St Vincent residents who have not had their Covid Vaccine BANNED from being evacuated onto cruise ships. One Dead. Structures Under Ashes

Continue reading
Posted in st maarten government meteorological weather update latest, st maarten judith roumou, St Maarten News Sint Maarten Latest Breaking News SXM Saint Martin News, St Maarten News Sint Maarten News Sxm News Saint Martin News | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Video Eng. Translation: NO MONEY FOR SXM Knops Discusses Cutting Funds, Sylvana Simons (Bij1) and André Bosman (VVD) Debate St Maarten’s U.N Complaint…

NTR/NPO T.V. Interview last night. It is not easy translating these glib, duplicitous, Dutch politicians.

INTRO TO VIDEO: The corona crisis has hit the economy of Sint Maarten hard. People, companies and the government are all generating very little income, because there is no tourism. After months of negotiating at the Binnenhof, Sint Maarten received millions in loans. Now State Secretary Knops has decided to temporarily halt the money supply from The Hague. Is this a good decision?

At the table: Sylvana Simons (Bij1) and André Bosman (VVD) https://www.npostart.nl/

TRANSLATION:

HOST OPENS: The corona pandemic has hit the St Maarten economy, the industry and the people in general very hard. There is little to no income being generated, because (of the pandemic) the tourists are staying away. At the same time for months St Maarten has been receiving millions in loans from the Netherlands, then this happened….

(NOS)BACKGROUND NARRATOR: “The State of St Maarten wants the United Nations to investigate claims of racism and human rights violations against the Dutch (Netherlands) government who they believe are behaving in a Neo-Colonial manner by using Corona assistance as a way to force reforms in St Maarten..”

FEMALE HOST TO KNOPS IN PRETAPED INTERVIEW: Were you surprised by this?
KNOPS: Yes, I was very surprised we are doing so much, so many loans therefore we would want some reform as conditions to go along with that. The St Maarten parliament are the best paid in the Kingdom as their people live in poverty. There has to be tax reforms, wage adjustments, yes the same conditions you would get from a bank in order to get a loan, that is what this is about better management, steering St Maarten in the right direction.

HOST: (Congratulates Simmons on seat in Parliament )

SYLVANA SIMONS: Thank you (They exchange pleasantries about the still in formation, Dutch Government )

HOST TURNS TO BOSMAN: Bosman has been in the Dutch Second Chamber / Parliament representing VVD for 11 years. “Do you think that it is a good idea to lend St Maarten money. Why do you think that’s a good idea?”

BOSMAN: If there is a crisis within the Kingdom, if it is critical there should be assistance. The Kingdom should be there for each other.
HOST: But under certain conditions…?
BOSMAN: Yes.
HOST: Which conditions? Why under specific conditions?
BOSMAN: There are four countries within the Kingdom, so if we are going to help each other, it should just be based on helping each other. But if there is money involved, then there must be conditions to help manage Aruba, Curaçao, in this instance Sint Maarten.

HOST: St Maarten is a developing country, it is not a municipality of the Netherlands like Bonaire. It is not completely independent, what exactly is it? For the first time I’m reading that it is not independent what exactly is it?

BOSMAN: It is a country within a Kingdom. Within that Kingdom there are four equal, autonomous countries.
Then you have Bonaire, Saba and Statia, they are special Dutch municipalities of the Netherlands, and we have a certain responsibility to them. But the Kingdom overrules the individual countries.

HOST TO SIMONS: St Maarten will run out of money in about a month How will that play out?

SIMONS BJI: We must not over simplify the complexities (of the issues) within the Kingdom. I still call the islands colonies because there is still that colonial vibe in the relationship between the Netherlands and the Dutch Caribbean islands. Holland in the relationship has Kingdom rule (the upper hand). I wonder why there are no representatives for example in the Tweede Kamer someone from the islands to directly speak for the islands. They say equal in theory, but in practice there isn’t any real equality.

HOST: So, that would be up to the Kingdom…?

