PYEONGCHANG, SOUTH KOREA, Oct. 6, 2014, CNS – A leading scientist sees an important role for Caribbean countries at meetings such as the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Dr. Paul Leadley, Professor at the University of Paris-Sud, told Caribbean News Service (CNS) that “island nations themselves are the key actors in reducing most of the impacts that we are having on biodiversity.”
He noted that this is “an interesting difference” from the Climate Change Convention where it is difficult for Caribbean countries to create movement because they are not part of the problem even though they are one of the most impacted areas. “There is nothing that they can do themselves to actually reduce the problem.”
Leadley pointed to coral reefs as “really great examples,” harbouring “incredibile biodiversity” in the oceans.
Several Caribbean countries are present as Governments meet here to assess progress in implementing a global Strategic Plan for Biodiversity. Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Dominica, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines are among the countries with at least one representative at the meeting.
The Caribbean is suffering from radical and devastating declines in coral reef health and Leadley said this can have all kinds of impacts for the tourism-dependent region.
“Coral reefs help reduce storm surge impacts, they are important for drawing tourists, they are important sources of fish and so the decline in the health of these coral reefs is really having an impact on those countries,” Leadley said.
“That’s really the place where we have the most biodiversity anywhere in the oceans and so conserving coral reefs is one of the highest priorities that we have and one of the systems that is declining the fastest in terms of its status.
“So yes, I think island nations can be heard on issues like that where they are one of the key actors in making sure that these impacts are reduced,” Leadley added.
A recent major report based on 90 different locations around the Caribbean shows that in places where fishing is properly managed, reefs are much healthier.
The report, which synthesised a three-year study by 90 international experts, was issued by the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network (GCRMN), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
According to the authors, restoring parrotfish populations and improving other management strategies, such as protection from overfishing and excessive coastal pollution, can help reefs recover and even make them more resilient to future climate change impacts.
The study also shows that some of the healthiest Caribbean coral reefs are those that harbour vigorous populations of grazing parrotfish.
These include the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in the northern Gulf of Mexico, Bermuda and Bonaire, all of which have restricted or banned fishing practices that harm parrotfish, such as fish traps and spearfishing.
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