A project focusing on the protection and preservation of the undersea ecosystem.
A project by the Agro-ecological Caribbean Network (ARECNE) and Caribbean Grassroots Organizations in response to Global Warming in collaboration with WACC Global & the Folk Research Centre (FRC) Inc., Saint Lucia. (Read more)
Saint Lucia, like most island states, is dependent on two primary economic drivers. These are agriculture and tourism. These industries are susceptible to the vagaries of climate change, which, increasingly, impacts the viability of natural ecosystems. Saint Lucia has grown more dependent on tourism as a foreign exchange earner, and for the provision of sustainable livelihoods. It is with this in mind, that the project (FRC), “Saint Lucia – Safeguarding the underwater ecosystem for our livelihood” was conceptualised, to document the experiences of individuals and agencies involved in these two industries, to identify and to document traditional practices utilised by locals in the sustainable use of their environment.
This project was jointly funded by World Association of Christian Communication (WACC) and SOLORICON (Caribbean Climate Justice Project), and executed with the collaboration of The Monsignor Patrick Anthony Folk Research Centre (FRC) and the dive team, Anbaglo, an organisation with a profound knowledge of the marine ecosystem of Saint Lucia. The main output from this initiative is a twelve-minute documentary and two ninety-second public service announcements (PSAs), meant to capture the impact of climate change on the underwater ecosystem, and the real and potential impacts on livelihoods. The narration is mainly in English, however, where the local Kwéyòl is used, English captions are inserted in the documentary, in order to reach a wide cross-section of the community.
The documentary includes vivid shots of underwater images of healthy coral reefs and fishing pots, and the collection of harmful waste products. The narration focuses on the rich natural resources of Saint Lucia, and the importance of the ecosystem, in particular the blue economy.
Through a series of interviews, the project captured real life experiences of persons whose livelihoods depend on the sustenance of a healthy underwater ecosystem, and the multi-use of the water resources – fishing, local recreation and tourism activity. It addresses the management of the marine ecosystem, and highlights the roles of state agencies like the Soufriere Marine Management Authority (SMMA), the Fisheries Department as well as the Saint Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority (SLASPA).
The dive team, Anbaglo, represents an important, independent resource, highlighting the fact that grassroots, non-governmental, as well as government agencies, have a collaborative responsibility for the management and protection of the ecosystem.
The Anbaglo team underscores their major projects and the approaches they use to educate stakeholders and the public on the risks to the ecosystem, and the management of the undersea resources – such as coral reef restoration. Other notable details captured in the documentary include:
- The impact of Anbaglo’s educational programmes on stakeholders and the public;
- Scenes of traditional fishing boats and community beach scenes, showing the senior/older fishermen at their craft – making nets, cleaning fish;
- Commentary from the fisher-folk about the traditional ways of managing the resources and the challenges they have faced. These comments are captured in both English and Kwéyòl;
- Anbaglo’s adoption the traditional practices to facilitate their work and advocacy.
The documentary and PSAs are available on the FRC’s social media platforms and are expected to be available on the WACC website. Both the PSAs and the documentary are presently being aired on Calabash TV, a local television station in Saint Lucia.
Some of the main take-aways from this project were:
- The important contribution of Anbaglo, and other non-governmental organisations, in the protection and preservation of the environment;
- The need for a more systematic approach to the conservation and protection of the underwater ecosystem;
- The necessity for greater effort at the grassroots level in the mitigation of the impact of climate related change;
- The urgency for a comprehensive assessment of the health of our coastal waters and the development of implementable strategies to sustain its viability;
- Greater use of technology in the gathering, analysis and dissemination of data and information on climate change and its impact on the ecosystem;
- Gathering and utilisation of traditional knowledge in the management of natural resources.
While this project highlights some positives, such as the efforts of Anbaglo and other similar groups in educating users, both locals and visitors, on the impact of climate change on Saint Lucia’s ecosystem, a more systematic and sustained effort at the state level is required in order to bolster the efforts of these non-governmental groups, and to implement workable strategies for the long term preservation of this sensitive, but precious, resource.
Finally, the consensus among interviewees was that the threat to the ecosystem, as a result of climate change and the indiscriminate dumping of waste, pose a major threat to livelihoods and even the health of users.