November 12st, 2010: Grenada Marine Park staff trained on Bonaire
Last month the two recently hired Rangers and the MPA coordinator from Grenada, successful completed a training with the Bonaire National Marine Park (BNMP). During nine days, they worked closely with the staff of the Bonaire National Marine Park on Bonaire, which is an UNESCO-ICRAN Demonstration Site and thereby well equipped to serve as an example for other National Parks. One of the things that might be adopted by Grenada is the system of the dive tags. They were working with the BNMP in Law Enforcement procedures, maintaining mooring and demarcation buoys, observing the daily routines of BNMP Rangers, observing and learning the administrative systems and structures in place in the Marine Park, observing all the daily operating functions of BNMP Rangers and to get experience in the challenges faced with, when the BNMP started.
As part of an effort to preserve Carriacou's (the largest island of the Grenadines) natural environment, the Sandy Island/ Oyster Bed Marine Protected Area (SIOBMPA) was launched on July 31st, 2010.
The SIOBMPA comprises an area of 787 hectares on the southwest coast of Carriacou.
It is one of the most important marine ecosystems in the region and a culturally significant area for the people of Carriacou.
A main objective of launching the SIOBMPA has been to strike a balance between socio-economic and environmental sustainability.
To support the management of the protected area the Government of Grenada has hired and trained two community members, Cacil McQueen and Coddington Jeffery to serve as SIOBMPA rangers. According to Roland Baldeo, MPA Coordinator and chief of the Fisheries Division in Granada, one of the most significant aspects of their training was the 9 days intensive training program on Bonaire coordinated by the Bonaire National Marine Park.
