Increase Protection for Turks and Caicos Islands Protected Areas and Vital Ecosystems
- by: Caribbean Wildlife Foundation
- recipient: His Excellency the Governor Gordon Wetherell
In light of the travesties that have occurred in the Turks and Caicos Protected Areas, we are petitioning to increase the protection of these areas and other vital ecosystems by addressing the following three changes that can be made to current legislation.
- Include Mangrove Cay shoal in the Princess Alexandra Nature Reserve
- Clarify conforming use criteria for TCI Protected Areas
- Include Ecosystem Protection Order
The following letter to Governing Wetherell explains the above objectives
(Or press letter link under logo).
Dear Governor Wetherell,
We the undersigned are writing you as the governing authority to review the following petition in the light of the travesties that have occurred in TCI Protected Areas. Please consider the following requests from concerned citizens and visitors as a show of our support for further protecting the TCI Protected Areas and vital ecosystems that will ensure the long-term sustainability of this country's natural resources and the economic growth derived from them.
The first request is with regard to the spoil island now located on the shoal adjacent to Mangrove Cay (dubbed Star Island). We request that the status of this area be changed from its current designation as part of the Princess Alexandra National Park to the Princess Alexandra Nature Reserve. The shoal that extends from Mangrove Cay (PANR) is an ecologically important part of the ecosystem encompassed within the Reserve area. We request it be afforded the same level of protection as the surrounding Nature Reserve cays.
Our second request addresses the issues of conforming use within our Protected Areas. As has been documented repeatedly over the past few years, and in particular with reference to areas designated as National Parks, there appears to be no concrete criteria on what is or is not allowed in these areas. The legislation iterates "for the public enjoyment" which is apparently too broad in context to deter political interests from entertaining proposals that may not be in the best interest of both the public and the environment its designation is trying to protect. We request clarification of the conforming use criteria for the TCI Protected Areas.
Our final request refers to overall protection of the vital ecosystems (and endangered inhabitants) not included within the Protected Areas. These include our sensitive marine habitats of mangroves, seagrass beds and coral reefs as well as coastal dune communities, inland salinas, dwarf tropical forests and other areas that include endemic and/or endangered flora and fauna. We request that an Ecosystem Protection Order to this regard be amended within the current legislation to preserve these vital marine and terrestrial habitats.
We have formed this petition to show local (and international) support for our requests that will help ensure the long-term integrity of our Protected Areas and vital ecosystems.
Dear Governor Wetherell,
We the undersigned are writing you as the governing authority to review the following petition in the light of the travesties that have occurred in TCI Protected Areas. Please consider the following requests from concerned citizens and visitors as a show of our support for further protecting the TCI Protected Areas and vital ecosystems that will ensure the long-term sustainability of this country's natural resources and the economic growth derived from them.
The first request is with regard to the spoil island now located on the shoal adjacent to Mangrove Cay (dubbed Star Island). We request that the status of this area be changed from its current designation as part of the Princess Alexandra National Park to the Princess Alexandra Nature Reserve. The shoal that extends from Mangrove Cay (PANR) is an ecologically important part of the ecosystem encompassed within the Reserve area. We request it be afforded the same level of protection as the surrounding Nature Reserve cays.
Our second request addresses the issues of conforming use within our Protected Areas. As has been documented repeatedly over the past few years, and in particular with reference to areas designated as National Parks, there appears to be no concrete criteria on what is or is not allowed in these areas. The legislation iterates "for the public enjoyment" which is apparently too broad in context to deter political interests from entertaining proposals that may not be in the best interest of both the public and the environment its designation is trying to protect. We request clarification of the conforming use criteria for the TCI Protected Areas.
Our final request refers to overall protection of the vital ecosystems (and endangered inhabitants) not included within the Protected Areas. These include our sensitive marine habitats of mangroves, seagrass beds and coral reefs as well as coastal dune communities, inland salinas, dwarf tropical forests and other areas that include endemic and/or endangered flora and fauna. We request that an Ecosystem Protection Order to this regard be amended within the current legislation to preserve these vital marine and terrestrial habitats.
We have formed this petition to show local (and international) support for our requests that will help ensure the long-term integrity of our Protected Areas and vital ecosystems.
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