Junior Rangers hand over manifesto for better wetland management

KRALENDIJK- On Wednesday a group of STINAPA Junior Rangers handed over the manifesto signatures to Island Governor Edison Rijna, the Executive Council, and the deputy Governor Nolly Oleana.
The Manifesto calls for sustainable management of wetlands on Bonaire. The junior rangers want to ensure that the vulnerable wetlands receive more attention in the future. A total of 452 signatures, supporting the manifesto, were accumulated.
“With global climate change increasingly and more severely affecting our daily lives, it becomes even clearer that we need to protect, manage and restore these areas. The Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention and the United Nations are therefore calling for action. Money, human resources and political will are needed to prevent wetlands from disappearing and to restore degraded areas” according to the initivative.
Not protected
The Manifesto also notes that this applies to both wetlands that are protected by the Ramsar Convention because of their international importance and wetlands that are not (yet) protected. The first category includes the Washington Slagbaai National Park, Klein Bonaire, Pekelmeer and Lac. Other water areas of great value are: Saliña Frans, Saliña Tam, Saliña di Vlijt, Dam Aruba, Washikemba, Lagun, Dam Onima and the freshwater lake at the sewage treatment plant (WWTP). Saliñas are of great importance for the protection of the underwater park against erosion and as a habitat for numerous water birds.
The signatories of this letter call on our local administrators to handle the wetlands on our island with care. In addition to a protected status, this also means paying attention to management and creating the necessary preconditions for this. At a time when increasing population growth, recreation and tourism are putting increasing pressure on these areas and climate change is making itself felt, sustainable management is indispensable.
NMBP
In that light, the undersigned hope that you as administrators will soon determine the implementation agenda associated with the Nature and Environmental Policy Plan (NMBP) Bonaire and that you will make the necessary resources available for effective management of our valuable Wetlands.