Published 28 February 2023
Basseterre
Buckie Got It, St Kitts Nevis News Source
National Consultation on Invasive Green Monkey to engage Local Stakeholders
BASSETERRE, St Kitts, 27th February, 2023 – The Ministry of Environment, Climate Action, and Constituency Empowerment is spearheading a National Consultation on the Management of the Invasive Green Monkey on Tuesday 28th February at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort.
The consultation will provide a forum to discuss the results of pilot research conducted under the project titled, ‘Preventing the Costs of Invasive Alien Species (IAS) in Barbados and the OECS.’
During this national consultation, stakeholders will engage in discussion on a strategic plan going forward on how to manage the green monkey here in St Kitts and Nevis.
According to Permanent Secretary, Sharon Rattan, the project goal is to manage the risks and costs of Invasive Alien Species (IAS) on important ecosystems, species, and genetic diversity.
She said, “The project’s objectives focus on prevention, early detection, and the establishment of control and management frameworks for IAS that emphasize a risk management approach by prioritizing the highest risk invasion pathways.”
PS Rattan continued, “The green monkey was identified as the most problematic Invasive Species to the environment, biodiversity conservation and to livelihoods.
Over the last four years, resources were allocated via the GEF-funded project to conduct research on the monkeys’ impact on agriculture, biodiversity, and households.”
Meanwhile, Honourable Dr. Joyelle Clarke, said the consultation is vitally important because a lot of the island’s native species is being lost owing to the invasive nature of the green monkey and other invasive species.
She said, “One thing that we are concerned about is the protection of our biodiversity. We are already risking biodiversity loss to climate change now we are going to risk it through invasive species. They are feeding too much on particular plant species and there is not enough time for them to recover.”
The sessions will include a discussion on the impacts of the green monkey on tourism, human health, agriculture and biodiversity.
Other sessions will include strategies to manage monkeys in St. Kitts and Nevis as well as coping mechanisms of monkeys on the farm and how to minimize economic, environmental, and social impacts.
An extensive cost-benefit analysis has been conducted to determine the most economical approaches to managing the monkey issue.
