pilot project with the others being Belize, Honduras, and Barbados. The consultation was facilitated by Selina Stead, who is professor of Marine Governance and Environmental Science at Newcastle University.
The project is being funded by the EU and aims to look at how dependency on the coral reefs and changes to them could affect coastal communities. It will look at which policies have been effective and which haven't, and why. The group also aims to discuss how locals use resources found on the reef, with particular emphasis on tourism and the fishing industry.
The idea is to improve coral reef management while taking into account factors which often hinder successful implementation. Although the coral reefs are facing climate change, they are also being harmed by pollution, coral disease, unsustainable fishing practices, and sedimentation.
In the past St Kitts has taken considerable steps to protect its marine environment, and has worked with the Coral Reef Alliance and Philippe Cousteau's Earth Echo to gain a comprehensive assessment of the condition of the reefs and the delicate ecosystem of the waters around the island.
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