Like coral reefs, mangrove forests are extremely productive ecosystems that provide numerous goods and services both to the marine environment and people. According to a recent report, these goods and services are conservatively estimated to be worth US$186 million each year. They include:
* Fisheries: Mangrove forests are home to a large variety of fish, crab, shrimp, and mollusk species. These fisheries form an essential source of food for thousands of coastal communities around the world. The forests also serve as nurseries for many fish species, including coral reef fish. A study on the Mesoamerican reef, for example, showed that there are as many as 25 times more fish of some species on reefs close to mangrove areas than in areas where mangroves have been cut down. This makes mangrove forests vitally important to coral reef and commercial fisheries as well.
* Timber and plant products: Mangrove wood is resistant to rot and insects, making it extremely valuable. Many coastal and indigenous communities rely on this wood for construction material as well as for fuel. These communities also collect medicinal plants from mangrove ecosystems and use mangrove leaves as animal fodder. Recently, the forests have also been commercially harvested for pulp, wood chip, and charcoal production.
Coastal protection: The dense root systems of mangrove forests trap sediments flowing down rivers and off the land. This helps stabilise the coastline and prevents erosion from waves and storms. In areas where mangroves have been cleared, coastal damage from hurricanes and typhoons is much more severe. By filtering out sediments, the forests also protect coral reefs and seagrass meadows from being smothered in sediment.
* Tourism: Given the diversity of life inhabiting mangrove systems, and their proximity in many cases to other tourist attractions such as coral reefs and sandy beaches, it is perhaps surprising that only a few countries have started to tap into the tourism potential of their mangrove forests. Places as diverse as Bonaire offer snorkelling expeditions in and around mangroves to witness a marvellous variety of baby fish, jellyfish, and urchins against a magical background of interwoven roots delving deep into the sandy substrate. Great potential exists elsewhere for revenue generation in this manner, which values the mangroves intact and as they stand. (Source: WWF).
In our case mangrove is vitally needed to help prevent erosion along our large coastal strip, particularly against the backdrop of climate change and rising ocean levels.
Unfortunately, because of a lack of education, poverty and survival a significant amount of our mangroves have been destroyed. However, we still have a significant amount remaining and very importantly an organised programme is underway to preserve what we have and to replant in those areas where the mangroves have been destroyed.
In this regard, the organisers and promoters of the Guyana Mangrove Restoration Project (GMRP) must be commended for undertaking such a crucial task.
Only Friday last the GRMP embarked on a public awareness exercise in Region 5 which will be replicated in other regions.
This is certainly the road to go because the success of such a project is heavily dependent on the involvement and support from the public.
Perhaps it will be useful as well to take the public awareness and education exercises to the schools as well because by educating our children on such an important issue it will take them through their lifetime and they in turn will be able to educate the future generations. This will help to provide a long term solution to problem of destruction of mangroves.