SIMMONS: The Dutch Government, you can also say is the Kingdom Government…yes, no, maybe. It’s all about equality. That is the relevant word, equality. There are supposed to be four equal countries, that is the theory, but the practical reality is that The Netherlands still has hegemony over the Antilles. Holland is the biggest and strongest in the Kingdom. Holland has the power, is better managed. So you cannot call the relationship equal. I know very well that these people (Antillians) are not physically in the chambers every day, but there should be ways that they can also be represented in the chambers.

(HOST STEERS SIMONS TOWARDS THE TOPIC OF SINT MAARTEN)

SIMONS: The ‘St Maarten Question’ , and Mr Bosman knows better than I… The Netherlands and Sint Maarten cannot be compared side by side, there is historical context. It is normal, for a small municipality to try to take bit of control, to empower itself. Everyone plays their role within the Kingdom.

HOST TO SIMONS: About the financing what is wrong with conditions?

SIMONS: There is nothing wrong with adding conditions to a loan. And yes, loans need conditions. If I loaned you money, there would be repayment conditions, well maybe not you (joke) It has to do with the timing, and what exactly the conditions are. As soon as there is a crisis, then conditions take on a different meaning. Conditions applied under regular times are different than when there are crises e.g. conditions applied during a hurricane or a pandemic

HOST TO SIMMONS: Do you believe that the Corona crisis was used as a weapon to make St Maarten more pliable to newly imposed Dutch reform?

SIMONS: Now Mr Bosman can better explain these conditions better than I can, and he can explain when these conditions caused a fracture in the relationships between the governments within the Kingdom. I have yet to attend my first meeting on Kingdom Relations. What I do know is that crises should not be used as a way to coerce others into abiding by forced conditions. It was used to coerce, force turn the screws on islands under pressure. (They) had no room to manouevre / negotiate.

HOST TO BOSMAN: Now one of the conditions that the islands have issues with is COHO. A tool implemented by the Netherlands to assist in reformation and development of the CAS islands. The Financial assistance given to Sint Maarten after Hurricane Irma in 2017, already came with strict conditions that tightened the noose around Sint Maarten. Now with COHO, the conditions are even stricter, so there are complaints about the conditions being too austere. Lowering of pensions, salary cuts, new taxes…

BOSMAN: It’s logical, it is a small country in the middle of a crisis, where just a few are enriching themselves. (Former Government Leader) Theo Heyliger is on his way to prison, and has to pay back $17million dollars, they were running things, it is worrisome. So It’s more than the Netherlands sending money to Sint Maarten, it’s about the money reaching the people that it is meant for.

HOST TURNS TO SIMONS: Does that sound reasonable?

SIMONS: Yes, It does all sound very reasonable, but the fact remains, left leaning or right leaning it is the people who are getting the short end of the stick.

BOSMAN: (Nods in agreement)

SIMONS: That is what really irks me the most. If you tie a knot too tight, it will be difficult to unravel.

HOST: What’s wrong with the conditions that were suggested…

SIMONS: Nothing is wrong if it’s just about better governance. You say you want better management, you want to work on getting rid of corruption, you want the country running as a working democracy.

But the factual reality is, the island (Sint Maarten) was hit by a terrible natural disaster, then the pandemic comes along and all income dries up, because there is no tourism. Yes, there needs to be conditions, but you have to ask yourself if this is the time, if this is the place to impose these conditions? You could also say this (misfortune) could be used as a new means to assist, we can send people. Defense is always ready to assist. So we can ensure that as we are assisting as we integrate reforms. Reforms won’t happen in a week. The process will be ongoing. You have the complicated relationship between St Maarten and The Netherlands, but in the mean time hungry people in St Maarten will be going without food or assistance.

HOST TO SIMONS: The reforms are a sensitive issue, (Sint Maarten) Rolando and Grisha retained an American attorney and accused The Netherlands of racism, filing a complaint with the United Nations. And then Holland’s response was to tighten the screws. You call it ‘a ‘colonial’ reaction to a complaint about Colonial ways’. Big words

SIMONS: Yes, let it be said… we can say that we are rid of colonialism, but that is simply not so. It is not fact. It is not normal for a Kingdom to have ‘countries,’ on the other side of the world, that they were linked with in colonial historical context. There has always been a colonial element and certainly a colonial feel to the relationship.

