WETLANDS - TOWARDS
THEIR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Trinidad Guardian
January 31, 2000
Page 18
Wetlands comprise about six percent of the Earth's land
area. They are considered to be among
the most threatened ecosystems because of their susceptibility to both human
and natural stressors. Wetlands,
including mangrove ecosystems, are often regarded as marginal lands that serve
no purpose. Their importance is often
unrecognized.
With World Wetlands Day due to be observed on Wednesday
February 2, NICOLA GHOURALAL, Information Officer with the Institute
of Marine Affairs, notes that a close look at the complexity of wetlands may
help us understand the importance of putting proper management tools in place,
so that these special areas may be sustainable developed, and where necessary,
preserved.
Trinidad and Tobago has several mangrove dominated coastal wetland
forests. These are the Caroni Swamp in
Trinidad and Bon Accord Lagoon in Tobago.
Nariva Swamp, a largely freshwater system, with herbaceous species, is
another type of wetland found in Trinidad.
Wetlands play a pivotal role in the environmental dynamics of the
coastlines of our country.
Unfortunately, demands of development often override the need for conservation
and many of these wetlands are in danger of being degraded or destroyed.
Wetlands
serve vital environmental functions.
They function as aquatic breeding grounds and nurseries for salt and
freshwater organisms, especially several species of commercially important
fish. Mangroves provide essential
nutrients for juveniles as well as protection during the critical stage of
their development. It is estimated that
two-thirds of the commercial fish caught in Trinidad and Tobago inhabited
mangroves during some stage of their development.
Wetlands
provide habitat for different species of wildlife. The Caroni Swamp has well over 160 species of birds, including
our national bird, the scarlet ibis.
Nariva Swamp is home to the endangered manatee. Other wetland dwellers in clued caiman,
crabs, snakes, cascadura, black conch, capuchin and howler monkeys.
Mangroves
often act as a buffer against wind and heavy rains and offer shoreline
protection and stabilisation. Wetlands
are important land builders and protect the coast from erosion by interrupting
the transfer of energy from waves and trapping mud and silt from river
discharge. By extension, they control
water quality of the near shore water by trapping pesticides, heavy metals and
inorganic nutrients. Turbidity in near
shore waters is lessened, and in areas where these ecosystems exist adjacent to
one another, protection of reef and seagrass bed systems is possible.
Though
wetlands have important functions, they are subject to, like all other ecosystems,
human and natural stressors. Rapid
coastal development in areas such as Westmoorings and Point Lisas, have caused
developers to reclaim land which formerly supported mangroves. In other islands such as Barbados, colonial
settlers cleared mangroves in the 1600s in order to establish what is now the
city of Bridgetown. Wetlands are often
used as landfills. The Beetham Landfill
is an example.
In
Portmore, Jamaica, a productive mangrove system that also served as a catchment
area for a local river system was filled in to provide homes for 80,000
persons.
Rapid
development and population increases, have led to the need to produce more
food. Food production in the form of
rice farming, takes place within the Nariva Swamp, a 6,234-hectare wetland. Water channels within the swamp were
re-routed and bush fires have become more prevalent. An increase in the use of pesticides could be, in the short and
long run, detrimental to the aquatic flora and fauna.
Over
harvesting of fish and shellfish leads to a decrease in populations, especially
if the activity is not managed and conducted within the designated season. Natural stressors include hurricanes and
cyclonic storms and can physically damage the mangroves by uprooting them. This also leads to increased rates of
erosion.
The
realization that a wetland can be more useful to humans in its natural state,
rather than filled in or in some way altered, has led to increased interest in
the conservation of wetlands.
The
Convention for the Conservation of Wetlands of International Importance
(especially as Waterfowl Habitat) drawn up at Ramsar, Iran in 1971 has been the
main convention that calls for international protection of wetlands.
As
a signatory to the Convention, Trinidad and Tobago was bound to designate a
site for protection. The Nariva Swamp
is this country's one Ramsar site, through other wetlands are at present being
considered.
Consistent
monitoring of wetlands, flora and fauna and wetland-related research into
toxicology, ecology, hydrology, geology and socio-economics related to the area
are also part of the IMA's work.
The
IMA's 6th Annual Research Symposium, which took place in July 1999,
featured the research of the IMA on aspects of the Nariva Swamp. The IMA was contracted by the Ministry of
Agriculture, Land and Marine Resources to conduct an environmental impact
assessment. This study will form the
basis of a Management Plan for the area.
Trinidad
and Tobago also has a Wetlands Committee, which was formed as a result of
Ramsar's obligations and several organisations, both governmental and
non-governmental, have taken responsibility for conservation and sustainable
management of these ecosystems.
The
Institute of Marine Affairs, for the past seven years, has collected seasonal
data twice a year on the structure and productivity of the Bon Accord Lagoon
mangroves. This data is then sent to
the Data Management Centre of the Caribbean Coastal Monitoring Productivity
Programme (Caricomp) in Jamaica.
It
is important to understand the uniqueness of wetlands. Management tools can be implemented in order
to sustainably develop and conserve these rich natural resources. Wetlands can be used as a tourism product - eco-tours have been promoted as the next
best thing in the tourism market.
