It is the second largest,
approximately 5,000 hectares, and several rivers drain into it. The entire area
comprises tidal lagoons, marsh lands and mangrove forests and is subjected to
periodic submersion and daily tidal fluctuations.
About 60 percent of the mangroves
found in Trinidad occur in the Caroni Swamp, covering approximately 30 square
kilometers. The white mangrove is found scattered among the red and black
mangrove areas and rarely form distant stands.
Towards the landward side, the
Button mangrove (Conocarpus erectus) occurs. The brackish areas to the east are
occupied by a wide variety of shrubs and herbs. The entire area is a beautiful
complex of flora and fauna, water and sky.
The
avifauna is rich – indigenous waterfowl or wildfowl, rely on our wetlands for
feeding and nesting. Temperate species use them as important migratory
stopping-off areas. Many birds (157 species), including our national bird, the
Scarlet Ibis, depend on them for their survival.
Apart from the birds which
normally live in the swamp, large communal roosts are formed every evening by
several species, such as the beneficial cattle-egret, which feeds elsewhere
during the day. The reverse is true and some species which feed in the swamp
come in from surrounding non-swampy areas.
Loss of our swamps will mean loss
of all these birds. It will also mean loss of many species of fish, and in turn,
loss of our fisheries. A coastal swamp and marsh is a delicately balanced
system, dependent on the free flow of the tide and of the rivers and streams
that feed it fresh water.
They are used as spawning and
nursery areas, and healthy coastal fisheries depend on healthy estuaries and
swamps. Sixty to seventy percent of fish in our coastal waters depend on
wetlands for food, spawning and shelter at some point in their lives.
The area supports dense growth of
edible oysters, mussels, barnacles, sponges, snails, crabs, shrimp and other
marine and estuarine species, and provides a suitable habitat for a number of
recreationally and commercially important fish.
The major ones are tarpon (Tarpon
atlanticus), grouper (Mycteroperca sp), moorfish (Selena vomer), cavalli (Caranx
latus), snapper (Lutjanus griseus), shrimp (Penaeus sp), mullett (Mugil sp),
brochet (Centopomus sp), salmon (Stellyer microps, tilapia (Tilapia mossambica),
oysters (Crassostrea rhizophorae) and the hairy crab (Ucides cordatus).
Also found in the swamp are
crab-eating racoons (procyon cancrivorus), many species of oppossum, including
the wolly oppossu (cphilander trinitatis), silky anteaters (Cyclopes didactylus),
snakes and of course the ever present and ready, spectacled caiman (Caiman
sclerops).
In 1953, the Caroni was made a
prohibited area and a wild life sanctuary. Despite this, illegal hunting
continues and today the swamp is badly polluted by agricultural and industrial
waste. (Many industries are located on the swamps feeder rivers).
On the south-west coast, 8
kilometers from San Fernando, Trinidad’s second largest city and the
‘Industrial Capital’ of Trinidad and Tobago, lies another beautiful and
important wetland, the South Oropouche Swamp, an estuarine system with a shallow
brackish lagoon up to 1.5 metres deep with an adjacent sand bank.
All form a complex of habitats
which includes mangrove woodland which, because of soil and wind factors and
only slight salinity, grow tall and straight, adjacent grass/sedge marsh with
fresh to brackish water conditions, and a shallow, generally turbid offshore
bank.
The wetland covers 26 square
kilometers, the offshore bank 62 square kilometers, 92 hectares are within a
Forest Reserve. It is an important breeding area for waterfowl and has been used
by the Pointe-a-Pierre Wild Fowl Trust as one of the release sites for its
breeding and release programme.
Unfortunately this beautiful
swamp is seriously threatened by unplanned rice cultivation (on part of the
marshes) and its ensuing agrochemical pollution and petroleum exploration,
production and pollution.
To the south-east of Trinidad
along the Manzanilla-Mayaro coast lies the Nariva
Swamp, until a few years ago,
on of the few truly wild areas left in Trinidad, and this country’s largest
freshwater herbaceous swamp.
It stretches well over 6,000
hectares and includes mainly palm swamp forest, an endemic species of Moriche
palm (Mauritia flexuosa var trinitensis) and over 1,550 hectares of highland
forest.
