ST EUSTATIUS NATIONAL MARINE PARK

RECEIVES NATIONAL PARK STATUS

Oranjestad. This year has been a major milestone for St. Eustatius National Marine Park. It is ten years since the Marine Park first opened its office and started operations to install the first moorings for dive sites and yachts. During this time, the Marine Park has gone from strength to strength in its efforts to protect the 27.5km2 of coral reef and sea grass beds in the waters around the entire island of St. Eustatius in the Dutch Caribbean.

The events to celebrate this important anniversary commenced on 3rd December with an open-house and official opening of the National Park Visitor Centre. The highlight of this event was when Mr. Paul Hoetjes of MINA, the Department of Environment and Nature of the Netherlands Antilles, announced that the St Eustatius National Marine Park had been designated by the Ministry as a National Park, ‘St Eustatius has become the first island of the Netherlands Antilles to have two National Parks with the Statia National Marine Park – truly an example to follow for the other islands’. The Acting Governor General of the Netherlands Antilles Her Excellency Mrs. Adele van der Pluijm-Vrede officially opened the Visitor Centre and gave the keynote address focusing on the beauty of St. Eustatius and the challenges for conservation protection during social economic development. The President of STENAPA, Mr. Irving Brown, joined the Acting Governor General to unveil a plaque commemorating the opening of the Visitor Centre, and thanked Stichting Doen of the Netherlands for their financial support to professionalise the organisation over the past three years.

Commissioner for Tourism, Julian Woodley spoke of the Marine Park’s efforts over the years to provide sustainable and responsible environmental management, ‘today Statia boasts an environmental organisation that is active, vigilant and progressive … because of STENAPA’s consistency, inclusion of relevant stakeholders and professionalism, residents and visitors can see the fruits of dedicated work and sound planning. Today STENAPA hosts a series of programmes aimed at educating visitors and residents to the importance of responsible environment management’. National Park Manager, Mrs. Nicole Esteban, gave an insight into the diverse habitats that attract divers from around the world, and described the development of the Marine Park over the past ten years, acknowledging the important work of the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance for their work to provide long term financial security through establishment of a conservation Trust Fund. The dive centres were well represented by Mrs. Rinda Hees from Dive Statia who congratulated the Marine Park on its 10th anniversary and explained some of the direct benefits for the dive industry ‘buoys were a great help in both saving the coral and finding the dive sites, training new staff is now much quicker … fish life has flourished with larger fish, more pelagics and also the rarer species’. The event was well coordinated by MC, Lady Alida Francis, Director of Tourism, and closed with an open house and viewing of the new documentary about the work of STENAPA. [read complete press release]

ST. EUSTATIUS NATIONAL MARINE PARK CELEBRATES 10 YEARS

This year is a major milestone for St. Eustatius National Marine Park. It is 10 years since the Marine Park first opened its office and started operations to install the first moorings for dive sites and yachts.

The initial activities were funded through a start up grant from World Wildlife Fund Netherlands and, since then, the Marine Park has gone from strength to strength in its efforts to protect the 27.5km2 of coral reef and sea grass beds in the waters around the entire island of St. Eustatius in the Dutch Caribbean.

To celebrate this important event, the Marine Park, supported by the St. Eustatius Tourism Development Foundation and all local dive centres, is planning a series of events, starting on Monday 3rd December 2007. A variety of activities is planned to appeal to both the local community and visiting divers, beginning with the official opening of the new National Park Visitor Centre. Activities will include an underwater photography course and contest, scavenger hunt for divers, evening talks, Statia Park Splash for children, snorkelling fun competition and a party to present prizes and celebrate the anniversary in style.

St Eustatius National Marine Park
10 year anniversary celebrations
3-7 December 2007