I strongly urge the government of Sint Maarten and Mullet Bay Resort to protect the few remaining mangroves and seagrass beds of Simpson Lagoon. Specifically, I support the zoning of Mullet Pond, located between Point Pirouette and Mullet Beach, as a protected area in which it is prohibited to remove and/or cut existing vegetation, including mangroves and seagrass, within 15 meters of the lagoon shoreline.

As one of the largest lagoons in the Caribbean, the Simpson Lagoon provides essential habitat for wildlife and plants; it forms the center of a food web which extends all the way to the ocean reefs.  The lagoon also drives a significant portion of the economy by providing safe harbor, goods, and services to the maritime sector.  In addition, this remarkable body of water adds to the beauty of the island.

Tragically, the lagoon continues to be polluted and destroyed. Each year, more mangrove trees are ripped from the coastline and more seagrass beds are smothered with fill dirt or dredged.  The pace of development has left little behind in its devastating wake.  Only about ¼ of the coastline of Sint Maarten’s lagoon is still populated by mangrove trees. Approximately 65% of these mangroves are found in Mullet Pond which also harbors the largest contiguous stand of mangroves in Sint Maarten.

Recent research out of the United Nations has valued mangrove forests at more than $900,000 per square kilometer per year.  They serve as storm buffers, supply our fisheries, support birdlife, and provide aesthetic enjoyment.

Mangrove roots stabilize the coastal soil, especially important during hurricanes, and remove pollutants from the water. Our marine ecosystem is dependent upon mangroves, trees which form the basis for an entire food web.  Ultimately we rely on mangroves for the fish we eat.  Resident and migratory birds thrive in these coastal margins, where they roost, forage, and nest.

The economy of Sint Maarten is dependent upon tourists who want to visit a beautiful tropical island.  It is the beaches, the coastal cliffs, the lagoon, the reefs and the mountains that visitors enjoy; the very resources which are being destroyed at a phenomenal rate.  Development will continue, but it must be managed responsibly so that areas as important and unique as Mullet Pond are preserved.  Sint Maarten can attract tourists without destroying important natural areas.  Indeed, saving such places will only make it a more attractive destination.

Please ensure that the mangroves and seagrass beds of Mullet Pond are protected.