Minister Pisas outlined a path to rescue our corals and to guarantee that people have enough fish in the future

Recently the Minister of General Affairs in charge of the Agriculture, Environment and Nature sector Mr. Gilmar Pisas had an important meeting with the maritime scientist Dr. Mark Vermij is a member of the European Parliament.

During the meetings, they elaborated, among other things, on the management of coral disease in certain parts of Curacao, policies to prevent the deterioration of our corals and to ensure that there is enough fish for the people of Curacao now and in the future and to maintain the tourist product of diving. To sustain all this it is of utmost importance that we have an effective ocean policy with the support of all stakeholders.

From the very beginning, Minister Pisas showed interest in this important topic, and even the minister gave sampuya together with dr. Vermeij to personally take note of the coral diseases that need to be addressed and other maritime aspects that require attention. The minister also had several meetings with various stakeholders.

The key is to keep our corals from deteriorating. An important aspect of this is the presence of the Gutu fish. Gutu is an important fish as it helps to keep corals healthy and consequently contributes to the beaches remaining characterized by white sand. In recent years several beaches have disappeared on some islands due to the poor condition of the corals and the absence of the Gutu fish. They are herbivores that bite coral and eat slime and expel it back as garbage in the form of a white saint. Gutu’s diet is important for the production and distribution of coral and prevents the growth of algae that cover coral reefs.

Virtually every island in the Caribbean is already taking the necessary measures to prevent coral and fish disease in order to rescue its coastline and maintain lake quality. Throughout this journey Minister Pisas was assisted by Mr. Faisal Dilrosun of the Ministry of GMN who also facilitated contact with stakeholders and dr. He is a member of the European Parliament. Dr. Mark Vermeij is a Carmabi-affiliated scientist who has conducted several marine scientific investigations in Curacao. He is also Professor of Marine Tropical Ecology at the Department of Freshwater and Marine Ecology at the University of Amsterdam. Minister Pisas will soon provide more information on this topic at a press conference.