Seabird habitat restoration project begins in SVG

A multi-year project to restore seabird nesting habitats in St Vincent and the Grenadines(SVG) has been initiated by the non-profit organization Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC).

The aim of the project is to increase seabird populations by restoring available nesting habitat in Battowia and the Pillories islands in SVG, especially to compensate for losses to certain species impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, an EPIC release said.

The organisation said the project builds on its 16 years of research and conservation in the trans-boundary Grenadines archipelago (which includes islands belonging to SVG and Grenada), in this case focusing on the islands of Battowia and the Pillories. Battowia is a globally important nesting site, meaning it harbours a significant percent of the world’s population for certain species, while the Pillories are regionally important for seabirds.

EPIC, established in 2000, is an NGO registered in the United States which focuses on the protection of the Caribbean environment through research and community-based action.

Three locals experts are working on the project. Allanson Cruickshank serves as the Project Coordinator; Joshua Gooding is the Project Assistant; and Lystra Culzac, founder of the Science Initiative for Environmental Conservation Education (SCIENCE), is the Lead Educator.

“Seabirds play a key role in our coastal and marine ecosystems and the health of their populations serves as a vital indicator of the general health of the ocean, particularly the fish species that they prey on,” Cruickshank is quoted in the release as stating.

“ This project will provide key interventions aimed at preserving seabird nesting sites in SVG, which will also benefit the other species which rely on those habitats. I joined the project because I see it as a worthy and noble cause and, as someone who spent the initial years of my life watching the “man o’ wars” (magnificent frigate birds), gulls and terns fly along the coastline at Colonaire, there is also an element of personal nostalgia embedded in this project. I am hopeful that the populations of the 11 species of seabirds which nest in SVG will increase by the end of this project, leading to lasting positive impacts.”

The Forestry Department in the Ministry of Agriculture has been name as a key partner in the project.

Director of Forestry, Fitzgerald Providence, noted that “Battowia is a Wildlife Reserve under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1987 and the Pillories are prospects for addition in the future”.

“We are pleased to be involved in this valuable partnership with EPIC and other partners to protect our biodiversity in SVG. Many people may not be aware of this, but the Grenadines includes internationally important ‘bird areas’. It is incumbent that we do our part in preserving these ecosystems and the services that they afford us for future generations,” Providence added.

This project is funded by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration funds, administered by the United States Department of Interior. It is a collaborative effort among the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS); the St Vincent and the Grenadines Forestry Department; the Science Initiative for Environmental Conservation Education (SCIENCE); and Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC). EPIC opened its local office in January, this year. It is located in Level Gardens, Kingstown.