THE St Thomas police are collaborating with a local environmental lobby group to clamp down on the destruction of mangroves, critical to coastal security and the preservation of biodiversity, in the parish.

"We have an appreciation of the environmental issues. We can't be there every day. But we will patrol at times and we will catch some of them," said acting superintendent with responsibility for the St Thomas police, Marlon Nesbeth.

Barrington Nesbeth (from left), director of WARSA-Green and Wild Society, goes through the agenda with Acting Superintendent Marlon Nesbeth, Commander Velma Thomas of the Island Special Constabulary Force (ISCF), and Henry Gray, processing manager at the St Thomas Sugar Company, ahead of last Wednesday's meeting to discuss the state of the local mangroves. (Photo: Lionel Rookwood)

He was speaking at a meeting with the WARSA-Green & Wild Society (GWS) at his office last Wednesday afternoon.

It was a meeting from which representatives of the National Environmental and Planning Agency (HNEPA) and the local parish council were noticeably absent.

"They were invited," noted Barrington Nesbeth, director of WARSA-GWS.

Meanwhile, the police partnership with the local group comes at a time when there is a noticeable increase in the rate at which mangroves, which form a part of the Great Morass, are being removed illegally for coal burning.

"If we leave these guys (mangrove cutters) alone, they will clear out the whole section of Holland Bay before the end of the year," said the WARSA-GWS boss, while welcoming the police resolve to act.

Henry Gray, processing manager at the St Thomas Sugar Company, attested to the rapid rate at which sections of the mangrove are being removed. It was to the sugar company - whose premises provide access to the mangroves - that some of the illegally cut wood from the mangroves was sold earlier this year.

Since that time, Gray said that they had instituted a policy not to accept any wood from unknown sources.

At the same time, he said he expected that discussions could be had with estate security to determine a strategy to help the police nab the mangrove destroyers.

The acting superintendent said, meanwhile, that they would stay on top of patrols in the area.

"We will definitely try to visit there more than once a week. We understand that we need to go down there to put a dent in their operations," he said.

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