The Saint Lucia Hospitality and Tourism Association (SLHTA) Wednesday celebrated World Oceans Day – an annual recognition in June each year.
Approximately 71 percent of the Earth’s surface is water-covered, and the oceans hold about 96.5 percent of all Earth’s water. This beautiful island St Lucia is surrounded by water, the Caribbean Sea to the West and the Atlantic Ocean to the East.
Chief Executive Officer Noorani Azeez said “World Oceans Day is a day of celebration that propels action throughout the year to protect our blue planet; it is more poignant than ever for island nations surrounded by water like ours. St Lucia and the rest of the archipelago have learned to take more than a passing interest in the movement of the oceans and seas that caresses its shores. The sea and ocean are part of our home, and part of our identity as an Island people. It is a major component of what we have to offer to friends and visitors who travel to our land”.
President Paul Collymore added: “We all have a direct interest in looking after this beautiful island and the magical coastline that surrounds it, making it appealing to visitors and inhabitants alike, but more importantly to pass on to generations to come, our children and grandchildren. Remember we do not own the land we live on forever. We are merely custodians for the generations of people to come.”
This is more than just another reminder to stop throwing our garbage, especially plastics into the sea, but to do whatever is in our power to help save and protect the ocean.
This is a notice to all that St Lucia lives in harmony with its coastline waters. Where not only recreation but food security is directly threatened, if we all do not take notice and learn to respect our most precious of resources – the oceans and seas.
The precious fragility of the ocean where it meets the land cannot be underestimated. Presently the eastern seaboard from Canada in the north, to the Gulf of Mexico in the south is blighted by Seaweed. The eastern seaboard of St Lucia is scarred and afflicted by seaweed.
The option to do nothing to save our seas, and oceans has passed us by. We can all do something positive to help:
• Take the initiative – picking up litter at the beach;
• Taking one’s entire detritus home from picnics on the beach.
• Joining the many excellent nature conservation societies in St Lucia.
• Join the St Lucia National Conservation Fund.
• Join the St Lucia National Trust at Pigeon Island.
• Discuss with your family and friends the impact of litter at the beach.
• Commit to recycling and sustainable disposal of household waste.
The arguments for the phenomena of Global warming are plentiful, and subjected to opinion, but what is not in doubt is the catastrophic effect this could have on local communities affecting food, farming, family days outs, fishing, agriculture and tourism, right here in St Lucia.
With the leadership of the World Oceans Day Youth Advisory Council, World Oceans Day 2022 promised to be the most impactful of occasions thus far. With activities, events and celebrations, online and in person throughout the world, these events are being undertaken throughout for the month of June 2022.
Thousands of events are expected, hosted, by all types of groups around the world, ranging from, governments, schools, zoos, universities, and businesses. This will lead up to the United Nations Ocean Conference to be held in Lisbon Portugal at the end of June. The United Nations Biodiversity Conference in Kunming China – planned for later this year.
Events in St Lucia where all persons, big and small can contribute to are ongoing. An underwater clean-up was held at Pigeon Island Wednesday morning. This was one of the ways St Lucians were trying to combat the scourges of litter and rubbish that afflict their oceans and seas. This year the Divers Association embarked on two projects. They joined forces with other organizations and individuals to clean the waters around Pigeon Island Wednesday morning.
In the afternoon, they embarked on an out-planting event from their coral nursery at Cuty Cove for the first time. This nursery was established over a year ago as a part of the Association’s North Project, which was mainly funded by the St. Lucia National Conservation Fund, with the help of local stakeholders, coral gardeners, volunteers, marine biologists, and citizen scientists to address the biodiversity imbalance.
The seas and oceans around St Lucia are under numerous threats, but two immediate perils are from global warming and pollution.
Global warming causes the seas, and oceans levels to rise. Thus, threatening coastal areas and eroding valuable beautiful beaches, coast lines and agriculture.
It is always worth noting that 65% of St Lucia’s GDP is supplied via tourism. The majority of that 65% is derived from beach holidays. Low-lying areas are vulnerable to flooding or in a worse-case scenario to be washed away by sea water – as we saw in 2012 by Hurricane Thomas. This will have a direct effect on all coastal and low-lying agricultural areas, affecting communities and crop plantations alike.
With regards to pollution, which destroys not only fish stocks but valuable marine life and coral, pollution also can cause potential damage to the food chain, and St Lucia’s very own food security.