HOST: Asks Bosman something unintelligable…

BOSMAN: Yes, Ms Simons is talking about what she ‘feels,’ but basically, this is about appointments. Not letter appointment, appointments made by Parliament. Reforms, already signed off on, that Parliament already agreed to. Then later we receive a letter. Then they are saying “But, we don’t want reforms, just the money”. So then the State Secretary (Knops) asks, do you want reforms, or not?

HOST:

BOSMAN: The problems were there before Corona, it is a years long, ongoing problem. For ten years I’ve been in (political office), there has always been financial mismanagement. My Parliament colleague, Ronald Van Raak and I ensured an investigation. These people, Schotte,Theo went/are going to prison. They are/were enriching themselves at the (expense of the common man). So as Holland is sending the money they have to oversee the management of it. There has been a lot of criticism, if you want the money you need to enact the reforms. It is a choice. They don’t are not obliged to (accept money/conditions) .

SIMONS: Then you have to question whether there really are four equal countries. With loans there is interest there are conditions. You can ask the question… Does one country have the right to oversee the reforms of another country.. can they impose demands? If a country says, we need help, you can oversee the loan, yes, but does it give you the right to enact and control reforms as a part of the conditions(to the loan)? You can control where the funding money is going, yes. But the presumption by the Netherlands, although with good intentions is that, yes we are loaning money and as a condition for accepting the loan, you will abide by our reform conditions. There has to be a question mark…

HOST: Every year in the Second Chamber there are debates about the islands. Look at this footage from 2019

CHRIS VAN DAM (CDA) ASKS BOSMAN IN 2019: There are new generations in the islands that want something different, what will the VVD’s story be, to abandon them?

BOSMAN RESPONDS TO VAN DAM: It’s a bit ‘colonial thinking’, and that’s the past. We have to give people the power. There has to be solutions to the problems on the islands, and the ones responsible for those solutions are the islands. It’s the same as giving an alcoholic liquor.

VAN DAM: If Mr Bosman is going to compare our compatriot islands to alcoholics, I am ending my argument here.

HOST TO BOSMAN: In 2019 you compared the islands’ to alcoholics.

BOSMAN: You ended the clip too early, because in my reaction, I let it be known that it was figurative speech. If you are unable to stop, if there is no cut off point, you will always be taking a hand out. Research has shown…

HOST (interrupts): To compare assistance to alcoholism is so painful, whether the video clip is short or not..

BOSMAN: But if you are holding on to colonialism, to the past where you are getting handouts. Independence. And if you are talking about the future of a country like St Maarten that’s calling it colonialism, if you take the steps in developing your own identity, own country own choice.

HOST: So independence from colonialism?

BOSMAN: Then the moneystream has to stop. There is enough money in St Maarten, I’m convinced. We are talking about the cost of the de-colonization, that they themselves want

HOST: I don’t get it, So where is this money?

BOSMAN: In hotels, casinos, the harbor, unpaid taxes. Curacao is still owed, one billion in taxes in just the past ten years. They would NEVER have to ask for money if they were collecting taxes…

SIMONS: It irks me that it is all a bit true. I agree a time should be set aside for full de-colonization, it has to do with infrastructure, and a whole lot of other factors, also about defense. A lot of different things. What got me, was the timing. The moment that they(the CAS Islands) were down, Holland really put the screws in them.

HOST: Time is up, this should be an interesting topic for the new cabinet.

OTHER COVERAGE:

THE HAGUE – The Dutch political party BIJ1 supports the petition of St. Maarten accusing the Netherlands of colonialism and racism. This is stated in a statement that BIJ1 published today on their website.

The statement of BIJ1 proves St. Maarten right: the relationship between the Netherlands and the Caribbean islands is allegedly based on institutional racism. BIJ1 cites various examples of racism in the Netherlands. For example Zwarte Piet, the benefits affair and discrimination in schools, the workplace, and the job market.

BIJ1 agrees with the Parliament of Sint Maarten that the United Nations (UN) is obliged to assist the islanders and all other victims of institutional racism within the Kingdom.

