- DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND NATURAL DIVISION OF FISH AND WILDLIFE RESOURCES January 1995 Volume 7 Number 4 - Protecting Our Environment The Magnificent Did you know that the Virgin Islands has lost more In the Virgin Islands, the Magnificent Frigatebird than 50% of its forests, over 30% of its sea- (Fregata magnificens ), also called a Hurricane or grass beds,a number of saltponds, and many of its coral Man-O'-War , is a common sight gliding on air reefs in the last 50 years? It's true, and it has had a very currents or following fish- ermen hoping for a great negative effect on our quality of life as residents of handout. This bird is the largest of our thesebeautiful islands. with a wingspan of up to 96 Well, we are trying to do something about it. Re- inches. The only nesting colony in our area cently, CommissionerRoy Adams designateda series of for these is on Great Tobagoin the marine reservesand wildlife sanctuaries on the south- British V.I. Nesting is usually in November eastern end of St. Thomas. Governor Farrelly then and December.The males are identified signedRules and Regulations for these areas to provide duringthispe- riod by their protection for the natural resourcesfound in these inflated red gular pouches areas.The three sites include; the CompassPoint Pond as they display to the females. Marine Reserveand Wildlife Sanctuary, the Cas Cay/ oc- cupy a promi- MangroveLagoon Marine Reserveand Wildlife Sanctu- nent place in seamen'slore due to their ary, and the St. James Marine Reserveand Wildlife superb flying ability and tendencyof Sanctuary. Each of these areas will be detailed in attacking other birds. Their name most separatenewsletters. This issue will start with the likely originated with a comparisonbe- CompassPoint Pond. I tween this behavior and the fast, maneuver- able warships used by pirates to attack mer- chant vessels and relieve them of their cargos. Frigatebirds are often seen stealing food from other birds but they actually do catch most of their food themselves. Frigatebirds can becomequite tame. South Pacific ~.;~: -~~ ~,,~~ islanders would take young birds and hand raise them. ~::':"-~~- When going on long trips they would take a frigatebird Salt ponds are very important wildlife feeding and with them and, on arriving at their destination, release roosting habitats. They are also important for allowing the bird with a note attached to its leg. The bird would sedimentto settle out of runoff from the land. Compass then invariably return to the house where it was raised Point Pond was blocked from the seaa number of years with the goodnews of their safe arrival. Around the agoby a developerand dried up. The mangrovesdied time of the discovery of America, frigatebirds were and wildlife was forced to go elsewhere.After designa- thought to be goodnews for sailors becausethey meant tion of this pond as a protected area in 1992,it was land was near. Those sailors would have been alarmed reopenedto the sea and natural water levels were to know that frigatebirds are capableof long journeys restored in the pond. Almost immediately, fish and into mid ocean! crabs were observedin the pond and shortly afterwards, Recently, a female frigatebird was found at a local many shorebirdswere observedfeeding and residing marina trailing a fishing line and pole! The hook was around the pond. With the return to natural water removedfrom its wing and the wound was stitched:. levels, conditions are now proper for reestablishment of After several days of recovery and feeding, the bird was mangrovesin the pond. As an off-site mitigation mea- releasedin Pillsbury Sound and is hopefully pursuing sure, the Magens Bay Authority is going to plant man- its Man-O'-War activities. groves around the pond to replace mangrovesremoved during their bridge expansion project at Magens Bay. Following the reopening of the pond, Rotary East QUOTE took an interest in the pond and adoptedit as a commu- "Unless business can m-akemoney from environmen- nity project. Several weekendsof volunteer efforts tal products or politicians can get elected on environ- resulted in removal of all the accumulatedtrash, old mental issues, or individuals can get personal satisfac- boats and cars. The long term plan for the pond is tion from experiencing environmental concern,then developmentof boardwalks and viewing blinds for bird individuals and organisations will simply do whatever and other nature watching. Signs and a brochure are competeswith environmentalism if they seethe payoff being developedby the Division to help make the pond a as greater." valuable educational/recreationaldestination for both C. Seligman. 1980 residents and vif;itoTf; tn 011Ti~l~nr1~ What Would We Do With An Oil Spill? A New Sport Fisheries Initiative If there is an oil spill in the Virgin Islands, it is the Did you know that more than 50 million Americans responsibility of the Coast Guard and the responsible fish eachyear? Did you know that they spent $24 billion party (the company or individual that spilled the oil) to on fishing gear and motor boat fuels to fish clean up the oil. The primary goal is to keep the oil from recreationally in 1991?Excise taxes collectedon these reaching the shore. Oncethe oil reachesthe shore the salessupport US Fish and Wildlife Service sport fish cleanup becomesmore difficult and expensiveand the restoration projects throughout the U.S., including the environmental and economicimpacts are greater. There Virgin Islands.These are the funds that the Division are currently four methods for removing oil from the usesfor many of our projects, including boat ramps, open ocean. artificial reefs, fish sampling, and various studies. The most popular methods are mechanical.One of Recently, Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt these methods is the use of skimmers which skim the oil announceda new fisheries conservation strategy called off the surface of the water and store it in tanks. The St. the RecreationalFisheries Stewardship Initiative. Croix basedCaribbean Responderuses this method. Recognizingthe decline of fisheries and the habitats Another method is the use of oil absorbingmaterials. that they dependon, the Initiative calls for an enhance- the main problem with mechanical methodsis the ment of the health of aquatic ecosystemsand recre- generation of large amounts of waste material that must ational fisheries, and an increase in sport fishing oppor- be disposedof. This is a serious problem here in the VI. bmities. Bioremediation, or the use of bacteria to eat oil, has This goals of the Initiative, which will involve federal great promise, but has yet to work in the open ocean. and state natural resource agencies,include: Chemical dispersants are used to break up the oil - Enhancing and restoring aquatic ecosystems, into small droplets that sink. This prevents much of the - Enhancing recreational fishing opportunities, oil from reaching the shore. Unfortunately, the droplets - Increasing partnerships with private landowners, remain in the water column and the long term fate of - Establishing partnerships between governments these droplets is not known. Therefore, this method is and the private sector, and not advisable in shallow water or over seagrassbeds or - Achieving balance in the recovery of endangered coral reefs. speciesand the management of recreational fisheries. The last method is in situ burning. Oil is concen- Hopefully, through the forging of new partnerships trated by boats pulling fire-proof boomsand then light- and an improvement of national direction in fisheries ing the oil on fire. When done under proper conditions, conservationpolicy-making, the goals of the Initiative this method removesthe most oil and probably has the will becomereality. Without the changesrecommended least environmental impact. Unfortunately, the plume by the Initiative, the future of sport fishing (and all of smoke can create a human health hazard. Therefore, fishing) is uncertain as habitats continue to be de- this method cannot be used when there is any danger of graded. the smokeblowing over populated areas. /-:-:~~ ~ $$~-:-:;--::::";-0:- A~ / Currently, all of the techniquesfor cleaning up a spill ~~?' ~~-~ in the oceanhave problems. The method used will dependon conditions at the time of the spill. Continued This newsletter wasfunded by the US researchis developingbetter methods all the time. Fish and Wildlife Service,Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Acts, the Fishery Management Council and the Trees were savedby printing on recycledpaper Government of the VI. -- -- GOVERNMENT OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS BULK RA 1E OF THE UNITED STATES ****** U.S. POSTAGE PAID CHARLOT1E AMALIE, V.I. Deparunentof Planningand Natural Resources Division of Fish and Wildlife PERMIT NO. 35 6291 EstateNazareth 101 St. Thomas,USVI 00802-1104 (809)775-6762(ST.T.), (809)772-1955(ST.X.)

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