As part of the monitoring of sea turtle populations during the nesting period, the Sint Maarten Nature Foundation was informed of the project to build a 32-room hotel in the Simpson Bay area, between the Karakter Beach Bar and the White Sands Beach Club. The Foundation is particularly concerned by this rumor, as this beach is one of the last unmanaged where tortoises, which are on the way to extinction, will lay their eggs.
If the Sint Maarten Nature Foundation did not have confirmation of the approval of this project, stakes planted in the sand were found to delimit the site of a future construction.
For Tadzio Bervoets, director of the Sint Maarten Nature Foundation, if the project materializes, it would mean the end of the sea turtles that nest in Simpson Bay, which is the most important beach for sea turtles in the Dutch part.
Over the past century, sea turtle populations have dropped dramatically due to human impact, which has led to many species being listed as endangered.
Tadzio Bervoets would like to remind investors and licensees that, in accordance with certain articles of the Sint Maarten Nature Conservation Ordinance, it is illegal to kill, injure, capture or take sea turtles It is also prohibited to disturb, directly or indirectly, turtles, their environment, as well as to damage or destroy nests, or breeding grounds, which are classified in this sector of Simpson Bay beach. In addition, staff from the Sint Maarten Nature Foundation have undergone specialized training on the protection of sea turtles and their nests, which may be in danger due to human activity or natural events such as storms or cyclones. _RM
6,969 total views
No comments