Mullet Pond is one of the last intact mangrove and seagrass habitats in St. Maarten.
COLE BAY--Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC) Foundation, St. Maarten Nature Foundation, and TriSport will be hosting a clean-up of Mullet Pond from 8:30 to 11:00am on Sunday, December 15.
Volunteers will dive, kayak, and snorkel to clean up garbage and leftover hurricane debris from the waters of this important wetland. The clean-up is financially supported by Be The Change Foundation. Island Water World will provide dive gloves for volunteers and the Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI will be managing the proper disposal of collected waste. St. Maarten Nature Foundation divers will also participate in the clean-up.
EPIC said in a press release on Tuesday that volunteers will be based mainly in the water and need to be at least 13 years old and confident swimmers. “Anyone with a kayak is welcome to kayak over to [Mullet – Ed.] Pond and join. In addition, TriSport is providing double kayaks for volunteers to use. Snorkelers are requested to bring their own masks, snorkels and fins,” said EPIC.
If one is not a confident swimmer, EPIC says there are also land-based volunteer roles. “Volunteers are needed to help get rubbish from boats, kayaks and snorkelers into the dumpsters provided by VROMI to collect the waste,” said EPIC.
Mullet Pond is an internationally-recognised wetland and has been protected under the Ramsar Treaty since 2016, although it still lacks local legal protection. The Ramsar Convention, signed in Iran in 1971, is a global commitment to maintain the ecological character of global wetland areas, including in the wider Caribbean region.
“Wetlands are vital for human survival. They are among the world’s most productive environments; cradles of biological diversity that provide the water and productivity upon which countless species of plants and animals depend for survival.
“Mullet Pond is a small, shallow area which is semi-enclosed in Simpson Bay Lagoon, but it contains some of the few intact seagrass beds in the wider lagoon. It is also the site of the majority of St. Maarten’s mangrove forest.
“Combined, the seagrass beds and mangroves act as a major nursery area for juvenile fish and foraging grounds for [other] marine creatures, including the globally endangered Green Turtle. Mangrove trees also protect coastlines from erosion during storms. For these reasons and more, it is vitally important to protect Mullet Pond and keep it clean,” said EPIC in a press release.
For more information and/or to volunteer, persons are asked to send an e-mail to
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or to call or send a WhatsApp message to 1-721-581-7637. If registering to volunteer, EPIC requests persons to clearly state if one will dive, kayak, snorkel or provide land support.
