Die-Back in Ma Kôté Mangrove Forest

On 20th October 2021, the Saint Lucia National Trust (SLNT) hosted two stakeholder consultations as part of an ecological assessment of the Ma Kôté mangrove forest being undertaken by the Institute of Marine Affairs based in Trinidad and Tobago. In 2015, a ground-truthing exercise undertaken by the SLNT, the Departments of Forestry and Fisheries, and the Aupicon Charcoal and Agricultural Producers Group confirmed a severe case of mangrove die-back which had first been revealed through Google Earth imagery. However, satellite images showed that a die-back was present from as far back as 2010. 

The team of consultants from the Institute of Marine Affairs began their research on the die-back in the Ma Kôté mangrove forest on 16th October 2021 and have been recording data and collecting water and soil samples in various locations of the forest in order to ascertain the cause of the die-back. 

The purpose of the consultations was to present some of the preliminary observations made thus far, as well as to obtain historical information from stakeholders which would assist in identifying changes that have taken place in the area and to establish correlations. The first stakeholder consultation was held virtually and the participants comprised representatives from the agencies with co-management responsibility for the Pointe Sable Environmental Protection Area (PSEPA), including the Departments of Forestry, Infrastructure and Sustainable Development, the National Conservation Authority, the GEF South East Coast Project, Invest Saint Lucia, Saint Lucia Solid Waste Management Authority and Saint Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority. The second consultation included mainly direct beneficiaries of the ecosystem services provided by the Ma Kôté mangrove forest and included Seamoss farmers, bee keepers and representatives from the Aupicon Charcoal and Agricultural Producers Group. 

In addition to the research and consultations conducted thus far, a field exercise with key resource management agencies also took place on 21st October 2021. The aim of this exercise is to examine the fresh water sources feeding into the mangrove forest and to identify potential factors that may be contributing to the die-back. 

Upon the identification of the causal factors of the die-back in the Ma Kôté mangrove forest, the Institute of Marine Affairs will develop a rehabilitation and monitoring plan for the forest. In keeping with the Pointe Sable Environmental Protection Area (PSEPA) Management Plan, the SLNT shall continue collaborating with relevant government agencies and resource users to implement the remedial measures recommended for the rehabilitation of this mangrove forest which provides livelihoods, sustains our fisheries, protects our shores from the impacts of extreme weather events and forms part of Saint Lucia’s unique natural heritage. 

This mangrove assessment is being conducted as part of the ecosystem-based adaption project being implemented by the SLNT entitled “Increasing the climate change resilience and public awareness of the Pointe Sable Environmental Protection Area and Pigeon Island National Landmark ecosystems”. This is a Caribbean Biodiversity Fund (CBF) which is co-financed by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the German Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety through KfW.