“It’s really a testament to the determination of the Forestry Department – and the amazing community managers on Union Island – that this gecko has become one of the most protected reptiles in the world,” said Jenny Daltry, Re:wild’s Caribbean Alliance Director. and foreign financial institutions.
According to Daltry, geckos slowly change from dark brown to multicolored when exposed to light, like a Polaroid photo.
In 2019, the government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines also successfully promoted the listing of the Union Island gecko on CITES – Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
This ensures the species receives the highest level of protection from exploitation and illegal trade. With the new legislation, authorities around the world – including those in countries driving gecko demand – have the power to take action against traders.
sensational
“Our surveillance efforts, along with the CITES legislation, have done a lot to deter poachers. But we know that there are still people who have Union Island geckos on their target lists,” says Isabel Via, FFI’s Caribbean program manager. Isabel Vique said.
“Furthermore, with its spectacular landscape and myriad of beautiful species, the gecko’s habitat is under threat of destruction.
“If not managed properly, the development of Union Island could not only jeopardize the future of geckos, but also the large number of other threatened species endemic to the region.”
Union Island’s well-preserved tropical dry forests and coral reefs are described by the Critical Ecosystems Partnership as “globally unrepeatable” and host many endemic species.
These species include the newly described Caribbean diamond tarantula and the Grenadines pink rhino iguana, as well as nesting leatherback turtles and hawksbill turtles.
local
Building on efforts to protect the Union Island gecko, FFI, Re:wild, UIEA and SVG Forestry are working on a broader plan to protect the future of the island and its local communities.
These efforts involve developing nature-based, climate-sensitive solutions to the lack of job opportunities.
They also offer sustainable development opportunities as the island’s unique wildlife and forests begin to attract tourists from all over the world.
“These efforts provide important evidence that successful conservation is a collaborative and inclusive effort, with the overall beneficiary being the survival of the species,” said L. Fitzgerald Providence, Forestry Director, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, St. Vincent and the Grenadines Say.
He added: “We must now urgently commit to protecting the Chatham Bay Forest as a protected area to maintain the habitat of the Union Island gecko and other endemic species.”
the author
Yasmin Dahnoun is Assistant Editor ecologist. This article is based on a Flora & Fauna International press release.
