The Milking Cow…

Contrary to popular believe, Aruba's economic pillar is not tourism but nature. Without the land and underwater natural resources the island won't have any tourism.

Daily tourist activities include jeep safaris and tours to many different land based attractions including extensive use of the sandy beaches, the ocean and the shoreline where we can find filtration systems done by mangroves and offering a variety of biodiversity systems.

These biodiversity systems include wetlands where birds, reptiles, mammals, turtles, fishes, corals and all sorts of flora and fauna, which comprises the milking cow that everyone calls tourism.

In Aruba, just like anywhere else we all leave our impact and footprint on nature. Aruba produces waste that goes directly to a “landfill” and 100% of this waste is buried, unprocessed and untreated.

Aruba’s local population has grown very rapid in the last three decades and this is creating a lot of pressure on the natural environment. Because of the build environment, which is constantly growing Aruba is now facing a real problem with carrying capacity, not only for tourism but the local population and future building expansions as well.

When you look at the history of Aruba, the island has always found a way to shift from one “crisis” to the next economic boom. From phosphate to gold mining and then the largest oil refinery in the 40’s and 50’s then the modern tourism era in the 1960’s and now possibly another “oil boom”?

November 2016 is said to be the month that the operations of CITGO will start in Aruba as the new “oil boom”, which is to revive the old refinery that was initially run by LAGO Oil Company Ltd., then Coastal El Paso and most recently Valero.

But what happened to the green and sustainable Aruba concept? This is an oxymoron or is this green wash? Aruba keeps developing like there is no tomorrow and all of this on only 70sq. miles to work with?

It’s almost like that famous saying, “biting the hand that feeds you”. Yes, nature is the hand that has been feeding Aruba (and the world) since the beginning of time. The fact that the landfill on Aruba is full and no sustainable solution has been created is almost a joke in view of the green concept that is portrait by some.

The impact on nature and the depletion of nature resources is impacting the way of life on this small island nation, but somehow this concept seems to be forgotten by politicians and some residents alike.

Questions like why do you bother with a few sea turtles or cutting a few trees? You can’t see corals so why the uproar to save the reefs or protect fish. It’s a big ocean anyway.

It’s not meant to be rude but a little interest and education can really help the ignorance and misconception that everything is “ok” and “this is one happy island”. If nature could talk it will definitely say that it’s not happy at all in Aruba.

Nature and environmental degradation has economic effects that runs into the billions of dollars. The best way to understand this is to talk to people whom have experienced a hurricane and its aftermath. The devastation that such force of nature causes also runs into trillions of dollars.

Now flip this around and think what is being done to nature. A hurricane comes with some warning but is heading for destruction. The destruction of nature by us on the other hand is a much slower approach and process, which gives us an early warning including the chance to stop and make corrective measures unlike a hurricane.

By cutting down trees or bulldozing to clear lands, the plants that produce oxygen, which is in the air that we breathe, are being destroyed. Plants, trees and brushes are habitats to birds and other species that all make up the terrestrial flora and fauna.

The same goes for mangroves and the underwater world where corals and reef systems are equally important for the marine environment. The same marine environment that produces the seafood that many enjoy but wonder why it’s so expensive and becoming more and more difficult to come by.

In Aruba traditional seafood dishes such as “keri keri” (shark or stingray meat), stewed octopi, conch, turtle meat and green eel are still popular with the local community. Sea turtles and conch are protected by law but the incentive for poaching is greater than ever. Some restaurants pay for it, some locals just don’t care and as long as there is a demand, there will be illegality.

The economic consequences based on the lack of nature protection are being measured. Studies conducted on other Caribbean islands have show that these economic consequences can run into the billions but unless the government of Aruba is truly committed and stands behind nature and environmental protection, Aruba will suffer some major effects in the very near future.

The loss of jobs in the water sports tourism industry is guaranteed and so are jobs in the tour excursions and concierge positions.

When there are no more “blue waters” and coral reefs to offer, people will select other destinations to go to or will simply not book any activities because there is nothing to see. When this word of mouth advertising starts, no amount to public relations campaigning will be able to counteract it. This will lead to local water sport companies and tour operators to lay off people and eventually the industry will die.

Many people don’t understand that a small island nation like Aruba is being overrun by development and if we don’t yield to the warnings, the cow will dry up eventually.

Maybe the prospect of finding oil and natural gas is going to be the next miracle that will save Aruba? But then again, at what price will salvation come this time? 

Doc