On February 2nd of each year since 1997 countries around the World observe the adoption of the convention of Wetlands in the city of Ramsar, Iran in 1971. Governments, NGOs and communities across the globe use this day to raise awareness and highlight the importance of the world’s wetlands.
Just four decades ago Dutch St. Maarten boasted at least 19 ponds, by the mid 1990s that number had been decreased to 10, today on World Wetlands day 2009 less than five of St. Maarten’s Ponds remain intact. St. Maarten Pride Foundation is especially concerned about the immediate future of The Great Salt Pond, Little Bay Pond and Mullet Pond.
The Great Salt Pond, for instance, is St. Maarten’s largest and most historically significant pond as it played an important role in the island’s Salt mining industry from 1631 until the early 1940s. Many artifacts of this salt-production era remain, most notably the rock walls throughout the pond.
Despite the removal of the pond’s natural vegetation decades if not centuries ago, the influx of pollutants from the Landfill and the urbanisation of surrounding areas, the Great Salt Pond remains an important feeding, breeding and nesting area for many species of birds as well as other animals.
Government has unfortunately developed a devastating plan to fill a large portion of the Great Salt Pond to facilitate the building of a ring road aimed at alleviating traffic congestion. This proposed plan will have a devastating effect on the many species of birds, crabs and fish in the Great Salt Pond. It will also be wiping out a significant amount of rare physical evidence of our ancestor’s strenuous labour and St. Maarten’s history through the destruction of many of the rock walls in the pond.
Increasing road network capacity, by in this case building a ring-road in the Great Salt Pond, in efforts to alleviate traffic jams is not an effective solution for St. Maarten’s traffic related challenges. With the amount of vehicles on the island increasing by a significant percentage each year as is presently the case, the planned road network expansion will cease to meet traffic capacity needs in less than 5 years unless government takes measures to curb the increase of vehicles on the island and promote the use of public transportation.
In addition to the aforementioned, research and experience in many countries shows that increased road capacity is very quickly filled with what researchers have dubbed "induced vehicle traffic"; people tend to abandon public transportation and carpools when additional road space is made available, through new road construction or linkages, thereby resulting in more cars on the road and subsequently more traffic jams.
Little Bay Pond also played a crucial role in Sint Maarten’s History particularly in the survival of our ancestors who were slaves on the plantations of Industry and Welgelegen. "Welgelegen Fresh Pond was used for the breeding of fresh water fish, crabs, waterfowls etc…." "Welgelegen was a Food Pond. It used to produce food to feed at least 91 slaves. In times of food scarcity much of Sint Maarten’s population could count and rely on the pond for their survival. Welgelegen Pond was also of great importance during dry periods. In times of drought Welgelegen pond functioned as a water reserve for water used in irrigation and for washing, drinking etc". (Report History and Ownership of Plantation Welgelegen and Little Bay Pond, W.A. Patrick, Stichting Kadaster, St. Maarten, 2001)
St. Maarten Pride Foundation once again urges government to pass and enforce environmental and conservation legislation aimed at protecting the island’s ecologically, historically and culturally significant areas for current and future generations of residents and visitors to enjoy.