The political party calls on the Dutch government to resume liquidity support. In addition, BIJ1 wants the Netherlands to cooperate with international organizations such as the UN and St. Maarten for “a society without racism.”

Posted in st maarten judith roumou, St Maarten News St Martin Weather Sxm Crime Politics Government Updates, st. martin st. maarten sint maarten saint martin sxm st maarten news | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Government of Sint Maarten stands in solidarity with the people of Saint Vincent & the Grenadines

** Government of Sint Maarten stands in solidarity with the people of Saint Vincent & the Grenadines **

The Government of Sint Maarten made contact with Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves on April 8, 2021, regarding the possible approaching emergency; the eruption of La Soufriere Volcano in Northern Saint Vincent. Reports at the time mentioned that the Volcano was expected to erupt within the hours or days. For this reason, the Government of St. Maarten has reached out to Prime Minister Gonsalves to show solidarity and offer support if the need arises. During the conversation, Prime Minister Gonsalves conveyed that he had indeed just ordered the evacuation of the red zone as more activity had been noted. Residents are being evacuated to shelters in safe zones and off island via boat to neighboring islands.
Deputy Prime Minister Egbert Doran stated, “It is important that within the region, we maintain relationships and help when one of our brothers and sisters are in need, especially when it’s a natural disaster, which is beyond our control, and unpredictable. This is what being a part of the Caribbean is all about. We hope to find ways to assist Prime Minister Gonsalves and the people of St. Vincent should the need arise.”

Prime Minister Gonsalves expressed gratitude for the contact made and expressed that he would let St. Maarten know of any needed support in the coming days.

Posted in Egberto Doran York | Tagged | Leave a comment

ÚLTIMO INFORMASHON]: Último desaroyonan relashoná ku Covid-19.

[ÚLTIMO INFORMASHON]: Último desaroyonan relashoná ku Covid-19. Kuida bo mes i esnan rònt di bo, pa e promesa di un futuro briante bira nos realidat.

bibando #gobiernudikorsou #covid19

Posted in Curaçao | Leave a comment

Updated, 3rd Explosion Latest Photos Videos Exclusive P.O.V. Footage Roxel John: Soufriere Erupts After Earthquake, Giant Explosion Today St Vincent

video Devon Charles

Posted in Soufriere Erupts After Earthquake St Vincent Grenadines | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Deputy Prime Minister Egbert J. Doran Council of Ministers Press Briefing Highlights

** Deputy Prime Minister Egbert J. Doran Council of Ministers Press Briefing Highlights **

Travel restrictions in effect for ABC islands effective Monday April 5th
As of Monday, April 5th, the Government of Sint Maarten implemented travel restrictions from the ABC islands to St Maarten which went into effect as recommended by our health professionals due to the highly-concentrated pools of the UK variant.

Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao (ABC) are experiencing high COVID-19 transmission and have recorded a significant number of cumulative UK variant cases to date. As such, returning residents from Bonaire, Curacao and Aruba will be required to hold a negative 72-hour PCR test and are advised to be retested 48 hours after arrival.

Ministries TEATT, VSA and Justice to Step Up Controls to Ensure Adherence to COVID-19 Public Health & Safety Protocols
The Ministries of TEATT, VSA and Justice have stepped up controls to ensure adherence to the COVID-19 Public Health and Safety Protocols specifically in light of the parties that took place during the Easter holidays. This decision was also taken during an emergency Council of Ministers meeting held last week Friday, April 2nd, as a result of the major COVID-19 outbreak in the ABC islands.

The business community is asked to follow their COVID-19 Safe Framework business re-opening workplace plans that were submitted last summer regarding operations. Employees and customers are expected to wear masks, and practice social distancing. In the case of events, crowd control measures must be in place, and compliance is expected at parties that have been marketed. Controls will be carried out, and warnings given will be based on the observations of controllers after observing large congregating crowds.

