British Virgin Islands national parks threatened after lockdown drastically cuts vital income from tourism
NATIONAL parks overseas risk falling into the hands of poachers as tourism has fallen during lockdown, conservationists have warned.
The National Parks Trust of the British Virgin Islands has said funding has fallen so dramatically that they may have to close down within a month.
A lack of tourism has meant the islands have lost 75 per cent of their income, just as they were being rebuilt after a devastating hurricane.
The trust needs to fill a £450,000 shortfall to survive the rest of the year.
Conservationists argue that without the trust’s protection, the important nature reserves would be exposed to loggers, poachers and illegal grazers who want to profit from the land.
The islands would also lose the yearround work needed to maintain beaches and trails by removing destructive invasive species and restoring the land following storm damage.
The islands are an important habitat for many unique creatures, including the Anegada Rock Iguana, of which there are only 200 remaining. Their young are raised by the trust, so without help, they may become extinct.
Other threatened reptiles unique to the islands include the Carrot Rock Anole, the Carrot Rock Skink, and the
Anegada Skink. The islands are also home to many fragile butterflies and moths, which can only be found there and rely on the painstakingly preserved habitat for survival.
The trust’s most successful projects so far include protecting coral reefs from anchor damage, mangrove reforestation, reintroduction of the roseate flamingo to the salt ponds of Anegada and the Anegada Rock Iguana sanctuary. Flamingos once roamed Anegada by the hundreds but the population was wiped out by hunting 50 years ago.
After Bermuda Aquarium and Zoo donated captive flamingos in 1991, these brightly coloured birds have thrived at Flamingo Pond. Dr Cassander Titley-o’neal, trust director, said: “Before the pandemic struck, we had big plans to open another eight parks to help protect more of our islands for wildlife and those who love it. But now our very future is under threat.
“Without tourism we have little to no income, and this comes at a time when our work has never been more vital in the region and as part of the global effort to save nature.
“Working in the Caribbean for almost 60 years, we have always overcome adversity and the damage caused during hurricane season, but we are seeing the effects of climate change first-hand with stronger and more devastating hurricanes. In fact, we are only just moving back into our offices following the destruction of Hurricane Maria three years ago.”
More than a million visitors come to the islands to enjoy the parks every year, supporting a tourism sector that creates 52 per cent of the GDP, worth £400million to the local economy.
Martin Harper, director of conservation for the RSPB, said: “The corallined beaches and wildlife-rich mangrove forests don’t stay that way by accident – they are painstakingly preserved by the passionate and dedicated trust workers.
“It would be a tragedy if our Government turned a blind eye to what is happening in our overseas territories.”