World Wetlands Day 2016

HON. KENRED DORSETT M.P. MINISTER OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND HOUSING WETLANDS DAY STATEMENT IT GIVES ME GREAT PLEASURE TO JOIN THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNITY IN CELEBRATING WORLD WETLANDS DAY TODAY, 2ND FEBRUARY.

THIS

DAY HAS BEEN SELECTED TO BRING ATTENTION TO OUR WETLANDS AND THE VITAL ROLE THEY PLAY IN ASSISTING COUNTRIES TO ACHIEVE THEIR SUSTAINABLE

DEVELOPMENT

GOALS.

“WETLANDS FOR OUR FUTURE.”

THIS

YEAR

THE

THEME

IS

THIS THEME IS SO RELEVANT TO THE

BAHAMAS BECAUSE THE MOST PREVALENT ECOSYSTEMS IN OUR ISLANDS ARE

WETLANDS.

QUITE

FRANKLY,

PROTECTING

OUR

FUTURE

IS

CONTINGENT ON HOW WELL WE PROTECT OUR WETLANDS. THE BAHAMAS IS KNOWN TO HAVE TWO TYPES OF WETLANDS - COASTAL AND INLAND WETLANDS THAT ARE MORE COMMONLY KNOWN AS MARSHES OR MANGROVE SWAMPS. THESE ECOSYSTEMS ARE MOST SIGNIFICANT TO OUR BIODIVERSITY BECAUSE THEY ARE HOME TO MANY ANIMALS SUCH AS CRAWFISH, SNAPPERS, BIRDS, BATS AND LAND CRABS.

WETLANDS ARE

RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPROVING OUR WATER AND AIR SUPPLY FROM WHICH THEY FILTER POLLUTANTS. ALL TOO OFTEN, OUR WETLANDS SUFFER FROM THE EFFECTS OF UNSUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, INVASIVE SPECIES AND ILLEGAL DUMPING.

THE GOVERNMENT OF THE BAHAMAS HAS SEEN THE

NEED TO PROTECT SUCH SYSTEMS, MANY OF WHICH ARE A PART OF OUR NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM WHICH IS MANAGED BY THE BAHAMAS NATIONAL TRUST.

THE CABINET OF THE BAHAMAS APPROVED THE EXPANSION OF

BOTH THE MARINE AND TERRESTRIAL PROTECTED TERRITORIES THUS ACHIEVING THE PROTECTION OF 10% OF OUR NEARSHORE AND MARINE ENVIRONMENT. THIS INCREASED OUR NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM TO SOME

TWO MILLION ACRES WHICH INCLUDES OUR PRECIOUS WETLANDS.

THE

CARIBBEAN BIODIVERSITY FUND HAS PROVIDED SOME $2 MILLION DOLLARS TO FUND THE PROTECTED AREAS, AND THE GOVERNMENT HAS MATCHED THIS AMOUNT. THE GOVERNMENT

ALSO ESTABLISHED THE

BAHAMAS

TO

PROTECTED

AREAS

FUND

(BPAF)

ENSURE

THAT

THE

NECESSARY FUNDING IS ALWAYS IN PLACE TO PROTECT AND PROPERLY MANAGE THIS FRAGILE ECOSYSTEM. IN SUPPORT OF THE BAHAMAS EFFORTS, THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT FACILITY (GEF) AND THE WAITT FOUNDATION HAVE BOTH CONTRIBUTED $500,000 EACH, A TOTAL OF $1 MILLION TO THE BPAF. THE BAHAMAS BECAME A PARTY TO THE RAMSAR CONVENTION ON 7 TH JUNE, 1997.

RECOGNIZED

IN THAT SAME YEAR, THE INAGUA NATIONAL PARK WAS AS

A

WETLAND

OF

INTERNATIONAL

THEREFORE, WE HAVE MUCH TO PROTECT.

IMPORTANCE,

SO TODAY WE JOIN OUR

COLLEAGUES IN RAISING THE PUBLIC’S AWARENESS OF THE IMPORTANCE AND VALUE OF THESE ECOSYSTEMS. HAPPY WETLANDS DAY BAHAMAS!