Marine Awareness Guide 2008
Article written By Andrew Wilkin of the Standpoint, February 2008. Link to actual article.
New Guide aids marine awareness and protection
On the first page of the magazine, a two-page spread shows a magnificent stand of Elkhorn Coral here in the Virgin Islands. A quote from an Agrican environmentalist reads: "In the end, we will conserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand; we will understand only what we are taught."
The Marine Awareness a BVI Guide, was conceived to help residents and visitors understand and best interact with the sensitive marine environment of the Territory. The design and first 10,000 copies were sponsored by The Moorings, according to Shannon Gore, the author of the magazine and an employee at Conservation and Fisheries Department.
The colourful magazine is filled with amazing shots of the coral and sea creatures found in he waters of the Virgin Islands. Along with the photographs, is information on the different marine ecosystems, marine species, laws governing the seas, conservation practives, a list of dangerous marine organisms and how to deal with exposure to them and storum preparation and safety.
"I have wanted to do this for years," Gore said. "I have had a lot of info from all the things I have written in the past, but it was just a matter of putting it all together."
She said she gave designers from "A Looking Glass', hundreds of photographs from some of the Territory's top photographers and a lot of text- they did the rest. What resulted is a comprehensive account of how to safely interact with the marine environment.
A magazine will be placed on every charter boat in the Territory and given to teachers, fishermen and libraries.
LINK TO PDF copy of Guide. Very large, but worthwhile
Gore said she is looking for funding to keep the project going forward and is thankful for all the community support (this reporter volunteered his time to help edit the magazine.)
As with many other small islands around the world, the VI's marine environment is threatened, according to a speech given by Bertrand Lettsome, Chief Conservation and Fisheries officer. A healthy marine environment is required for fishing and tourism and many other important parts of life in the VI, he said at a launching party this week.
Even with her experience working with Conservation and Fihseries, Gore said she was not very familiar with the laws governing the marine environment. And guests from other places usually have no idea what to do or what not to do, she said.
From tying up to a mooring buoy to the right cleaning solution, the guide gives residents and guests a comprehensive guide to protecting the environment that came to see, she said.
The marine environment has been hard hit in the the past few years, Gore said. Much of the reefs have been damaged, some of it from human impact, some from natural influences.
In the late 70s and 80s, the most common coral was Ekhorn and staghorn, and that has gone progressively down hill," Gore said. "The sea urchin that eats algae off the coral died out, so algae grew everywhere. Then later we had a bleaching event."
There are some nice reefs remaining in the Virgin Islands, up near Necker Island and other islands near Virgin Gorda free from development. On Tortola, decent reefs can be found in Brewer's Bay and Smuggler's Cove.
She encourages everyone who interacts with the marine environment to read the guide and help protect these natural resources. The publication is dedicated to the future generations of the Virgin Islands, and out of all the information present in the 55 page magazine, Gore said the best advice for being in the water can be summed up in one sentence: "Don't touch anything".
A friend of Gore's at the launch for the magazine had good things to say about her efforts to protect the environment.
According to the friend, Gore has always stood up for the defense of the environment when other people are afraid to speak out. Gore's friend said that she is doing her part, and that some may fear retribution, more often that not, people in the territory these day respect principled action.
