© 2009 BirdLife International Juan de Dios Martínez Mera N35-76 y Av. Portugal Casilla 17-17-717 Quito, Ecuador. Tel: +593 2 2277059 Fax: +593 2 2469838 [email protected] www.birdlife.org BirdLife International is a UK-registered charity No. 1042125 ISBN: 978-9942-9959-0-2 Recommended citation: DEVENISH, C., DÍAZ FERNÁNDEZ, D. F., CLAY, R. P., DAVIDSON, I. & YÉPEZ ZABALA,I.EDS. (2009) Important Bird Areas Americas - Priority sites for biodiversity conservation. Quito, Ecuador: BirdLife International (BirdLife Conservation Series No. 16). To cite this chapter: BROWN, A., COLLIER, N., DEBROT, A., DEL NEVO, A. & WELLS, J. (2009) Dutch Caribbean. Pp 179 – 188 in C. Devenish, D. F. Díaz Fernández, R. P. Clay, I. Davidson & I. Yépez Zabala Eds. Important Bird Areas Americas - Priority sites for biodiversity conservation. Quito, Ecuador: BirdLife International (BirdLife Conservation Series No. 16). The purpose of the information contained in this book is to support conservation initiatives in the Americas, for which it may be reproduced. Using this information for commercial purposes is not permitted. If part or all of this information is used or included in any other publication, BirdLife International must be cited as copyright holder. Those who provided illustrations or photographs in this book have copyright over them and these are not permitted to be reproduced separately to the texts accompanying them. The presentation of material in this book and the geographical designations employed do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of BirdLife International concerning the legal status of any country, territory or area, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Membership of BirdLife International does not imply any opinion or position with respect to sovereignty issues on the part of BirdLife International Partner organizations. Graphic design: Alejandro Miranda Baldares ([email protected]) Translations: Christian Devenish, Ítala Yépez Zabala & Amiro Pérez-Leroux Maps: David F. Díaz Fernández, Ítala Yépez Zabala & Christian Devenish Edition of Spanish language country chapters: Ítala Yépez Zabala, Carlos Huertas Sánchez & David F. Díaz Fernández Graphic design volunteer (Spanish language country chapters): Adriana Valencia Tapia 3ULQWHGLQ(FXDGRUE\3ROLJUi¿FD&$ This publication and all country/territory chapters in their native languages are available for download at www.birdlife.org/ 0TWVY[HU[)PYK(YLHZAMERICAS 1/ Ê , (KHT)YV^U5H[HSPH*VSSPLY(KVSWOL+LIYV[(KYPHU+LS5L]V 1LMM>LSSZ :HIHJVHZ[SPUL0)((5OHZ[OLOPNOLZ[U\TILYVMIYLLKPUN9LKIPSSLK;YVWPJIPYKZ 7OHL[OVUHL[OLYL\ZPUHU`0)(PU[OL(TLYPJHZ 7OV[V!)YLUKHHUK+\UJHU2PYRI` +\[JO*HYPIILHU ;LYYP[VY`MHJ[ZH[HNSHUJL 5VVM[LYYP[VYPLZ! 6 ;V[HSHYLH! RT2 ;V[HSWVW\SH[PVU! 5\TILYVM0)(Z! 23 ;V[HS0)(HYLH! OH 0)(JV]LYHNLVMSHUKHYLH! 28% .SVIHSS`[OYLH[LULKIPYKZ! 1 .SVIHSS`[OYLH[LULKIPYKZPU0)(Z! 1 *V\U[Y`LUKLTPJZ! .LULYHSPU[YVK\J[PVU The Dutch Caribbean is made up of the islands of Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles, all of which are part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, albeit with different political status1. Aruba, at 33 km long by 8-9 km wide, lies just off the Paraguaná peninsula on the north-west coast of Venezuela. The Netherlands Antilles is made up of two island groups; Bonaire and Curaçao off the coast of Venezuela, to the east of Aruba; and St Maarten, Saba and St Eustatius (or Statia) at the northern end of the Lesser Antillean chain, at more than 900 km from the three Dutch islands off the Venezuelan coast. St Maarten is part of the St-Martin/St Maarten island, divided into a northern, French half called St Martin and the southern, Dutch half of St Maarten. The Dutch and the French have shared the island – the smallest land mass in the world to be divided between two governments – for almost 350 years. Aruba and Curaçao are the most populous islands with over 100,000 inhabitants, whereas Saba and St Eustatius have less than 5,000 each (Table 1). Tourism is important in the economy of the whole of the Dutch Caribbean, DOWKRXJKRWKHUVLJQLÀFDQWLQGXVWULHVLQFOXGHWUDGHRLOUHÀQLQJDQGWUDQVIHUIDFLOLW\EDQNLQJDQGKDUERUUHODWHG services. ;HISL:\TTHY`PUMVYTH[PVUMVY[LYYP[VYPLZPU[OL+\[JO*HYPIILHU Territory (YLHRT2) 7VW\SH[PVU Capital (S[P[\KLT 5VVM0)(Z ;V[HS0)(HYLHOH 7LYJLU[HNLVM[V[HSSHUKHYLH Aruba 193 103,500 6YHUQLZ[HK 0–188 4 612 0.3% Bonaire 288 14,000 2YHSLUKPQR 0–240 6 23,830 53% Curaçao 444 138,000 >PSSLTZ[HK 0–375 5 16,280 25% Saba 13 1,420 ;OL)V[[VT 0–887 1 2,000 39% :[,\Z[H[P\Z 21 3,000 6YHUQLZ[HK 0–600 2 1,486 36% :[4HHY[LU 33 39,000 7OPSPWZI\YN 0–425 5 816 7.2% Aruba has its geological origins as a former part of South America, whereas the other islands are volcanic in origin. Mount Scenery on Saba is the highest point in the Dutch Caribbean at 887 m. Climate on Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao is similar; generally warm and very dry with an average annual precipi- tation of approximately 500 mm. Aruba is the driest of the three islands. Saba, St Eustatius and St Maarten have a slightly wetter climate, with between 1000 and 1700 mm of rain, much of which arrives during the hurricane season in late summer and fall. Vegetation is generally xeric shrubland with columnar cacti on the islands off Venezuela, with mangroves fring- ing some inland bays on Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao where there are also several enclosed shallow, hyper- saline lagoons providing important habitat for waterbirds. Dense secondary woodlands are recuperating from former agricultural impacts on Curaçao as a result of changes in agricultural activity. All islands except Saba have long sandy beaches, important for the growing tourist industry. The Lesser Antilles islands have vegetation FRQVLVWLQJRIWKRUQ\ZRRGODQGVFUXEDQGWUDQVLWLRQWRVHFRQGDU\UDLQIRUHVWDWPLGHOHYDWLRQVDQGHOÀQZRRG land in the highest mountainous regions. Coral reefs are present on all islands but have suffered some damage from hurricanes, anchoring vessels and other human activities. 1At some point in the near future the “Netherlands Antilles” will be dissolved. St Maarten and Curaçao will become separate countries within the Kingdom of the Netherlands (similar to the current status of Aruba). The islands of Bonaire, Saba and St Eustatius will be linked directly to the Netherlands as overseas territories. >HZOPUN[VU:SHNIHHP5H[PVUHS7HYR(> 7OV[V!9V^HU64HY[PU Provision for wildlife conservation differs within the Dutch Carib- bean. On Aruba, the main protected area is the 3400 ha Parke Nacional ¸(SPLUPU]HZP]LZWLJPLZHYLHZLYPV\Z Arikok. With no single government ministry responsible for environ- mental policy and implementation, wildlife conservation issues are not [OYLH[PU[OL+\[JO*HYPIILHULZWLJPHSS` GHDOW ZLWK LQ D FRRUGLQDWHG HIÀFLHQW ZD\ +RZHYHU DQ LVODQGZLGH VU:HIH:[,\Z[H[P\ZHUK:[4HHY[LU¹ Coastal Zone Management Plan is currently being developed and aims to identify areas of importance and those requiring protection and conservation. During a 2008 ‘Wild Aruba” conference there was a with tourism and recreational activities, posing a threat to seabird nesting consensus for the need of one environmental and management agency sites as well as leading to the loss of Aruba’s unique desert habitat. Alien for the island. invasive species are also a serious threat in the Dutch Caribbean, espe- cially on Saba, St Eustatius and St Maarten. Species of concern include In the Netherlands Antilles, conservation mechanisms are embraced rats, feral cats, goats, dogs and mice, in addition to raccoon (Procyon within the draft Island Nature Protection Ordinance which must be ap- lotor), mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus) and green monkey (Chloro- proved by each island’s government in order to facilitate the creation cebus sabaeus) on St Maarten. A related threat of overgrazing and direct RILVODQGVSHFLÀFFRQVHUYDWLRQOHJLVODWLRQ7KHSURFHVVLVFXUUHQWO\DW destruction of vegetation exists on St Eustatius and Bonaire, although on different stages on each island, with legislation in place and protected the former island, enforcement of an animal registry program has begun. areas designated on Bonaire, Curaçao and St Eustatius. Protected ar- Oil spills and inappropriate refuse management also pose threats, espe- eas have been proposed, but not approved, on Saba and St Maarten. cially to seabirds and other marine life on Statia. The capture and keep- 1HYHUWKHOHVVVRPHDUHDVEHQHÀWIURPDGHIDFWRFRQVHUYDWLRQPDQDJH- ing of parrots and other birds for pets is a particularly important threat ment to varying degrees (and government recognized in some cases) on Bonaire, especially with respect to the Yellow-shouldered Amazon at different sites in the Dutch Caribbean. Marine protected areas are (Amazona barbadensis). The intentional or accidental release of brown- also present on Bonaire, Saba, St Eustatius and a proposed area exists throated parakeets that had originated on Curacao or Bonaire poses a on St Maarten. On the whole, protected areas (both marine and ter- threat to the island subspecies of brown-throated parakeet on Aruba. restrial) are managed by local non-governmental organizations such as STINAPA on Bonaire, CARMABI Foundation on Curaçao, Saba Conservation Foundation, St Eustatius National Parks Foundation and the Nature Foundation of St Maarten. As well as the above organizations, a number of other NGOs have been established to address different environmental concerns, focusing on a variety of taxa and conservation issues. Activities carried out by NGOs include biodiversity inventories, species searches (e.g. Audubon’s Shear- water; 3XIÀQXV OKHUPLQLHUL),