FOREST DEPARTMENT CONCERNED OVER USE OF SAINT LUCIA’S OFFSHORE ISLANDS FOR PUBLIC AND PRIVATE EVENTS

The Forests and Lands Resources Division is concerned over the frequent occurrences of unauthorized public and private activities on Praslin Islet and Rat Islet.

The offshore islands (i.e. Maria, Dennery, Praslin and Rat) are the last remaining sanctuaries for a number of our endemic reptiles including the Saint Lucia whiptail lizard locally known as Zando – which is a fairly large, active ground lizard with adult males bearing the colours of the Saint Lucia flag. Additionally, our offshore islands constitute a major breeding ground for large colonies of both resident and migratory bird species. Therefore, the unsustainable and haphazard manner in which
these unauthorized entertainment events are happening is completely inappropriate for
such habitats and have the potential to destroy the protected species of wildlife found
only in such fragile ecosystems.

The Forests and Lands Resources Division by virtue of the Saint Lucia Wildlife Protection Act, Chapter 6.03 of 1980 (revised 2001), is charged with the legal mandate to manage, protect and preserve wildlife and their habitat in St. Lucia.

As it relates to the offshore islands, the following management decisions have been established in an effort to protect those vulnerable natural habitats and to maintain the enabling environment for the growth and development of the wildlife found there:

1. Ensure that all offshore islands, constituting the habitat of protected wildlife,
are kept free of rats, mongooses, cats, dogs, cane toads and other alien species
of both fauna and flora.

2. Ensure that bio-security protocols are executed frequently on the offshore
islands in an effort to maintain the pristine nature of the habitat and to prevent
the incursion of invasive alien species like rats and mice.

3. Ensure that the carrying capacity of each offshore island is not compromised
by visitors, at any given time, in order to maintain the integrity of these
vulnerable offshore island habitats.

4. Refrain from littering and setting of fires on the offshore islands

5. Refrain from feeding the wildlife in their natural habitat, particularly the Saint
Lucia whiptail lizards on Praslin Island.

6. No wildlife found on the offshore islands should be killed, persecuted or
harmed in anyway, especially the Saint Lucia whiptail lizards and the Saint
Lucia Racer.

The Forests and Lands Resources Division wishes to inform the general public of the
aforementioned protocols for visits to our offshore islands and would also like to advise
the public to seek permission from the Forests and Lands Resources Division or the
Saint Lucia National Trust before venturing onto these offshore islands. Furthermore,
the Forests and Lands Resources Division wishes to emphasize that all paid, profit
driven entertainment events or any mass crowd events are strictly prohibited on the
offshore islands due to the extremely vulnerable and sensitive nature of such habitats.