ST. JOHN, Antigua -- Between July 13-18, the Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds (SCSCB), the largest single organization devoted to wildlife conservation within the Caribbean, held its 17th biennial meeting in Antigua in the eastern Caribbean.
 
The meeting, held under the theme Beyond the Beach—Birds and Tourism for Sustainable Islands, is the first meeting of the Society in any Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) country, and the first to focus primarily on ecotourism.

World tourism experts met with some of the region’s most prominent eco-tourism operators, conservation professionals, scientists, and local communities to discuss how ecotourism can contribute to the business of conservation and poverty reduction.

Erika Gates of Grand Bahama Nature Tours and Garden of the Groves was invited to the conference to share her experiences and challenges with other Caribbean nations of developing nature-based activities and attractions on Grand Bahama and Abaco.

According to Dr. Lisa Sorenson, President of the SCSCB, the conference was a rare opportunity to raise awareness of the potential for bird tourism to be a tool for sustainable livelihoods in the Caribbean. The Caribbean has been identified by the leading conservation organizations as one of the top five “hot spots” for conservation in the world because of its rich biodiversity.

Sorenson noted that an astonishing 25% of the Caribbean’s 560 resident bird species are found nowhere else on the planet. Levels of endemism for plants, frogs and lizards are even higher. Sorenson remarked “The Caribbean is ideally poised to reinvent itself as one of the most attractive destinations in the world for bird tourism.” She noted that there is a huge opportunity for expansion of community-based tourism and related rural livelihood programs within the islands.

Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, the Honorable Baldwin Spencer, attended the opening session of the meeting. He welcomed the SCSCB’s efforts to enhance sustainable tourism in the region. 

The Honorable John McGinley, Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation and Culture, Government of Antigua who addressed the opening, spoke passionately about the urgent need for Caribbean tourism to move beyond its sun, sea, and sand image. The Minister said that nature tourism is a global multi-billion dollar industry and the fastest growing sector of the tourism market.

Sorenson explained that “the SCSCB looks forward to helping the countries of the region to make the best of this opportunity by providing inspiration, ideas, strategies, tools, partnerships, contacts and training. Making this a reality will take funding.”

Sorenson was therefore pleased to announce a new initiative known as the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) that is being developed for the Caribbean region by the World Bank, MacArthur Foundation, Government of Japan, and Conservation International. Sorenson noted that the Fund is expected to be a unique funding mechanism designed to promote working alliances among academia, government, and civil society towards comprehensive approaches to biodiversity conservation and management and in developing regions like the Caribbean. The CEPF held a regional workshop at the SCSCB meeting. 

The meeting was attended by a wide variety of persons from almost every island state in the Caribbean, all of whom shared a common interest in the conservation of birds and their habitats. As well as ecotourism and funding, sessions focused on education, monitoring, research, control of invasive species and practical approaches to conservation of species such as West Indian Whistling Duck, seabirds, parrots and White-crowned Pigeons.

Photo 1: Erika Gates of Grand Bahama Nature Tours and Garden of the Groves was invited to the conference to share her experiences and challenges with other Caribbean nations of developing nature-based activities and attractions on Grand Bahama and Abaco.

Photo 2: Erika Gates speaking to the SCSCB conference.

Photo 3: The Hon. John McGinley, Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation and Culture, Government of Antigua and Barbuda, giving the welcome address at the Opening Ceremony of the Conference.

Photo 4: Erika Gates was invited by the Information and Grants Officer for the Codrington Lagoon National Park on Barbuda, Ms. Maureen Simon, to advise in the development of cruise line shore excursions for Barbuda. The national park is a sanctuary for Magnificent Frigate Birds and the species largest breeding colony in the West Indies.