Environmental Concern on Tourism in the Caribbean

Environmental Concern on Tourism in the Caribbean

Tourists venture to the Caribbean islands in a variety of ways. Many choose to stay on the islands in hotels for days or weeks. Others buy a vacation on board a cruise ship, and that ship will sail to various islands for the passengers to enjoy. Both of these vacations, however, can have negative effects on the Caribbean environment.

Tourism can harm wildlife endemic to the Caribbean islands via the introduction of alien invasive species. Alien species can threaten endemic species by competing for habitat space, disrupting the community tropic chain, or introducing foreign disease. Jamaica currently has the highest number of threatened animal and plant species in the Caribbean at 254, followed closely by Cuba with 225.

 Researchers suggest a regional response to the invasive species problem. The Invasive Species Specialist Group assisted in the review and strategy development process for islands in the Pacific. The Global Invasive Species Programme (GISP) has put facilitation of regional initiatives against invasive species at the forefront of its objectives. The current Òstate of the artÓ regional strategy can be found with the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP). The organization has produced an assessment of invasive species issues in the region, using Òtechnical reviews of terrestrial and freshwater invasive species, an account of relevant legislation, an assessment of pathways by which species introductions occur, and a draft regional strategy for invasive species

Cruise ship tourism is another form of tourism responsible for much damage to the Caribbean environment, as cruise ships release large amounts of pollution into the Caribbean ecosystem each year. One large cruise ship typically carries 2,000 passengers and 1,000 crew, generating as much waste as a small city (Adams 2002). These cruise ships often dump this waste, legally or illegally, into international waters and it is carried by currents throughout the Caribbean and Antilles. This pollution also contributes to the destruction of coral reefs, an already endangered species. Why, one might ask, would cruise ships ever dispose of waste improperly and threaten the local ecosystem? The answer is quite simple: environmentally safe disposal of waste costs time and money. For example, a 55-gallon drum of photo waste costs $300 a drum. Holding large amounts of waste on a cruise ship until reaching a port that can accept it takes up valuable space on board the ship and can force the ship to change its route of destinations from a commercially desirable one to one that is environmentally acceptable. Among the waste generated by cruise ships are a myriad of man-made toxins such as perchloroethylene from dry cleaning, benzene and toluene from paint and solvents, and oily waste from fuel and machine oil. Perchloroethylene has been linked to cancer and birth defects in humans, while benzene is also a known carcinogen. Oil substances can have drastic negative effects on marine life if dumped into the ocean, as trace amounts can kill fish, birds, and cause internal death in marine mammals .

Sources:
jtr.sagepub
jrscience
Tandfonline
Jamaica Gleaner