Conservation International (CI) is thoroughly enjoying a growing and successful relationship with the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance, according to Michael Smith, director of CI’s Caribbean Biodiversity Initiative.

The major world conservation organization, based in Washington DC, has been working closely with scientists and nature experts to support biodiversity
conservation efforts of DCNA and Netherlands Antilles Environmental Department, for several years.
Joint projects are already successfully demonstrating the importance to wildlife conservation of ‘biodiversity hotspots’ such as Saba Bank, a huge underwater mountain plateau off the tiny Dutch Caribbean island of Saba, as well as collating a groundbreaking ‘virtual museum’ of local flora and
fauna. ‘It’s rare for us to be able to team up with an organization that has so many strengths and skills to offer,’ he says. ‘The DCNA are wonderful partners.’
DCNA was a natural fit when CI came looking for someone to work with on far-reaching conservation projects in the Dutch Caribbean. And CI is well
positioned to draw on scientists and resources from top US universities such as Harvard to advance their plans. But, as Michael explains, he faces an
uphill battle without strong support in a region. ‘We believe that conservation work must be carried out locally by local organizations who understand
the history, politics and needs of their area,’ he says ‘Often we find that colonial history has left some areas of the world with fairly weak institutions with
which to organise conservation initiatives.‘So we were pleasantly surprised when we discovered that wasn’t the case in the Dutch Caribbean. ‘In the shape of organizations such as the DCNA and MINA we had strong partners with the
specialists and experts from complex sets of institutions that we could rely on and deal with as equals.’
The joint DCNA/CI marine surveying expedition to Saba Bank in 2006 made headlines around the world and proved how effective the partnership could be.

A team of divers and scientists discovered at least two species of fish unknown to science and mapped an amazingly diverse underwater environment in
urgent need of protection from heavy tanker traffic to and from the major oil installation on the nearby Dutch Caribbean island of St Eustatius.
Armed with data from the expedition, DCNA and CI have began lobbying and campaigning to have the waters around Saba Bank designated as a Protected Sea Area which would safeguard them from the risks of major ship strikes and oil spillages.
‘Working together, we’ve assembled a compelling case for offering legal protection to this globally important biodiversity hotspot,’ says Michael.
‘Neither organization could have done it alone.
Meanwhile, scientists and staff have been hard at work on the island of Saba, gathering the raw data to put a ‘virtual herbarium’, detailing plant species
on the island and making the results available to the world on the internet.
Experts from Harvard and from the New York Botanical Garden have already completed stunningly detailed 3-D walk through displays and
descriptions of Saban plant life that can be referenced online world-wide.
CI and the DCNA are now working to attract funding and staff to a survey of insect life on Saba. They hope it will take place in 2008 and provide
another priceless online resource
‘We’d like to carry out a detailed botanical survey on St Eustatius next,’ says Michael. ‘Then we’d like to move through the other islands of the Dutch Caribbean until we’ve assembled an online ‘virtual museum’ of natural history in the region which will be accessible via a computer screen to tourists, walkers and scuba divers as well as scientists. ‘Just as importantly, we’re aiming give local institutions and people the data they need to empower them to launch their own initiatives to protect and conserve their own environment and
wildlife. ‘With partners like the DCNA, we’re confident that this can be achieved soon.’