Respect and protect the sea

Contrary to popular belief, Curacao's most valuable asset is not the Isla Oil Refinery. Rather, it is the Caribbean Sea that surrounds the island. The sea provides a fine deep-water harbor, a port for cruise ships, food, and desalinated drinking water. The sea is also responsible for the lucrative tourist trade. Without it, beachgoers, scuba divers, snorkelers, and water sport enthusiasts would never visit. Historic Willemstad would likely not exist without the sea either.

Yet for all that the Caribbean Sea provides for the island of Curacao it is largely taken for granted and disrespected by local Curacaoans and their government, past and present. It would cost the island government nothing but the ink for a pen to sign into law protections for its nearshore waters, but they don't. One reason might be the government would have to reverse the green light given to the Curacao Medical Center to dump its toxic sewage into the sea. It's hard to fathom why the CMC was designed and built without adequate plans for safe disposal of its waste. Situations like this are common in third world countries where cost-cutting outweighs any regard for the environment. Curacao is supposed to be above that level. How long will it be before the noxious soup encircles the island and sullies once beautiful beaches or worse, sickens people swimming in it? Solving this issue should be a high priority.

The government's negligent attitude toward the sea mirrors how the people of Curacao view it. By and large, Curacaoans think of the Caribbean Sea as a resource to plunder or as a free trash dump. This is, in part, the product of growing up on an island where the sea is always there and items thrown in it seem to disappear. But the plastic grocery bags, cups, Styrofoam clamshell containers, yard waste, and construction materials that all make it into the sea don't vanish. This debris remains and endangers marine life and fouls the coral reefs. In many areas empty beer bottles, paint cans, and miles of discarded fishing line litter the seafloor with the same consequences. Admittedly, some of the debris enters the sea carried by the wind, but the litter doesn't find its way there without people first tossing it to the ground. Being environmentally aware doesn't seem to be of high importance for locals let alone the government. If only the government would lead by example then perhaps people's attitudes towards their valuable homeland sea would change too.

Curacao's leaders should use this period of low tourism to reinvent itself into a more eco-friendly destination for visitors and locals alike. Phasing out the use of plastic grocery bags and Styrofoam food containers along with a "No Debris In The Sea" campaign, for example, would be a good place to start.

Another is protecting the marine habitat in general. For years the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA) and CARMABI have conducted studies and analyses of Curacao's reefs and marine life health. Their findings suggest a decline in key fish stocks that help maintain healthy coral habitats. The worst-hit areas are in the northwestern part of the island, Banda Bou. It's an odd finding because this is the least populated region of Curacao. One would expect the fish populations and coral reefs to be the most abundant and pristine, but they are not due to overfishing, anchor damage, and pollution. The island government is aware of these issues but chooses to ignore advice that would reverse Curacao's marine habitat degradation. The solution isn't complicated. It just requires a solid commitment to protecting this important resource for locals, visitors, and businesses.

Along these lines. the proposed Cousteau Proteus underwater research station would be a nice feather in the cap for Curacao and, hopefully, it will come to fruition. Curacao needs all the friends of the sea it can get and should do its part by cleaning up its portion of the Caribbean Sea. Asking the public to take pride in their island home is free. Enacting laws to protect the island's marine environment and creating marine preserves in areas depleted by overfishing are long overdue. All that is required is the will to make Curacao environmentally better for current and future generations.




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