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DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND NATURAL RESOURCES

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Volume5 Number' L.{

January 1993

FISHERIES ADVISORY COMMITTEES AT WORK OUTLINING REGULATIONS

ISLAND' ATLAS ARRIVES

"As populations expand worldwide, competition mounts amongmost other biologicalpopulationsfor spaceand the other necessitiesof life. " Accordingto the V.I. Code,"There shall be two Fisheries Advisory Committees (FAC), onefor St. Croix, "In the U.S. Virgin Islands, suchchangesare rapid, and one for St. Thomas/ St. JOhn, eachto be composed drastic, and usually irreversible. There is no placeto of not more than 14 members appointed by the joint turn, no placeto hide. It seemsimpossibleand perhaps action of the Commissionersof EconomicDevelopment undesirableto stop this processof developmenton the and Agriculture (EDA) and of Planning and N aturalRethree main islands. However, the small land masses sources (DPNR). Each committee is to have onerepreoffshoreoffer possibilities for a different set of uses." sentative from EDA, DPNR, and Justice; a marine Thesewords are prefacedin the newly released scientist and at least six other representatives of the "Natural History Atlas To The Caysof the U.S. Virgin commercial fishing, sport fishing, and dive associations." Islands" by Arthur E. Dammann and David W. Nellis. The purposeof the FAC is to collaboratewith EDA The atlas has beenprepared through funding from and DPNR in the drafting and administration of rules the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish & Wildlife and regulations for conservation of fisheries resources. Service,Pittman-RobertsonFederal Aid Project FW-5, In July, 1992the St. Croix FAC was approved,with Job Title, "Study of the Wildlife Potential of the Virgin I Dr. BetsyGladfelteras chairman. Thecommitteeis Island Cays." ! comprisedof Eric Bough (EDA), Carlos Farchette In 1976,the government of the U.S. Virgin Islands (DPNR), pudley Hughes (Justice), Michelle Pugh,Jay gavethe Department of Conservationand Cultural Bollenberg, Tam Daley, Jens Skov, Carlos Ventura, Bob Affairs, currently known as the Department of Planning Hynson, Jose Sanchez,Hans Larsen, Frank Johnson, and Natural Resources,control of the offshoreislands and ClaudePetersen. and caysin order to preservethe unique biological In December,1992,the St. Thomas / St. John FAC diversity of these areas. was approved. Andre Webber is chairman. Members Arthur Dammann was the first director of the Diviinclude A. Olive (EDA), L. Jackson (DPNR),A Gardner sion of Fish & Wildlife, and has spent nearly thirty (Justice), Barbara Kojis, Danny Boland, Spike Herbert, years working in the Caribbean. He holds a Ph.D. in AI Petrosky, Rick Mizell, David F. Berry, Sandra zoologyfrom the University of Michigan. Dammann has Tarantino, ClaudeBerry, C.C.Kreglo,andJason traveled the tropics of all the continents. Dalmida. David W. Nellis is presently the Chief of the Bureau The committeeshave met to discusstopics like conch of Wildlife for the Division. He receivedhis Ph.D.from harvesting, marine reserves,and fish trap inspections. the University of Georgia,and has spent most of his 24 The St. Thomas/ St. John FAC prepared draft yearsin the Virgin Islands studying its offshorecays. legislation for the conservation of conchand whelk, He has explored tropical island groups in every ocean which is currently under review by the Governor. and studied the tropical shores of all the continents. The St. Croix FAC has discussedshrimp manageThe atlas features detailed information on the flora ment for the Altona / Great Pond area, and fish trap inand fauna, geologicalcomposition,shorelines,and man! spections. Regulations are being drafted. madestructures present on eachis1andor cay. Recommendationsfor preservation are alsolisted for these areas. Aerial and side view photographsof eachisland are presented,along with stunning full-co1ornature photography, illustrating the plants and animals found on theseis1andsIt is the photography and the 1ayoutof the Only 3% of the Earth's water is fresh water. atJaswhich createsa perfect combinationbetweena gJossy"coffee-tablebook" and fact-filled scientific referAmericans throwaway 25 billion po1ystyrenefoam encemanual. The result is a product that will be encups every year. joyed by students, scientists, and wiJd1ifeenthusiasts.~ I

COMPASS POINT SALT POND DECLARED MARINE RESERVE

DUCK HUNTING SEASON OPENS Duck hunting season openedJanuary 1, and will continue until January 31. However,the seasonwill be

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In a time when developmentis on the increase and the ever-growingneedsof man are considered foremost,it is goodto learn that there are still areasbeing set asidefor wildlife. The winged creatures of the Virgin Islands won a victory when DPNR's CommissionerRoy Adams recently designated "CompassPoint Pond", a salt pond in the mangrovelagoon at Benner Bay, St. Thomas, as a marine reserveand wildlife sanctuary. The Division conducteda study of the area during 1988to determine its environmental significance. The Benner Bay Pond and adjacentmangrove area was found to be an important habitat for a variety of resident and migratory bird species,

closed for the white-cheeked pintail (Bahama duck), Ruddy

duck, West Indian Whistling duck, Masked duck, and Purple Gallinule. RULES AND REGULATIONS - All hunters are required to carry a valid V.I. hunting and gun licenseand a $15 duck stamp. Licensesmay beobtainedfrom DPNR's EnforcementDivision. Stamps may be purchasedthrough the U.S. Postal Service. - Hunters must observebag limits (Lhree uuek!; per uay alitI IIU IfIU!e Lla!1 811.. Juek~ ill possessionat anyone time). - Hunting hours are from 1/2 hour before sunrise, to sunset. - Birds may only be hunted with shotguns using steel shot.. - Ruth Cay on St. Croix is closed to hunting of birds.

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Chapter 1, Section97(1) of Title 12 of the V.I. Codeallows DPRN to designateand establish wildlife or marine sanctuaries. Plans for the pond include restoring the water flow from the ocean,replanting mangroves, and creating a wildlife viewing area.

PARROTFISH POPULATION STUDIED With the declinein populations of snapper and grouperlocally, it is believedthat parrotfish may becomethe next target species.The Division is currently conductinga survey to discoverthe status of the parrottish population in our region. The long range goal of this study is to determine if there is a needto establish managementmeasuresto protect the species.Sincethe onsetof the project on Oct. 1,1992, sampling has contino ued weekly. St. James and Dog Islands, and the entire coastlineof St. John has beentrapped. Trap theft occurredat Mary Point and Whistling Cay. Ten traps werelost; Remaining traps were relocat~d. Mesh size hasbeenchangedfrom 2 inch to 11/2 inch.

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"If we allow environmental deterioration to continue, man's fate may be worse than extinction." - Ron S. Boster

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This newsletter wasfundedby the US Fish and Wildlife Service,Sport Fish and Wildlife ~storation Acts, the Caribbean Fishery Management Council and the Governmentof the VI.

~OR!\.~"\O~ GOVERNMENTOF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES ****** Deparunent of Planning and Natural Resources Division of Fish and Wildlife 101 Estate Nazareth St. Thomas, USVI 00802 (809)775-6762 (ST.T.), (809)772-1955 (ST.X.)

Address Correction Requested

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