COVID-19 Vaccine
All residents on St. Maarten are encouraged to register online for the COVID-19 vaccine by visiting the Government of St. Maarten’s website: www.sintmaartengov.org/coronavirus. Paper versions of the registration form are also available in English, Spanish and Creole at Collective Prevention Services, various doctors’ offices, the Government Administration Building (Labor Affairs), the Public Service Center in Simpson Bay and select pharmacies.

COVID-19 Public Health Protocols Message
The public is reminded that our behaviour is that which will stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The Government of Sint Maarten asks that the public not become complacent and let their guard down as government focuses their efforts in curbing the rise of St. Maarten’s COVID-19 active cases in order to protect our loved ones, our lovely island, our community and also to build back our economy. Continue practicing good hygiene, avoid large gathering, ensure proper face mask usage and keep a 2-meter social distance from others in public.

Posted in st. martin st. maarten sint maarten saint martin sxm st maarten news | Tagged | Leave a comment

UPDATE SOUFRIERE EXPLODES NEW VIDEOS Breaking Videos From St Vincent And Grenadines, After Earthquake Triggers Soufriere Eruption

As of 8:41 am this morning April 9, 2021 an explosive eruption began at the La Soufrière volcano in St. Vincent. This is a culmination of the seismic activity that began on April 8. The eruption is ongoing and more information will be shared as things progress. #lasoufriere #uwi #volcano #svg
NEMO St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Thousands on St Vincent ordered to flee NOW ahead of ‘imminent’ eruption of La Soufrière volcano  EVACUATE! Thousands on St Vincent ordered to flee NOW ahead of ‘imminent’ eruption of La Soufrière volcano  9 Apr 2021 THOUSANDS of people on the Carribean island of St. Vincent have been ordered to flee ahead of an imminent eruption of La Soufrière volcano.  Evacuation alarms were blaring across the island, while the narrow roads at the base of the volcano were blocked up as locals scrambled to pack the essentials and leave at such short notice. Latest images of the dome taken before sunset from a summit camera showed the volcano’s top glowing. The dome had reached the height of the crater rim, allowing remaining locals to see a glow overnight from the hot rock. The risk level of the eruption was raised to “red alert”, after prime minister Ralph Gonsalves deemed the situation an “emergency”. “This is an emergency situation, and everyone understands that,” Gonsalves said. He had been speaking to the governments of neighbouring countries including St Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, he said, about the feasibility of them providing temporary shelter to some of the 16,000 that would be displaced. Two cruise ships were enroute to help with the evacuation effort 5 Two cruise ships were enroute to help with the evacuation effortCredit: AFP We are on the way to St. Vincent to evacuate residents at risk from a potential eruption of the island’s La Soufriere volcano. We are working closely with local authorities and will provide updates as evacuation efforts continue. For more info: https://t.co/3esCmE54zs — Royal Caribbean (@RoyalCaribbean) April 9, 2021 Two cruise ships were also enroute to help with the evacuation effort, after being diverted from the Royal Caribbean line. “We are on the way to St. Vincent to evacuate residents at risk from a potential eruption of the island’s La Soufriere volcano,” the Royal Carribean tweeted. “We are working closely with local authorities and will provide updates as evacuation efforts continue.” One complication of the evacuation effort was the Covid-19 pandemic. Prime Minister Gonsalves said people could be required to be vaccinated against the virus if they went on board a cruise ship or seek temporary refuge in other islands. There had been four major eruptions of La Soufrière in the past four centuries, the Times reported. The most devastating of the eruptions was in 1902, when an estimated 1,600 people were killed.   https://www.thesun.ie/news/6822163/thousands-st-vincent-ordered-flee-eruption-la-soufriere-volcano/