Properly
managed, non-invasive recreational activities such as bird watching, kayaking
and nature walks can also help it the preservation of such areas.
The
Caroni Swamp has supported boat tours for years. Watch towers for avid bird watchers have also been constructed
using all-natural materials. Regulating
their use by making wetlands national parks is another way to manage these
fragile ecosystems.
Public
education and awareness is important if we are to create greater public
awareness of wetlands and their value.
Degraded wetlands can sometimes benefit from rehabilitation. The replanting of mangroves is one option
and a current research project supported by the private sector aims to
determine the effectiveness of this approach over a small, well-defined area.
Sustainable
development and conservation are important for the very survival of our
wetlands and for the maintenance of the delicate balance of life that exists
within these special ecosystems.
Contrary to popular belief, wetlands are not wastelands, but areas that
are critically important to our survival.
|
AREA |
TYPE OF WETLAND |
SIZE ha |
|
|
TRINIDAD - NORTH
COAST |
|
|
Scotland Bay |
Fringe mangrove |
<1 |
|
Maracas |
Freshwater swamp forest |
25 |
|
Tyrico Bay |
Freshwater swamp forest |
1 |
|
Las Cuevas |
Freshwater swamp forest |
3 |
|
Yarra River |
Freshwater swamp forest |
1 |
|
Marianne River |
Freshwater swamp forest |
15 |
|
Grand Riviere |
Annual flood plain |
1 |
|
|
TRINIDAD - EAST
COAST |
|
|
Matura
River |
Estuarine mangrove |
5 |
|
Balandra River |
Estuarine mangrove |
<1 |
|
Salybia |
Freshwater swamp |
4 |
|
North Oropouche |
Fishing pond / Freshwater
swamp forest |
170 |
|
North Manzanilla |
Estuarine / basin mangrove |
<1 |
|
Manzanilla Windbelt |
Estuarine mangrove |
44 |
|
Mouville |
Estuarine mangrove |
22 |
|
L'Ebranche |
Estuarine mangrove |
47 |
|
Ortoire River |
Estuarine / basin mangrove |
110 |
|
Nariva Swamp |
Freshwater marsh /
freshwater swamp forest / estuarine mangrove / palm forest |
6234 |
|
|
TRINIDAD - SOUTH
COAST |
|
|
Los Blanquizales |
Basin mangrove / fresh
water marsh |
840 |
|
Moruga River |
Estuarine / basin mangrove |
33 |
|
Guayaguayare |
Estuarine mangrove |
23 |
|
Rustville |
Estuarine mangrove |
102 |
|
St Hilaire |
Estuarine mangrove |
<10 |
|
|
TRINIDAD - WEST
COAST |
|
|
Bayshore / Diego Martin
River |
Estuarine mangrove |
|
|
Chaguaramas |
Estuarine mangrove |
<1 |
|
Hart's Cut |
Estuarine mangrove |
<1 |
|
Cuesa River |
Estuarine mangrove |
<1 |
|
Mucurapo |
Estuarine mangrove |
3 |
|
Sealots |
Estuarine mangrove |
<1 |
|
Caroni Swamp |
Estuarine mangrove |
3278 |
|
La Cuesa / Waterloo |
Estuarine mangrove |
<1 |
|
Orange Valley |
Estuarine mangrove |
<1 |
|
Couva / Carli Bay |
Estuarine mangrove |
171 |
|
Lisas Bay |
Estuarine mangrove |
26 |
|
Claxton Bay |
Estuarine mangrove |
92 |
|
Central Claxton Bay |
Estuarine mangrove |
<1 |
|
Marabella |
Estuarine mangrove |
660 |
|
Guaracara |
Estuarine mangrove |
110 |
|
Godineau Swamp |
Estuarine mangrove |
<2 |
|
Rousillac Swamp |
Estuarine / basin mangrove |
110 |
|
La Brea |
Estuarine / basin mangrove |
<2 |
|
Guapo River |
Estuarine mangrove |
33 |
|
Irois Bay |
Estuarine mangrove |
15 |
|
Icacos |
Estuarine
/ basin mangrove |
330 |
|
|
TOBAGO -
WINDWARD |
|
|
Petit Trou |
Lagoon fringe mangrove |
15 |
|
Little Rockly Bay |
Estuarine mangrove |
2 |
|
Big Bacolet Bay / Minister
Bay |
Estuarine mangrove |
>1 |
|
Fort Granby |
Estuarine mangrove /
freshwater marsh |
2 |
|
Lucy Vale |
Wet pasture |
>1 |
|
|
TOBAGO - LEEWARD
COAST |
|
|
Friendship |
Bay fringe / basin
mangrove |
2 |
|
Kilgwyn |
Basin mangrove |
12 |
|
Bon Accord Lagoon / Buccoo
Bay |
Lagoon fringe / Basin
mangrove / Freshwater pond |
50 |
|
Buccoo |
Freshwater marsh |
15 |
|
Courland Bay |
River |
2 |
|
Black Rock Pond |
Freshwater pond |
3 |
|
Parlatuvier |
Annual Floodplain |
1-2 |
|
Bloody Bay |
Annual Floodplain |
<1 |
|
|
|
|