NASSAU, BAHAMAS — In celebration of World Mangrove Day, the fledgling Bahamas Mangrove Alliance (BMA) announced a "millions of mangroves in the ground" goal by the end of 2025.
The group has already seen replanting efforts scale up considerably in Abaco and Grand Bahama over the last three months, with tens of thousands of new mangroves already in the ground.
The BMA, a multi-sector coalition dedicated to protecting and restoring mangrove habitats across The Bahamas, was founded in April 2023 by international nonprofit Bonefish & Tarpon Trust (BTT) and local nonprofits the Perry Institute for Marine Science (PIMS) and Waterkeepers Bahamas (WKB).
In a press statement, the alliance expressed pride in its progress to date but said much work lies ahead as the country continues to recover from the devastation of Hurricane Dorian.
"As the BMA continues to grow and attract new partners, we are scaling up our restoration efforts and aim to have millions of new trees planted by 2025," said Jim McDuffie, President and CEO of BTT.
"We will accomplish this through the twin approach of community-based plantings fed by the establishment of many new nurseries across The Bahamas, and, by the large-scale distribution of propagules (baby mangroves) by sea and by air."
Speaking in detail about restoration numbers since 2019, WKB Executive Director Rashema Ingraham said their efforts have planted nearly 100,000 new mangroves thus far.
"We plan to have another 20,000 propagules in the ground by the end of the week in celebration of World Mangrove Day. Through the efforts of the BMA our funders and allies, replanting in Grand Bahama and Abaco has grown exponentially, putting us on target to exceed 200,000 by the end of 2024 and as Jim said, scale up to many millions in the future," Ingraham remarked.
The BMA's focus is on mangrove protection, restoration, science, prevention of loss, and grassroots advocacy. Its commitment to raising awareness of the importance of mangroves and other wetland habitats makes World Mangrove Day (July 26) an especially significant occasion for the group.
Ingraham added: "On World Mangrove Day, our mission is to increase awareness about the immense importance of mangroves while acknowledging the urgent threats they face. We take this opportunity to celebrate the remarkable work of conservationists worldwide, dedicated to safeguarding these invaluable resources.
"Education is a vital aspect of our mission, and today, we unite with the global conservation community to commemorate this significant day, championing the protection and restoration of wetland habitats and the diverse life they nurture," she said.
World Mangrove Day was established by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2015. This day is aimed at raising awareness about mangroves and their importance as self-sustaining ecosystems. This day is observed by multiple countries worldwide each year on July 26.
Click here to read more on the Eye Witness News website
