CONSERVATION, TRUST FUNDS AND THE ANTILLES

Sitting on a small island it is easy to become so enmeshed in island affairs and the day to day business of running a land park or a marine park, protecting sea turtles or bringing environmental education into our schools that we loose sight of the fact that Bonaire is tiny part of a much larger world. Efforts to establish a Trust Fund for nature in the Antilles should bring home the messages that Bonaire not only has important lessons to share with the Antilles but can also serve as a role model and a poster child for conservation management.

Last week on Curacao the Central Government Department of Health and the Environment (VOMIL) convened a workshop to discuss the establishment of a Trust Fund, designed to support nature conservation management throughout the Antilles for which a feasibility study is already underway. From each island there was a representative from local the nature management organization. From Bonaire Elsmarie Beukenboom was representing STINAPA Bonaire and Bonaire's interests. There was also a strong international contingent including a representative from the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture (LNV), the Director of IUCN Holland, a senior consultant from AIDEnvironment, a representative of Conservation International and the internationally acclaimed Trust Fund expert, Barry Spergel.

The financial situation of Bonaire's land and marine parks is the envy of the Antilles. The Marine Park has been basically self financing since diver admission fees were introduced in 1992. But with no increase in the admission fees despite inflation and an ever increasing workload the Marine Park has begun really struggling to meet its management objectives. The situation of the Washington Slagbaai Park is somewhat less rosy, but funding from Stichting DOEN over the past three years as well as Emergency Funds to restore the historic buildings at Slagbaai have given the Park an enormous boost.

So, why do we need a Trust Fund? This was one of the questions, which Rob Glastra of AIDEnvironment came to Bonaire to try and answer. The answer is clear. Whilst our Island Government has always staunchly supported nature conservation, they simply do not have of the financial means to pay for the running of the parks. As a result they have become increasingly dependant on income from tourism in the form of admission fees. Now tourism is a fickle bedfellow. A sudden drop in tourism, whatever the cause, would be devastating. More tourists, of course, means more money. But this too can be problematic. Placing limits on the number of moorings, determining which users should pay fees and setting carrying capacity limits are some of the issues, which have been particularly difficult to handle over the years. A Trust Fund would guarantee each island a minimum dependable income for its land and marine parks irrespective of the number of visitors.

As the Antillean Trust Fund starts to take shape and we begin to market our conservation initiatives more and more effectively Bonaire undoubtedly has a critical role to play. We have not been shy about investing in conservation and our efforts have paid off. Bonaire's reefs are some of the best protected, best managed and healthiest in the developing world. We have one of the largest and best managed land parks. But we also have also learnt another important lesson: the need to work together to make conservation happen. Here I think we can be quietly optimistic that, whatever the outcome of the current efforts to establish a Trust Fund, there will be tremendous benefits to all of us from working more and more closely with our counterparts throughout the Antilles.