St. Christopher National Trust Youth Arm Chair Ghanja O’Flaherty informs event attendees about the overall scope of the sustainable reef monitoring and management project.

Funded by the Global Environment Facility-Small Grants Programme (GEF-SGP), the stated aim of the environmental project is to gather vital data about the reef ecosystems in the vicinity of the Federation to facilitate their monitoring, management, and protection.

Present at the ceremony in his capacity as Senior Minister with responsibility for Marine Resources, Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris told attendees that the project was in “good hands,” and went on to give plaudits for the tireless work put in by members of the National Trust and its Youth arm.

“We are here to celebrate the launch of this important project,” he said. “I believe that it will become a template for a new kind of approach to resource conservation – protecting our marine resources and building the fishing industry in ways that benefit local communities and the marine environment.”

“I believe that this project offers unique possibilities,” he continued, “bringing together youthful environmentalists, like Ms. O’Flaherty, and others with interests in the marine environment who can look for new solutions. … The very fact that this project exists shows how very progressive and forward-thinking our young people are.”

For her part, the aforementioned Ghanja O’Flaherty, the Youth Arm Chair of the National Trust, disclosed in her comprehensive overview of the project that without the effective dissemination of the information gathered to the general public, the principle goals will not have been met.

“All of this training and data collection will be completely useless if no one knows about it,” she posited. “It is imperative that the public gain knowledge not only of the dangers facing the reef, but exactly what our coral reefs have to offer.”

Therefore, a main thrust of the Youth Arm, according to O’Flaherty, is to promote awareness of the reefs, in conjunction with the Ministry of Marine Affairs, Fisheries Department, and other invested stakeholders.

Primary stated objectives of the reef project include the creation and maintenance of informational databases containing the collected facts about seven vulnerable coral reefs to aid in their monitoring, management and protection, and the training of two Youth arm members in reef monitoring methodology.

Of particular emphasis in getting the news out will be spreading information out about the vital importance of coral reefs, the marine life they sustain and their significance to the Federation’s environmental development.

Dive consultant Jason Phillip has functioned at the forefront of the data collection process. Through his work, study areas have been established on specific reefs, along with extensive video recordings and many pictures – all to be fed into an international database.

Ultimately, the reef project will be utilized, in concurrence with other internationally funded projects undertaken by the Government, to establish Marine Protected Areas within the Federation.

Near the conclusion of the event, Stephen Duggins Q.C., GEF-SGP National Focal Person, presented a ceremonial check to Tarpley Seaton, president of the St. Christopher National Trust. The grant amount given for the project was US$48,470.

The GEF Small Grants Programme, implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), provides funding for local communities in developing countries to advance environmental projects and to combat ecological problems. The programme has a presence in 122 countries and has distributed more than 12,000 grants around the globe.

Plans to inform the public about the project’s progress will incorporate informative videos, posters, and booklets, in addition to community meetings. Interested parties can also find information on the St. Christopher National Trust’s Web site: www.stkittsheritage.com.