KINGSTOWN, St Vincent — St Vincent and the Grenadines, (SVG) in cooperation with the Association for the Conservation of Threatened Parrots (ACTP), will celebrate the repatriation of the first of three parrots bred on an off-island conservation site on Monday, November 4.
It is the first time in the history of the island that Amazona Guildingii parrots bred ex situ would be returned to St Vincent and the Grenadines.
Conservation efforts such as this are becoming increasingly important given the vulnerability of Caribbean islands to natural disasters such as hurricanes and in some cases volcanic eruptions, which can mean the overnight destruction of rich biodiversity.
The government of St Vincent and the Grenadines has a long-standing relationship with the ACTP to protect its national bird. The Association engages in the protection of the Amazona Guildingii through in situ (on the island) conservation measures and a joint breeding program at their state-of-the-art parrot breeding centre in Germany.
Minister of agriculture in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saboto Caesar noted that “The historic event of the return of the parrots [on November 4] will signal a new dispensation in our nation’s conservation efforts.”
“We protect our turtles and the Union Island Gecko. A Parrot Fish assessment is being done and we have a ban on all glyphosate usage and aerial spraying. SVG is Mother Nature’s Paradise. Let us protect our blessed nation and there is no better time for us to renew our efforts than as we participate in 12 months of celebration of our national independence – Renewal at 40.”
The ACTP also has a history of working with other Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) countries such as Saint Lucia, the Commonwealth of Dominica and Brazil.
In an interview, president of the ACTP Martin Guth said, “The world is always a better place when conservationists work harder to bring about positive changes.”
