Years ago it was common to see people cutting down the mangroves for building or fuel purposes, filling in these areas thereafter with coral skeletons.

1. These mangroves serve a double purpose while protecting the Roatan island reefs.
a) Avoiding through their roots the flow of mud towards the reefs.
b) Avoiding an excess of sweet waters to flow to the reefs centers which would eventually destroy the species.

2. Sewerage discharged into the sea causes many problems for the reefs:
a) This provides nourishment for some fast reproducing organism such as the “marea roja” and rough water thistles, which prevents the bathers to swim comfortably. Besides producing bad odors, these black waters are also a threat as far as contagious diseases are concerned.
b) An excess quantity of these organisms may destroy the reefs. Sea stars for example, which eat the coral polyps, in great numbers are capable of destroying whole reefs in a matter of weeks.

3. Direst destruction of Roatan reefs: In virtually every house on the island, you may observe the remains of coral fans nailed to the walls or pieces of coral and shells used as decorations. Many people sell black coral which is very difficult to encounter and which capture the small lobsters with their eggs.

However, many environmental organizations have emerged, whose main objective is to raise awareness among the population about the protection of natural resources. One of these organizations called BICA (Bay Islands Conservation Association) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization founded in 1991 in the Bay Islands in Honduras in order to initiate and coordinate efforts in protecting the fragile natural resources of its three islands. BICA’s operation and projects are funded through the support of local individuals, businesses and national and international agencies. BICA has two chapters – one in Roatan and one in Utila.

In Roatan Five Stars we are committed to the conservation and protection of natural resources on the island of Roatan.

Youtube Channel: Roatan Five Stars
Official Website: BICA

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However, like other forms of development, tourism can also cause its share of problems, such as social dislocation, loss of cultural heritage, economic dependence, and ecological degradation. Learning about the impacts of tourism has led many people to seek more responsible holidays. These include various forms of alternative or sustainable tourism such as: ‘nature-based tourism’, ‘ecotourism’, and ‘cultural tourism’. Sustainable tourism is becoming so popular that some say that what we presently call ‘alternative’ will be the ‘mainstream in a decade.

In Roatan Five Stars we consider and are committed that all tourism activities of whatever motivation – holidays, business travel, conferences, adventure travel, and ecotourism – need to be sustainable. Sustainable tourism is defined as “tourism that respects both local people and the traveler, cultural heritage and the environment”. It seeks to provide people with an exciting and educational holiday that is also of benefit to the people of the host country. Please find out more on our Sustainability Page.

Tourism Impacts

• International tourist arrivals have increased from 25 million globally in 1950, to 278 million in 1980, 527 million in 1995, and 1.32 billion in 2017. They are expected to reach 1.8 billion by 2030.
• The average international tourist receipt is over US$700 per person and travellers spent over $1.4 trillion
• Travel and tourism represents approximately 10% of total global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2016 (if it include tourism related business (e.g. catering, cleaning) (US $7 trillion).
• The global travel and tourism industry creates approximately 11% of the world’s employment (direct & indirect) in 2016.
• At least 25 million people spread over 52 countries are displaced by violence, persecution and/or disasters – tourism receipts in every country are affected by this.
• Leakage in tourism is as high as 80% in the Caribbean (of every dollar earned in tourism-80 cents leaves the country)
  • 10,000 people arrive in the Mayan Riviera every day – a destination where there is still no proper recycling
  • Although the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas recycles its water – it still uses 12 million litres of water per year in a water scarce region
  • Buying local could achieve a 4-5% reduction in GHG emissions due to large sources of C02 and non C02 emissions during the production of food.
  • The average Canadian household used 326 litres of water per day….a village of 700 in a developing country uses an average of 500 litres of water per month AND a luxury hotel room guest uses 1800 litres of water per person per night…
  • The average person in the UK uses approximately 150 litres of water per day – 3 times that of a local village in Asia.
  • A species of animal or plant life disappears at a rate of one every three minutes
  • 70% of marine mammals are threatened
  • The Western world (with 17% of the worlds’ population) currently consumes 52% of total global energy.
  • 1 acre of trees absorbs 2. 6tonnes of CO2 per year
  • More than 80% of the worlds coral reefs are at risk. Nearly 2/3 of Caribbean reefs are in jeopardy and it is reported that 90% of coral reefs will die by 2050
  • Eating beef is the most water consumptive practice by travellers
  • 2016 was the warmest year by margin on record
  • Seawater is expected to rise 70 cm in the next 10 years
  • By 2050 climate change could have directly led to the extinction of 30% of species, the death of 90% of coral reefs and the loss of half the Amazon rainforest.

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 Touching the live corals, because they can be damaged.
 Extracting coral reef which is prohibited and banned.
 Not anchoring vessels on the rocks or corals in the sea; only buoys in the sand and mud mire at the bottom of the sea are allowed.
 Harpooning which is ilegal.
 Throwing residue or garbage in the sea, especially those products that cannot be degraded biologically.
 Buying plants or animals which are banned.
 Limiting the use of plastics, or similar products because they are not degradable.
 Discarding garbage in an adequate way and to recycle it if possible.
 Disturbing wild fauna by reckless hunting.
 Destroying our forests and their wildlife (flora and fauna).
 Destroying our sea faun and flora. Let us all unite in order to protect them.

Others Suggestions

 Don’t hunt or fish in areas where it prohibited.
 Don’t leave garbage on the beach or cays after picnics, take it away and destroyed it.
 Don’t light or build fires on public and private areas without a permit.
 Don’t take coral from the barrier reef, or archeological stones or artifacts, it is prohibited by the Honduran government.
 Don’t hunt with guns where people circulate.
For any information or consulting matter on the invirornment, reserves zones, tourist developments and others, please contact BICA and Instituto Hondureño de Turismo.

The preservation of the world’s environmental ecosystem is the biological hope of the human race, that is why we should unite together in a difficult and delicate mission to help to preserve, and to control our precious atmosphere which will be a very healthy inheret that we can provide to our future condescendences.

To conserve our barrier reef we should follow these indications, because:

 The coral reef protects our coastline from erosion and high seas.
 The coral reef, if well preserved, attract the tourists curiosity.
 The underwater beauty of our island is a legacy to preserve.
 For coral to grow, it is a slow process, the coral reef is a very important but fragile element of our environment.

How to protect our coral Reef?

 Abstain from dumping garbage into the sea.
 Avoid spear gun fishing on the reef.
 Avoid the use of coral rock on constructions, and don’t damage it when you dive or anchor, use buoys for these purposes.
 Preserve the mangrove area, because they protects the reef filtering the water, helping the preservation of eggs and small fish, and to maintain the feeding zones.
 Preserve the woods to avoid muddy rain water running from damaging our barrier reef.

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