Harbour Group, Nature Foundation, Volker Stevin to protect mangroves

~ 200,000 euro funding request submitted ~

COLE BAY--The St. Maarten Harbour Group of Companies, the Nature Foundation of St. Maarten and Volker Stevin Caribbean joined forces over the weekend to protect about a hundred mangroves trees by removing them from around the Simpson Bay Lagoon in the area of Port de Plaisance, where the Cole Bay end of the Simpson Bay Causeway will be constructed. Volker Stevin is the contractor of the causeway project.

While many of the larger mangroves cannot be saved, Manager of the Nature Foundation Tadzio Bervoets explained that saving the juvenile mangroves is better than not saving any.

Additionally, CEO of the Harbour Group of Companies Mark Mingo also announced that the harbour has submitted a proposal for European funding of 200,000 euro for the protection and sustainable management of marine and coastal biodiversity in the Simpson Bay Lagoon, including mangrove maintenance and restoration. A response to that proposal should be received soon.

Mingo, officials from Volker Stevin and harbour personnel joined the children of the Nature Foundation's Snorkel Club in removing the juvenile mangroves by hand on Saturday. Bervoets and Volker Stevin Project Engineer Thijs Maathuis explained that the mangroves will be temporarily kept safe at a Nature Foundation location and replanted around the project once it is completed.

They expect that more will have to be removed as the project progresses. Maathuis said that as the main contractor, Volker Stevin also recognises the importance of the lagoon and has a responsibility to protect it wherever it can. He said the company is also obligated to work in accordance with its health and safety plan and will maintain contact with environmental groups such as the Nature Foundation and EPIC.

The children of the Snorkel Club were especially excited to take part in the exercise. It served as a teachable moment for Bervoets, who used the opportunity to explain to the children about replanting of the mangroves and the overall importance of mangroves for the lagoon's eco system.

The Snorkel Club is an after school activity held on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The children are taught theory on marine life, the environment and of course, go snorkelling.

Source: http://www.thedailyherald.com/islands/1-islands-news/28853-harbour-group-nature-foundation-volker-stevin-to-protect-mangroves-.html

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