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The First Blue Flag Beach in Trinidad and Tobago

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The First Blue Flag Beach in Trinidad and Tobago DECEMBER 2015 | VOLUME 5 - ISSUE 4 Photo: Tourism Development Company Panoramic view of Las Cuevas Bay. The First Blue Flag Beach in Trinidad and Tobago • Las Cuevas: The 1-3 Did you know that Las Cuevas Beach on Trinidad’s north coast has the singular First Blue Flag distinction of being the only Blue Flag Beach in the English-speaking countries of Beach in Trinidad the Southern Caribbean? and Tobago The Blue Flag is a world-renowned eco-certification for beaches and marinas. When you see a Blue Flag flying, you know the beach is clean and accessible; has • Life Below Waters 4-5 great water quality; meets high safety standards; and is working hard to protect local shorelines and ecosystems. • IMA Events and 6 Activities • The Blue Corner 8 (continued page 2) - The Shortnose Batfish PAGE 2 Las Cuevas: The First Blue Flag Beach in Trinidad and Tobago (con’t.) In 2008, the Tourism Development Company (TDC) Limited, an agency of the Ministry of Tourism, embarked on the implementation of the Blue Flag Programme in Trinidad and Tobago. Eventually on 16 January, 2015 the Blue Flag was raised at the Las Cuevas Beach Facility. As a testimony to the high standards maintained, this environmental award was conferred for a second season. The Blue Flag was proudly raised by the Honourable Shamfa Cudjoe, Minister of Tourism, on 17 November, 2015. What does the Blue Flag at the entrance to Las Cuevas Beach signify? The Blue Flag Programme, a voluntary certification scheme for beaches and marinas, promotes sustainable development in marine areas through environmental education. It is managed by the non-governmental, non- profit organization FEE (the Foundation for Environmental Education) in Copenhagen, Denmark. The Blue Flag Programme is coordinated both nationally and internationally. In Trinidad, the TDC Limited selected Las Cuevas and Maracas as pilot beaches to implement activities aimed at achieving compliance with Blue Flag criteria. The local non-governmental organization (NGO) Asclepius Green, coordinates the Blue Flag Programme and is responsible for marketing and implementing Blue Flag in Trinidad and Tobago. Are there any benefits for the Las Cuevas beach-goer from Blue Flag Certification? Certainly, two main elements of the Blue Flag Programme are Criteria and Control and Monitoring. The award of a Blue Flag beach is based on compliance with 33 criteria and most are compulsory. These criteria cover aspects of water quality, environmental education and information, environmental management, safety and services. A National Jury in Trinidad and Tobago comprising various stakeholders such as the Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA), ensures compliance with Blue Flag criteria. Blue Flag candidate applications approved by the National Jury are reviewed by an International Jury. Photo: www.blueflagtrinidadandtobago.com The Information Board gives details about Las Cuevas, Trinidad and Tobago’s first Blue Flag certified beach. PAGE 3 Map courtesy: FEE Beaches ( ) and Marinas ( ) in the Caribbean area with Blue Flag status. Where can visitors learn about the Blue Flag programme at Las Cuevas? Just off the carpark there is an Information Board with a map showing the boundaries of the Blue Flag beach area and the location of key facilities and services. It also gives details about the Blue Flag programme, length of the Blue Flag season, a beach code of conduct, environmental education activities and water quality data. When the Blue Flag is flying, beach-goers are always assured that bathing water quality is good. At a Blue Flag beach, water quality testing is conducted every 30 days. When adverse effects on bathing water quality are detected, the Blue Flag is temporarily taken down, until tests indicate that water quality complies with the Blue Flag minimum global standard for water quality. Past bacteriological water quality surveys conducted by the IMA found that bathing water quality at the designated Blue Flag area at Las Cuevas Beach was always in compliance with United States Environmental Protection Agency standards. What were the Environmental Education Activities for the 2015 Blue Flag season? Five Blue Flag activities were: a Primary School drawing competition; stakeholder training; a fun day; a beach clean- up, and preparation of a Trinidad and Tobago Blue Flag brochure. Activities for the second season are Marine Touch Tanks at Las Cuevas; a Blue Flag activity book; a roving school’s caravan; a coffee table discussion forum with tourism professionals and a responsible pet ownership campaign including a spay and neuter project. The IMA celebrates Blue Flag Las Cuevas Beach with its cleaner beach and surroundings, access for the physically disabled to the beach, zoning to prevent conflicts and accidents and for encouraging recycling of waste material. The implementation of the Blue Flag Programme in Trinidad and Tobago will surely improve the experience of local beach-goers and tourists. Christine Bullock, Microbiologist, Environmental Quality Research Programme PAGE 4 Life below Waters Photo: undp.org - Martine Perret/UN A local fisherman’s boat in the waters off Atauro Island, Timor-Leste. September 2015 in New York, world leaders committed to 17 Global Goals to achieve 3 extraordinary things in the next 15 years - end extreme poverty, fight inequality & injustice and fix climate change. These 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) came after assessing the progress made on the Millennium Development Goals which were derived in 2000. The SDG goals are: no poverty, zero hunger, good health and well-being, quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, decent work and economic growth, innovation and infrastructure, reduced inequalities, sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption and production, climate action, life below water, life on land, peace, justice and partnership. Goal No. 14 - Life below waters, speaks to the conservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. The targets are: • By 2025, to prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution • By 2020, to sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans • To minimize and address the impacts of ocean acidification, including through enhanced scientific cooperation at all levels • By 2020, to effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices and implement science-based management plans, in order to restore fish stocks in the shortest time feasible, at least to levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield as determined by their biological characteristics PAGE 5 • By 2020, to conserve at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, consistent with national and international law and based on the best available scientific information • By 2020, to prohibit certain forms of fisheries subsidies which contribute to overcapacity and overfishing, eliminate subsidies that contribute to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and refrain from introducing new such subsidies, recognizing that appropriate and effective special and differential treatment for developing and least developed countries should be an integral part of the World Trade Organization fisheries subsidies negotiation • By 2030, to increase the economic benefits to Small Island developing States and Least Developed Countries by establishing a sustainable use of marine resources policy, including through sustainable management of fisheries, aquaculture and tourism • To Increase scientific knowledge, develop research capacity and transfer marine technology, taking into account the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Criteria and Guidelines on the Transfer of Marine Technology, in order to improve ocean health and to enhance the contribution of marine biodiversity to the development of developing countries, in particular small island developing States and least developed countries • To provide access for small-scale artisanal fishers to marine resources and markets OR To enable small-scale artisanal fishers to access marine resources and markets. • To Enhance the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources by implementing international law as reflected in United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which provides the legal framework for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources For Trinidad and Tobago to meet these targets there must be an enabling legislative and policy environment that allows for cooperation and co-ordination among state agencies, the private sector and civil society organizations. The draft Integrated Coastal Zone Management Policy Framework attempts to create such a platform. Its goal is to facilitate an integrated approach to coastal zone management aimed at maintaining and where necessary, enhancing, the functional integrity of the coastal resource systems while enabling sustainable economic development through rational decision-making and planning. In pursuing this policy, all state and non-state agencies would have to instil public awareness about the dangers of the degradation of environmental conditions in the country’s coastal zones and oceans,
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