Planning and Development Minister Pennelope Beckles, who also holds responsibility for our environment, states that the overall value of Trinidad and Tobago’s wildlife resources makes it one of the most valuable resources we possess. The Minister stated this as Trinidad and Tobago joins the world wide community in commemorating World Wildlife Day on March 3, 2023. World Wildlife Day is a United Nations international day to celebrate all the world’s wild animals and plants and the contribution that they make to our lives and the health of the planet. This year it is celebrated under the theme ‘Partnerships for Wildlife Conservation’.
Minister Beckles refers to the economic value of our wildlife and biodiversity which exceeds hundreds of millions in US dollars.
The 5th National Report of Trinidad and Tobago to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), approved by the Government in 2017, revealed that soil retention services provided by different types of forests are valued as high as US$622 million annually, representing as much as 6.8% of central government’s annual revenues. Other services such as water purification, flood protection and the provision of sustainable timber provided by this country’s forests are estimated to be worth at least US$2,195 per hectare per year. Another regulating service provided by forests is carbon dioxide removal from the atmosphere. This service provided is valued at approximately US$1,088 per hectare per year and is possibly highest in wetland areas such as the Caroni and Nariva swamps. A socio-economic survey undertaken by the Food and Agriculture Organization and the Central Statistical Office in 2019 also revealed that protected areas, including wetlands, bring in an average estimated amount of TT $18 million annually.
This study also indicated that the value of shoreline protection provided by coastal ecosystems for Trinidad and Tobago ranges between US$3 and US$133 per hectare per year. Aside from protection services, coastal ecosystems also support recreation and tourism-based activities, valued at up to US$390,428 per hectare per year.
According to the Planning and Development Minister, losing these resources to natural disasters and man-made negligence will be an immense financial cost, creating an urgent need to conserve and be kind to our wildlife resources beyond this designated day of observation.
To ensure the sustainability of our wildlife resources, the Ministry of Planning and Development through its various environmental agencies has embarked upon a suite of actions, bolstered by Trinidad and Tobago’s National Development Strategy: Vision 2030; the National Environmental Policy and our commitment to the global Sustainable Development Goals. Vision 2030 has as a key theme ‘Placing the Environment at the Centre of Social and Economic Development’.
In 2018, the Scarlet Ibis, was officially designated through the Environmental Management Authority, an Environmentally Sensitive Species (ESS), joining the ocelot, the West Indian manatee, the Trinidad Piping-guan or Pawi and other animals on the list. As recently as 2022, the EMA also signed the Legal Notices towards the designation of the Trinidad White-Fronted Capuchin and Trinidad Howler Monkey as ESSs. Trinidad and Tobago’s list now stands at thirteen animals, designated under the ESS Rules, 2001. The EMA notes that these Rules prohibit the taking, possession, hunting, disturbance or trade of any ESS and the destruction of its habitat. The penalty for causing damage or being found in possession of a designated animal is TT $100,000 and imprisonment for two years.
The Ministry of Planning and Development through the Institute of Marine Affairs is also working on the rehabilitation of Trinidad and Tobago’s coral reefs and seagrasses, which are vital wildlife resources themselves, providing food and habitat for other species of animals and plants.
Through the Basel Convention Regional Centre for Training and Technology Transfer for the Caribbean (BCRC-Caribbean), support is being provided with the implementation of their sustainable wastes and chemical management in order to protect human health and the environment in Trinidad and Tobago and the rest of the Region. The Ministry of Planning and Development’s Environmental Policy Division is also working on projects for climate action, ozone protection through the Montreal Protocol, management of waste and pollution, biodiversity conservation and more.