Engineer Agronomist Vernet Joseph, Secretary of State for agricultural recovery of the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development, has recently conducted a mission in the South, accompanied on-site by the taff of the Departmental Directorate Agricultural South and Vice-delegate of the arrondissement of Tiburon, with the aim of making a prospection of the population (ecosystem) of mangrove in the town of Tiburon, not only in the perspective of the protection of the ecosystem, but also of its restoration, which contributes to the reduction of local food insecurity.

Before local authorities, local resource users and members of civil society, the Secretary of State made understand the socio-economic importance of this ecosystem. A mangroves, which extends over a length of about 10km from Bompas in Carrefour, could have a tourist value, biological value and can be used for fishing and shelter for the reproduction of some marine species and birds such as wild ducks and pelican.

In order to reduce food insecurity through the restoration of a certain number of ecological niches, the Ministry of Agriculture has already started actions of repopulation, conservation, rehabilitation and sustainable management of mangroves in three communities: Tiburon, Anse-à-Veau in Nippes, Belle Anse in southeast.

Four structures : the Foyer des Plantes, Firmatech, the Fondation Verte and the "Union des Groupements pour le Développement du Sud-Est", are involved in these actions for among other :

• Develop an inventory at the various populations ;

• Establish a socio-economic diagnosis summary and a list of players with local authorities ;

• Develop awareness modules on the protection of mangrove ecosystems and their management ;

• Proceed capacity building of sixty people in the communities concerned ;

• Produce and planting 700,000 seedlings according to the technical specifications set ;

• Constitute eventually at each site, a multi-sectoral management committee of acquired.

HL/ TB/ HaitiLibre