Group condemns illegal deforestation of mangroves in Sint Maarten
An environmental group on the Dutch Caribbean Island of Sint Maarten is urging the government to launch an investigation into the illegal deforestation of mangroves on public land by an unauthorised group of individuals along the Great Salt Pond’s newly established birding platform.
The action has been denounced by both Nature Foundation Sint Maarten and the Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (VROMI).
According to Nature Foundation Sint Maarten, an extensive cutting of over 200 square metres of primarily white mangroves (Laguncularia racemosa) at the Great Salt Pond Birding Platform in Philipsburg took place last Friday.
No civil work permit was issued to destroy the mangroves.
The area is managed by the Ministry of VROMI in collaboration with the Nature Foundation, who installed the platform within the mangroves in December 2023 as part of the R4CR “Birding and Ecotourism” project.
In a video posted to Facebook on Thursday night, an individual claiming to be a representative of a taxi association took credit for the incident, saying that it was part of a collaborative “clean-up” effort between French and Dutch side taxi drivers to provide their tourist clients with a better view of the pond.
The St Martin United Taxi Association has not been responsive to inquiries regarding their stance, while the president of the Dutch St Maarten Taxi Association, Maya Friday, condemned the action and said that involved Dutch side drivers acted alone and without her knowledge or permission.
Though the activity appears to have been done with good intentions, the Nature Foundation and Ministry of VROMI stress it was not only illegal and inconsiderate, but harmful to the environment and tourism. Such activities are prohibited without a valid civil works permit obtained from the Ministry of VROMI.
Furthermore, the mangroves provided shade and noise reduction over the platform and habitat for many species of birds, who residents and tourists visit the platform to see. White mangroves are also listed by the regional SPAW Protocol as a near-threatened species and have formed a key part of environmental restoration efforts on the island for decades.
“This is completely devastating,” the Nature Foundation stated. “These mangroves were not something that needed to be ‘cleaned up’ – in fact, they played an important role in drawing visitors to the birding platform. We intentionally do not cut them down because they serve a critical function for the eco-tourism site. Our staff would have been happy to speak with concerned individuals and equip them with resources to provide a better service for their vehicle-based customers. Now, without the mangroves, visitors and wildlife will be exposed to hot sun and noisy traffic on the platform, not to mention the habitat that has been destroyed. It will take many years for this area to recover, even with restoration efforts.”
The Nature Foundation has asked the Sint Maarten government to take action and initiate a formal investigation into the incident with Saint-Martin authorities. The non-profit organisation will also seek the cooperation of the taxi associations on both sides of the island to increase the environmental awareness of all drivers.
The public has been asked to remain vigilant of any ongoing activity around the birding platform as VROMI management surveys the site and the Nature Foundation works to develop a restoration plan. Further damage to the mangrove trees, including the removal of roots, could permanently kill them.
The Ministry of VROMI reminds the public that no significant civil works activities (dredging, excavation, deforestation, construction, etc.) can occur without approval through a formal permitting process, whether on public or private land.
