Caretaker Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Ronald Plasterk holding an iguana (centre), with from left: Director of St. Eustatius National Parks Foundation Stenapa Clarisse Buma, Park Ranger Jobo Redan, Marine Park Ranger Erik Houtepen (partially visible) and Stenapa Board President Teresa Leslie. (Stenapa photo).
ST. EUSTATIUS–Caretaker Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Ronald Plasterk has been informed about the conservation work for the local iguana during his visit to St. Eustatius on Monday. The Minister was due to visit St. Eustatius National Parks Foundation Stenapa’s facility, but due to his meetings running long he was unable to travel to Lower Town. He was on the island within the framework of a farewell visit to all six Caribbean islands in the Dutch Kingdom.
Being resourceful, the Stenapa team travelled to the Government Administration Building in Oranjestad with an iguana in tow, so that Minister Plasterk and his delegation could interact with one of Statia’s beautiful iguanas.
Meeting the Minister were Stenapa Director Clarisse Buma, President of the Board Teresa Leslie, Marine Park Ranger Erik Houtepen and Park Ranger Jobo Redan, and Education and Outreach Officer Hannah Fairley.
Stenapa showed the Minister how the iguanas are caught and tagged. Plasterk, who has a background in biology and is experienced in handling iguana’s, was very interested in the work. The Minister and his delegation members all took time to handle the iguana and paused to have photos taken.
Stenapa is partner in a project of the European Union to monitor the numbers of iguanas and to make an estimate of how many animals are left.
Statia is home to the endangered Lesser Antillean iguana, which is now found only on a few islands: Statia, St. Barths, Dominica. The animal was recently re-introduced on Prickly Pear East, Anguilla.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/68586-minister-plasterk-informed-about-st-eustatius-iguanas
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