ST LUCIA: Following the update from the Office of the Prime Minister, on the situation of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines La Soufrière Volcano, the Saint Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority (SLASPA), through its Disaster Preparedness Committee, has activated its Port Response Plan to facilitate and receive evacuees. The plan identifies the George F.L Charles Airport and the Castries Seaport as the designated entry points for evacuees. The Authority is working in close tandem with essential partners, particularly the Ministry of Health and Wellness to ensure adherence to the Ministry’s stipulated COVID 19 protocols. SLASPAs General Manager, Mr. Daren Cenac noted since the initial pronouncement of activity at the La Soufriere Volcano, the Authority reviewed and strengthened various aspects of its port operations. Our Airports Division is in active dialogue with the Eastern Caribbean Air Traffic Management Group to activate contingency plans for potential aviation disruption. As well, our Maritime and Seaports Divisions are working assiduously to ensure business continuity. SLASPA continues to work with the Government of Saint Lucia through the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) in Saint Lucia, other relevant, local and regional officials, and counterpart agencies to respond to any possible effects of the ongoing natural disaster in Saint Vincent. https://thevoiceslu.com/2021/04/slaspa-activates-port-response-plan-to-receive-evacuees/

Click back more new LIVE videos uploading The start of a new day. Long exposure photo taken by volcano seismologist Roderick Stewart at the Belmont Observatory early this morning. You can clearly see the glow from the new dome. @nemosvg20 and the Centre continues to monitor and provide updates. #lasoufrière #volcano #svg #uwi #stilldangerous #redalert

Saint Vincent evacuates 16,000 people to rumbling volcano, cruise ships deployed | The volcano spews smoke and the magma glows through the Earth’s surface, according to images from the University of West Indies Seismic Research Center.

Saint Vincent evacuates 16,000 people to rumbling volcano, cruise ships deployed
The Caribbean island of Saint Vincent of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is gearing up for an impending volcanic eruption. From the north of the tropical island, where the volcano La Soufrière is located, about 16,000 people are evacuated in haste. Cruise ships are arriving today to get them to safety.
Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said more seismic activity had already been observed in recent weeks. But on Thursday he said he received a call from the emergency response service that the current rumble is “of a different order”. The service itself speaks on Twitter of a “substantial chance of a disaster”. With cars and ships, the population moves as quickly as possible to an area that is considered safe.
Gonsalves urges his population not to panic. Many fear the pandemic will make evacuation more difficult, as the prime minister said cruise lines and other islands only want to accommodate evacuees if they have been vaccinated. Gonsalves is in talks with other Caribbean islands to make sure they also welcome residents of Saint Vincent who only have an ID card, as not everyone has a passport. “This is an emergency, everyone understands that.”

Two ships from Royal Caribbean and two from Carnival Cruise Line will arrive today. The evacuees are taken to Saint Lucia, Grenada, Barbados and Antigua. People who are housed in one of the shelters on Saint Vincent itself are also called upon to be vaccinated urgently. Whether that is feasible is unclear.

It escalates pretty quickly

Erouscilla Joseph, University of the West Indies’ Seismic Research Center
Scientists alerted the government yesterday morning about a possible volcano eruption after seeing “magma just beneath the Earth’s surface,” Erouscilla Joseph, director of the University of the West Indies’ Seismic Research Center, told AP news agency. “It’s escalating pretty quickly,” she says of the volcanic activity. It is not possible to predict too well what to expect in the coming hours and days.

The last volcanic eruption in the country dates back to 1979. La Soufrière is the only active volcano on Saint Vincent and has erupted violently five times since 1718. In 1902, more than a thousand people died in an eruption. The well-known British painter William Turner (1775 – 1851) painted the eruption of 1812. The painting hangs in a museum in Liverpool.

The University of the West Indies Seismic Research Center is closely monitoring the situation.
The University of the West Indies Seismic Research Center is closely monitoring the situation. Reuters

Posted in st. martin st. maarten sint maarten saint martin sxm st maarten news | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Week-long Shark Research to be Conducted in St. Maarten Waters

Week-long Shark Research to be Conducted in St. Maarten Waters

Cole Bay- During the week of April 11, 2021, members from the Nature Foundation St. Maarten, the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA), the Saba Conservation Foundation (SCF), and Beneath the Waves will be conducting shark research in the territorial waters of St. Maarten. This activity is a part of a wider research project into Tiger Sharks in the region funded by World Wild Fund for Nature the Netherlands (WWF-NL) through the Biodiversity Funds and the Dutch National Postcode Lottery. The goal of the week-long project is to gather data on sharks in Sint Maarten and for participants to be trained in ultrasonography technology to later determine whether the Saba Bank is a breeding area for tiger sharks in the Eastern Caribbean. The week-long project will be called the ‘Shark Shakedown’.

Tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) are large, apex predators found throughout the world on coral reefs, pelagic environments and oceanic atolls, including the Saba Bank. A previous study by Wageningen University showed that the Saba Bank might be an important nursery area for tiger sharks. Tiger sharks are currently categorized as Near-Threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Currently, however, there is little data regarding the reproductive biology of tiger sharks.

The high-definition ultrasound technology the team will be using has been created by E. I. Medical Imaging and pioneered by collaborator Dr. James Sulikowski, of Arizona State University. This technology has successfully been used to identify maturity state and the stage of pregnancy in various shark species. This methodology will be used to produce an image of the inside of a shark which will help determine the presence and reproductive stage of female tiger sharks present on the Saba Bank, including their movement patterns outside the boundaries of the Dutch Caribbean. Tiger sharks are a transboundary species, meaning they travel and live in more than one area or country.

The information gained from this research will provide a better understanding of the importance of both the status of sharks in Sint Maarten’s territorial waters and in the Yarari Sanctuary and the role these ecosystems play in thelife-cycle of tiger sharks in the wider Caribbean Region.

Additionally, the data will provide vital information for conservation strategies not only in the Dutch Caribbean, but the wider Caribbean as a whole. A week-long expedition to the Saba Bank is currently scheduled for August 2021.

Though tiger sharks occur in the region, they spend most of their time offshore in deeper water and are rarely recorded close to shore. Unfortunately, There have been two incidents in previous months involving negative shark/ human interactions: one in St. Martin and one in St. Kitts. The week-long project will also investigate if there is any change in the behavior and distribution of sharks in the area. Tiger sharks play key roles in maintaining the balance within local and regional marine ecosystems and are critical to the health of the Marine Biodiversity of the Wider Caribbean Region.

News Release

Posted in st. martin st. maarten sint maarten saint martin sxm st maarten news | Leave a comment

Latest Covid Updates Dutch Sint Maarten

Latest Covid Updates Dutch Sint Maarten

Posted in st. martin st. maarten sint maarten saint martin sxm st maarten news | Tagged | Leave a comment

REMOVAL OF VESSELS FROM OYSTER POND LAGOON Dutch Sint Maarten

08 April 2021 The Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment, and Infrastructure (Ministry of VROMI), as the legally assigned custodian of the Oyster Pond Lagoon, wishes to inform of the Government’s intention to remove the shipwrecked vessels located in the above-mentioned area.  
Pursuant to Article 9 of the National ordinance removal ships and wrecks (AB 2015, no.9), the owners of the remaining shipwrecks located in the Oyster Pond Lagoon are hereby informed that there remains an opportunity to remove their vessel themselves.
In accordance with Article 9 sub 1, a period of 48 hours will be given starting at the date of today’s publication, April 9th, 2021, to the owners of the remaining vessels to remove their vessels in an environmentally friendly way.
After this period, all owners forfeit their legal rights to their vessels and the Minister of VROMI will initiate a procurement procedure to have all listed remaining shipwrecks removed.
Vessel owners are requested to contact the Inspection Department of Maritime Affairs of the Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications (TEATT – +1-721-542-2507 or email Ellinger.Paul@sintmaartengov.org) and discuss your Plan of Approach. 
These remaining shipwrecks have been listed in a so-called Vessel list, that can be perused on the Government of Sint Maarten website or after an appointment has been made at the Department of Maritime Affairs.
Each shipwreck has been numbered and its location has been GPS tagged. Photos of each shipwreck can be viewed by clicking on the number associated with the shipwreck.
Owners that have had their shipwrecks removed in the meantime are requested to also contact the Department of Maritime Affairs and provide details of the removal.

Posted in st maarten judith roumou, St Maarten News Sint Maarten Latest Breaking News SXM Saint Martin News, St Maarten News Sint Maarten News Sxm News Saint Martin News, St Maarten News St Martin Weather Sxm Crime Politics Government Updates | Tagged | Leave a comment