An extremely rich and varying
fauna can be found in the Nariva, including over 57 species of mammals of which
32 are bats, 171 species of birds and several species of reptiles. Troops of red
howler monkeys (Alouatta seniculus) and weeping capuchin monkeys (Calbifrons
trinitatis), three species of oppossums (Caluromis philander, Didelphis
marsupialis and Marmosa robinsoni), the three-toed and silky anteaters (Tamandua
tetradactyla and Cyclopes didactylus) and the tree porcupine (Coendu prehensilis)
all roam the swamp’s diverse habitats.
The ecology of this swamp is
unique, serving as the spawning ground of many freshwater fish including the
cascadura (Hoplosternum littorale), an important source of food for many people.
The swamp also supports a rich
avifauna, including the endangered indigenous species such as the seed eating
finches, the twa twa (Oryzoborous irostris) and bullfinch (Oryzoborous
angolensis), the rare red-bellied macaw (Ara manilata), the locally extirpated
blue and gold macaw (Ara ararauna) and the moriche oriole (Icterus
chrysocephalus); the latter three species confined only to the Palm swamp
forest.
Trinidad’s only still extirpated
species, the horned screamer (Anhima cornuta), a wild turkey, a swamp and marsh
bird once found in the Nariva, became extinct locally through over-hunting in
the early 1900’s.
Two other species of waterfowl,
the white faced tree duck or whistling duck (Dendrocygna
viduata) and the wild
muscovy duck (Cairina moschata), once extinct in Trinidad, have been bred and
re-introduced into the country successfully by the Pointe-a-Pierre Wild Fowl
Trust.
Other species of wild duck found
in the area are the black bellied or red billed whistling duck (Dendrocygna
autumnalis) and the fulvous whistling duck (Dendrocygna
bicolor). This swamp
also serves as a refuge for North migrating water birds.
Other rare and endangered species
of animals including the aquatic mammal, the manatee (Tricheus manatus), found
nowhere else in the Caribbean, the giant anaconda (Eunectes murinus) and the
country’s largest freshwater turtle, the mata mata (Chelys fimbriata) are all
found there.
The Bush Bush Wildlife Sanctuary,
a local and international research centre (Trinidad Regional Virus Laboratory
and New York Zoological Society), which includes low-lying swamp areas as well
as true hard wood forest, is located within the swamp.
In 1993, Trinidad and Tobago
became a Contracting Party to RAMSAR and the Nariva Swamp was designated the
country’s sole listed RAMSAR site.
The Nariva Mayaro Windbelt
Reserve which is also an extremely important forest ecosystem, is located on the
western end of the Nariva.
The Nariva Swamp is the last
bastion for many forms of our wildlife, and travelling through it is a primitive
experience that is both exhilarating and exciting, educational and satisfying.
It emphasises the word ‘wilderness’.
Our wetlands are precious
God-given gifts that we must learn to appreciate, value and use, as they were
meant to be. The rich bio-diversity of our wetlands is a sensitive indication of
our ecological wealth. When wetlands are stressed, such as by pollution or
drainage, not only does species-richness decline, but ecosystem structure and
functioning are altered.
Wetland reserves have
considerable potential for generating income from tourism and recreation.
However, care must be taken to ensure that any infrastructural development does
not reduce the value of the area for tourism.
Spectacular scenery, ease of
access and close views of wild life are all factors important to tourism and are
available in Trinidad and Tobago, but the latter two are also factors that
threaten the very wildlife and habitats that we need to attract the tourists in
the first place.
Recreation and tourism can
contribute significantly to local, regional and national economies – but this
must be very carefully controlled, monitored and used wisely.
Wetland areas are – or should
be wilderness areas. Wilderness areas have considerable economic significance.
Human activities do not necessarily mean human disturbances. Ecotourism means
human activities without human destruction. Wetlands are unique environments
where human activities can evolve to make the best use of the resources
available. These activities can demonstrate sustainable use of valuable
resources.
Wetlands, in their natural state,
are not wastelands – only man can make them so. Our wetlands must be cleaned
up and rehabilitated. This is immediately desirable and is possible.
Life is a matter of balance, a
balance we do not have at present. Man is no exception to the rule that that the
quality of all living things is a direct result of the quality of the
environment.
