The organizations and institutions involved with nature conservation, gathered together in the 4^th Antillean Nature Forum held in Sint Maarten on June 5-7, 2002,

NOTING the continuing emergency financial situation of the Nature Conservation Management organizations in St. Maarten and St. Eustatius, and imminent demise of these organizations,

EMPHASIZING the enormous loss of infrastructure, capital and experience, should these two organizations in fact cease to exist,

RECOGNIZING the responsibility of the island territories of the Netherlands Antilles, and Aruba for nature conservation,

RECOGNIZING the difficult financial situation of the island territories,

URGE the island territories to support nature conservation to their best ability,

URGE the island territories to enact or expand income-generating regulations to benefit and further support their nature conservation management organizations,

REQUEST the Kingdom of the Netherlands to recognize the urgent need for support of nature conservation in the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba, and to recognize nature conservation as a global responsibility shared by the Kingdom

URGE the rapid implementation of the “Budget and Financing Plan for the management costs of the main nature areas in the Netherlands Antilles”,

URGE the immediate start of a feasibility study for the establishment of a Trust Fund to generate revenue for nature conservation management, taking into account the results of the working group formed to look into the terms of reference,

and

REAFFIRMING the Netherlands Antilles Nature Conservation Initiative (NANCI) established at the Antillean Nature Forum in 2000,

RECOGNIZING the need for consistent monitoring of nature, data-collection, and establishment and maintenance of a central database to enable adequate reporting of the state of nature,

CONSIDERING the financial benefits of the use of volunteers in monitoring programs,

URGE the island nature conservation organizations to continue their monitoring activities using volunteers or interns,

ESTABLISH a working group reporting to NANCI to look into the possibilities of establishing a central database and coordinating facility, to support existing monitoring activities on the islands,

RECOMMEND the working group to seek the advice and cooperation of similar existing coordinating efforts in the Netherlands, such as the Society for Flora and Fauna Research (VOFF),

REQUEST the Central Government to allocate funding through the Ministry of Health and Social Development (Department of Environment) specifically for this central database facility,

RECOMMEND that the Department of Environment of the Netherlands Antilles explore the possibilities of cooperation with the Dutch Environmental Assessment Bureau (RIVM) and the World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC) in a GEF project to try out nature indicators for national reporting.

RECOMMEND that the Antillean Nature Forum convene yearly instead of biennially.

June 7, 2002

Sint Maarten Nature Foundation
VROM Sint Maarten
Sint Maarten Animal Welfare Foundation
Sint Maarten Tourist Bureau
Sint Maarten Pride Foundation
Sint Maarten Greenvoice Foundation
Saba Conservation Foundation
Saba National Marine Park
Sint Eustatius National Parks Foundation (STENAPA)
Environmental Sector Sint Eustatius
STINAPA Bonaire
Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire
DROB Bonaire
Foundation Reef Care Curaçao
Stichting Plantages Portomari, Curaçao
Stichting Uniek Curaçao
Agriculture, Husbandry and Fisheries Service (LVV), Curaçao
Department of Environment (MINA) Netherlands Antilles
Stimaruba
Sector Nature management, Dept. of Agriculture, Husbandry and Fisheries (LVV), Aruba
Society for Flora and Fauna Research (VOFF), the Netherlands
Environmental Assessment Bureau (RIVM), the Netherlands
University of Groningen, IVEM