A clarion call has been issued for residents across Barbados to stop illegal dumping and the heavy use of pesticides in fields across the island.
Minister of the Environment and National Beautification, Adrian Forde, made the appeal as he drew linkages between the influx of sargassum seaweed on the island’s south and east coasts, and illegal dumping and the use of chemicals.
He made these statements as he addressed the launch of the Barbados International Coastal Cleanup, hosted by the Caribbean Youth Environment Network at the Folkestone Marine Park today.
Referring to the sargassum seaweed as the “perennial grinch” that came every year, Mr. Forde said it was not only as a result of increased temperatures because of climate change, but because of the “anthropogenic behaviours of our people”.
“That is the bottom line. When we are having our oceans being loaded with nutrients, nitrates and phosphates and all the other harmful chemicals because of illegal dumping, and because of indiscriminate disposal of garbage, which is strewn across our beaches, and our gullies and our land space or the lithosphere….
“When this happens it ends up at the beach; it ends up in the sea; it causes the sea to be overloaded with nutrients; it causes a wide oasis for sargassum to proliferate, and when it proliferates in the ocean, it comes to our beaches in numbers and it becomes a perennial problem,” the Minister outlined.
He added that studies indicated that sargassum had higher than accepted levels of arsenic, mercury, cadmium and other heavy metals which are harmful to consumption.
Mr. Forde explained that sargassum had the ability to sequester carbon dioxide and reduce ocean acidity, thereby removing harmful chemicals from the sea.
But, he warned, “the writing was on the wall”, and it was clear that these harmful chemicals made their way into the ocean because of pollution
“That is why…it is a call on Barbadians to put brakes on this whole unfortunate trend of illegal dumping. Apply handbrakes immediately because it redounds to the destruction of your life…our marine life, our life on land, our life in the air. We have to do better as a country…,” he urged.
The Environment Minister further added that Government was on the “cusp” of the start of the first ever Debt for Nature Swap, which would allow Barbados, through the Nature Conservancy and international agencies, to put money into preserving its maritime environment through spatial planning.
Mr. Forde stressed that the importance of Barbados’ marine ecosystem must be vocalised by every single person and urged young people to become advocates against illegal dumping.