The government of Antigua and Barbuda has announced plans to put measures in place to preserve Barbuda’ ecosystem and protect the environment.
These plans include a ban on the fishing of the parrotfish and the export of sand.
The country’s cabinet agreed to ban the fishing of parrotfish, while the Parliament plans to enact legislation prohibiting sand exports from the island.
The government aims to maintain the natural sand production process essential for the island’s beaches and coastal areas by protecting the parrotfish. The possible ban on sand exports comes after alarming findings about the long-term ecological damage caused by large-scale sand removal from Barbuda.
“An environmental expert gave an assessment on the quantum of sand removed over the past 50 years and the impossibility of continuing for even a short period; the expert addressed the impact of sand removal on fresh water aquafers (brackish water), sand dunes as high as 12 to 14 ft., and the harm to coral reefs (that reduce wave energy during storms and ground swells,” Cabinet disclosed.
Parrotfish play a crucial role in Barbuda’s ecosystem, producing much of the sand that surrounds the island’s 62 square miles of land.
