World Bee Day 2021

“Bee engaged – Build Back Better for Bees”

Bees and other pollinators, such as butterflies, bats and hummingbirds, are increasingly under threat from human activities. Pollination is, however, a fundamental process for the survival of our ecosystems. Nearly 90% of the world’s wild flowering plant species depend, entirely, or at least in part, on animal pollination, along with more than 75% of the world’s food crops and 35% of global agricultural land. Not only do pollinators contribute directly to food security, but they are key to conserving biodiversity.

To raise awareness of the importance of pollinators, the threats they face and their contribution to sustainable development, the UN designated 20 May as World Bee Day. The goal is to strengthen measures aimed at protecting bees and other pollinators, which would significantly contribute to solving problems related to the global food supply and eliminate hunger in developing countries. We all depend on pollinators and it is, therefore, crucial to monitor their decline and halt the loss of biodiversity.

Here are some fun facts of bees in Trinidad and Tobago!

• There are 122 species of bees in T&T that we know of (Starr and Hook, 2003) and it is likely that many species remain to be discovered
• The majority of bees are solitary – that is, they do not live in hives or colonies and do not produce honey
• The majority of bees either nest in the ground or in wooden cavities
• Bees are great pollinators! We need pollinators for the production of food and to maintain biodiversity otherwise
• The social bees in Trinidad and Tobago are honeybees (Apis mellifera), and several species of stingless bees (Meliponini)
• Stingless bees produce very valuable honey and are great native pollinators
• Stingless bees are social (i.e., have a queen, live in a hive/colony) and unlike honeybees cannot relocate from their original hive. While honeybees can leave their hive and form a new one elsewhere if the location becomes unfavourable, stingless bees are unable to do so as their queens are too heavy to fly
• Honeybees are not native to Trinidad and Tobago and were brought here for honey production – as a consequence, they have not coevolved with our local flora and are not suited as well for pollinating our native plants as our native bee species are, including the various species of stingless bees
• There are no bumblebees in Trinidad and Tobago – large black bees frequently observed are usually carpenter bees of the genus Xylocopa
• Bees are generally not aggressive once left alone. Africanised honeybees only become aggressive when they perceive a threat – mostly when persons are coming too close to their hives
• Bees are closely related to wasps and ants
• Not all species visit flowers – some steal resources from other bees
• Some bees can fly far away – the distance that bees can cover is a function of their body size and is specifically related to the distance between their wings
• Some bee species can fly as far as 10km, while others never fly further than 100m away from their habitat

For more information visit- https://www.un.org/en/observances/bee-day

Earth Day 2021

In observance of Earth Day 2021, members of the Environmental Policy and Planning Division were featured live on CNC3’s The Morning Brew, hosted by Jessie-May Ventour. This presented an opportunity for technical staff to share insights into the work undertaken by the Ministry of Planning and Development on several areas of environmental interest, namely Climate Change, Biodiversity, Ozone and Waste and Chemicals. 

Mr. Kishan Kumarsingh (Head, Multilateral Environmental Agreements Unit) and Ms. Sindy Singh (Climate Change Specialist), featured above, collaboratively addressed questions regarding the urgency for climate action, Trinidad and Tobago's obligations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement and work done locally to achieve the country's obligations via a portfolio of projects. Watch interview here. 

Dr. Lena Dempewolf (Biodiversity Specialist) and Mr. Julius Smith (Environmental Biologist), featured above, addressed questions relating to the importance of conserving biological diversity and the sustainable management and use of land resources respectively. Both were presented with the opportunity to share insights in to the country's obligations under the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. Dr. Dempewolf outlined several benefits to the country which have resulted from projects that have been successfully implemented and made mention of future projects. Watch interview here. 

Dr. Marissa Gowrie (Deputy Environmental Manager/National Ozone Officer) was featured next who raised awareness of the measures that have been implemented by Government to reduce and eliminate the use of harmful ozone depleting substances. Dr. Gowrie also touched on the country's obligations under the Montreal Protocol and the Kigali Amendment which has resulted in a ban on the importation of some ozone depleting substances. The certification scheme for refrigeration and air conditioning technicians was also discussed. Watch interview here. 

EPPD's segment ended with valuable contributions from Ms. Keima Gardiner (Waste Management Specialist) and Ms. Tushara Maharaj (Environmental Engineering Specialist) who both spoke about waste and chemical management in Trinidad and Tobago. Ms. Gardiner highlighted The Stop the POPs! communication campaign which has been designed to heighten the awareness of citizens of the dangers of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Ms. Gardiner explained that POPs may be present in items such as fire retardant clothing, drapes and other common household items hence the importance of the communication campaign. Ms. Maharaj touched on the importance of having relevant and reliable environmental data to facilitate informed policy development and decision making. Watch interview here. 

The EPPD joins other local state agencies in commemorating Earth Day 2021 and encourage you to incorporate sustainable practises in your day to day undertakings!

“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.”

- Robert Swan

Stakeholder Consultation-National Standard on Biodegradable Materials

Plastic pollution, particularly from single-use plastics, is a burgeoning global issue, with an estimated 8 million tonnes leaking into the ocean annually. Trinidad and Tobago faces similar pollution challenges, including from expanded polystyrene (EPS), commonly called styrofoam. To this end, the Government has taken action to address the issue at the national scale, through most notably a Cabinet decision to ban the importation of finished expanded polystyrene products in the food and beverage sector.

In lieu of this, and as a mechanism to support Government’s policy and ensure verification of the claims of biodegradability and compostability, a request was made to the Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards (TTBS) by the Ministry to develop a national standard for alternative products to EPS. To this end, the TTBS established a multi-stakeholder National Mirror Committee which drafted the “Trinidad and Tobago Compulsory Standard on Biodegradable Materials – Food-Contact Single-Use Products and Packaging – Compulsory Requirements.” As part of its development, the TTBS hosted a public online stakeholder Consultation on Tuesday 1st December 2020 to discuss the standard.

Ms. Keima Gardiner, Waste Management Specialist and member of the National Mirror Committee was invited by the TTBS to present at the Stakeholder Consultation and to participate in a panel discussion. Her presentation which was entitled: ‘Biodegradable Materials in the Food and Beverage Sector- A National Perspective’, focused on the role of the Ministry as it relates to the management of plastics, the national perspective on biodegradable products, and the importance of the National Standard in building and assuring sustainability and ensuring product conformity