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Programme: BESTLIFE2030

Klein Bonaire: Building climate resilience through sustainable use and habitat restoration

Written by Yves on .

To protect and restore Klein Bonaire’s unique and fragile ecosystem, STINAPA is prioritising sustainable resource management, ecological restoration, and strengthened conservation efforts. By carefully monitoring natural resource use, STINAPA ensures that visitors can enjoy the island while minimising their environmental impact. This includes visitor impact assessments, strategic management practices, and outreach initiatives to promote awareness and responsible tourism.

Ecological restoration efforts are underway, incorporating reforestation and rewilding techniques to enhance habitat quality while controlling non-native species to support the growth of native flora and fauna. To further safeguard the island’s biodiversity, STINAPA will establish a watchtower at No Name Beach, ensuring a full-time ranger presence.

Through these initiatives, STINAPA remains dedicated to preserving the natural beauty of Klein Bonaire, fostering ecological resilience, and securing a sustainable future for generations to come.

Duration: 18 months

Syntropic Agroforestry Farming Pilot Project for Sint Eustatius

Written by Yves on .

The primary goal of this project is to alleviate the pressure on St. Eustatius’s natural environment caused by conventional grazing. It will introduce syntropic agroforestry techniques and establish a holistic, sustainable agricultural community that fosters biodiversity and enhances food security. Farmers will receive education and training from Curaçao-based Cijntje’s Organic Farm. Statiagov will allocate a 2,000 m² plot for a model farm on the island. The main target audience is the St. Eustatius Farmers’ Cooperative. No non-native species will be introduced into the island’s ecosystem, except for those that have been naturalised for hundreds of years.

Duration: 18 months

Marine Elasmobranch Nursery Area Assessment (MENAA): Establishing Sint Maarten’s coastal habitat and wetlands as a shark and ray nursery area

Written by Yves on .

This innovative project combines several research techniques to investigate how many, and in which ways, shark and ray species behave in the coastal waters of St Maarten. The information gathered in will be used to aid Sint Maarten’s government in effectively implementing the marine component of their Nature Policy Plan. At a transboundary level, it can facilitate the inclusion of Sint Maarten into the Yarari Sanctuary for marine mammals and sharks.

Duration: 18 months

Nature-based Solutions for sediment stabilisation and erosion control

Written by Yves on .

The proposed project addresses environmental degradation in the catchment areas of Lac Bay and Lagun, both significant bay areas on the east coast of Bonaire. Land degradation here is caused primarily by overgrazing by free-roaming goats and donkeys, and by land development. The resultant high erosion rates contribute to significant sedimentation in the backwaters of the mangroves, leading to the alarming loss of this vital ecosystem on the island. The project also includes coastal restoration through mangrove outplanting. Expansion of mangrove areas along the coast will provide a line of coastal defense and increase the habitat for coastal flora and fauna as well areas for fish to reproduce. Moreover, the expansion of the mangroves will increase the carbon sequestration capacity of the area.

Duration: 18 months

Species and habitat-based biodiversity restoration on Sint Maarten, Dutch West Indies

Written by Yves on .

This project will restore breeding habitat for Least Tern (Sternula antillarum) and Caribbean Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis occidentalis). Efforts focus on two sites. The first is the Fort Amsterdam protected area, which is a recognised Key Biodiversity Area and Important Bird Area. It is home to a pelican nesting colony. After the removal of invasive plant species, native tree and bush species will be planted. The second site is the Simpson Bay Lagoon where mangroves will be planted. This wetland is one of the largest inland lagoons in the Antilles and a crucial nursery for reefbased species, particularly the Mullet Pond section, a Key Biodiversity Area and Ramsar site. Within the Lagoon, a nesting platform will be established, including attraction devices, for a colony of Least Terns, which currently lacks a safe nesting space due to numerous hazards, including airplane strikes, habitat disturbance, and introduced predators.

Duration: 18 months

Optimize the production of juvenile Queen Conch of the Curaçao Queen Conch Hatchery

Written by Yves on .

The Curacao Queen Conch hatchery focuses on releasing cultured 1-year juveniles in selected areas, creating nursery grounds with dense populations. In the current Resembid project “Pilot outplanting cultured juveniles in Curacao and Bonaire”, it was planned to release up to 10,000 juveniles in 2023 and 2024. Programmes such as the Queen Conch Restoration programme on Bonaire are preparing to outplant 5,000 or more cultured Queen Conch per year in the depleted natural population of Lac Bay and 3 other suitable bays on the island. In this project the production of 1-year cultured juveniles will be optimised through designing new culture protocols and test these protocols in a scientific way.

Duration: 20 months

Combating Invasive Plants in Greenland/Kalaallit Nunaat – CIPKaN

Written by Yves on .

The project aims to persuade the Greenlandic Government to regulate the import of seeds and plants, preventing future issues with invasive species and protecting native vegetation. It supports the UN Global Biodiversity Agreement and the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030. The initiative will address invasive species like the Nootka Lupine through targeted removal efforts and engage the Nuuk community and schools.  

Key results include:

  • Reducing invasive plant populations without pesticides;
  • Raising awareness among Nuuk citizens and stakeholders about invasive species and the importance of protecting unique ecosystems;
  • Developing educational materials on the impacts of invasive plants;
  • Creating resources for schools; and
  • Organising a competition to propose Greenlandic names for unnamed plant species.

This multifaceted approach aims to foster community involvement and enhance environmental stewardship in Greenland.

Duration: 26 months 

Exploring biodiversity implications of bycatch in the West Greenland lumpfish fishery 

Written by Yves on .

Seabird bycatch is a global issue, particularly in gillnet fisheries, with over 400,000 birds caught annually. In the North Atlantic lumpfish fisheries, diving sea-ducks like common eiders, king eiders, and long-tailed ducks are frequently entangled. Greenland’s bycatch of common eiders is estimated between 10,000 and 20,000 annually, but accurate data is lacking.  

This project will quantify bycatch using research sampling and interviews with local fishers, providing the first nationwide estimates for the lumpfish fishery. It will assess the impact on seabirds, especially eiders and long-tailed ducks, as well as on mammals such as ring seals and harbor porpoises and fishes such as spotted wolffish and Atlantic halibut. Additionally, the project will establish a North Atlantic geographical baseline of trace elements from feathers to identify which common eider breeding stocks are impacted and propose management actions to reduce sea duck bycatch. 

Duration: 24 months

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