Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698834992524.pdf (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)
The Labour Department within the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisher- ies, Rural Transformation, Industry and Labour aims to improve quality of life for workers by fostering a greater degree of collaboration between Government and the social partners (Trade Un- ions) and employers thus engendering a peaceful industrial climate.
One programme offered by the department, which many Vincentians have benefited significantly, is the Canada/Caribbean Seasonal Agricultural Workers Programme, which is administered in conjunction with the office of the Eastern Caribbean Liaison services in Toronto/Canada and focuses on the recruitment of Vin- centian nationals for placement on various farms in Canada.
On September 17 2019, a media briefing was held at the Ministry of Agriculture Conference room in recognition of the persons that were given the opportunity to be a part of the work training exchange pro- gramme.

In his Address, Hon.

Saboto Caesar, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Rural Transforma- tion, Industry and Labour expressed gratitude to the staff of the Labour Department for their excellent work.
He provided that this group consists of three hundred and eighty one (381) persons and is the largest group to have ever been selected for the programme.

He also indicated that initially the programme focused on the agri- cultural sector but they are now trying to broaden their horizons by branching out into the service and fishing industry.
Persons would be given the opportunity to work on legal marijuana farms with innovative technology, which aids in the production of cannabis products and this will play an integral role in the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines currently ongoing quest to establishing a Medical Cannabis Industry.

He con- cluded by encouraging the participants to work hard and cease every opportunity to learn new skills.
Selected persons for Work Exchange Pro- gramme 2019 along with Minister of Agricul- ture, Saboto Caesar, Icelma Samuel of the Labour Department and Senior Assistant Sec- retary Mr. Trevor Phills (back, right) During the month of September, the Forestry Services of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Transformation, Forestry, Fisheries, Industry and Labour held its annual Forestry Focus.

This year’s celebration was under the theme: 30 Years of Education, Interacting and Delivering Forest Services.
1989—2019 with a slogan: Knowledge is Always Key Several activities were held during the month which included the following – Monday 3rd September A Church Service was held at the Wesleyan Holiness Church— Campden Park on , to mark the official opening of the month of activities.

On Thursday 5th and Friday 6th September, The staff engaged in two (2) training workshops.

The Training dealt specifically with Dendrology and Forest Mensuration.
Dendrology is the scientific study of trees, while Forest Mensu- ration is that branch of forestry that deals with the determina- tion of dimensions (e, g; diameter, height, volume etc.

), form, age, and increment of single trees, stands or whole woods, either standing or after felling.

Wednesday 11th September A Field Visit in the South Rivers area in the South Windward Range, which saw a visit to several plantations which were es- tablished over the years.
This activity saw a number of retired forestry workers who were also a part of the establishment of these plantations, giving an overview of what life was like dur- ing their tenure at Forestry.

Thursday 12th September The North Windward Range hosted a Forestry Fun Day to the Rabacca Recreational site and Kiss Me River on Thursday 12th September.
This saw the coming together, in grand style and comradery along with food and drinks among members of staff and the community Monday 23rd September Monday 23rd September the Leeward Range team deliv- ered two (2) School Presentations to the Layou Govern- ment School and the Barrouallie Anglican School.

The presentations were geared towards informing the students on the importance of forest ecosystems and environmental protection.
Tuesday 24th September Tuesday 24th /September the Forestry services hosted a Seminar at the Fisheries Conference Room in Kingstown.

The theme for this activity was “The Impact of Climatic Change and Land Degradation on the Urban Environment”.

It was attended by several key stakeholders who saw presen- tations from the Director of Forestry Fitzgerald Providence and featured presenter Environmental Consultant with the GEF Small Grants Programme Tasheka Haynes – Bobb.
Thursday 26th The final activity for the month was the Fitzroy Springer’s Forest Walk, one of the highlights of the celebration took place on Thursday 20th.

This year’s route commenced from Farm to Montreal, and saw the inclusion of a treasure hunt along the path.
The Gladding Memorial Award is an annual award presented to a selected fisher who demonstrates (as Peter Gladding did) a significant commitment to the sustainable use and long-term conservation of ma- rine resources in the Gulf and Caribbean region.

Sponsorship is provided to the winner in order to attend the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute (GCFI) meeting in San Andres to receive his or her award and to par- ticipate in the conference.
President of National Fisher folk Organization, Mr. Winsbert Harry was nominated by Mr. Eocen Victory of the St. Vincent and Grenadines National Fisher-folk Organization and after careful consideration of the applicants, The GCFI Gladding Memorial Award (GMA) committee announced Mr. Harry as the Win- ner of the award.

He then travelled to the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute's (GCFI) annual conference in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
During an exclusive Interview with the Communications Unit within the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Harry expressed how proud he was of his accomplishment and encouraged other fisherfolk to join him on his quest to improving the fisheries sector.

Endemic to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the Amazona Guildingii, better known as the Vincy parrot, has faced many obstacles threatening its existence over the years.
Some of these include volcanic eruption, hurricanes, illegal trade and the destruction of its natural habitat.

In an attempt to conserve this species, the Government of St. Vin- cent and the Grenadines has partnered with the Association for the Conservation of Threatened Parrots (ACTP) by es- tablishing small ex-situ breeding populations to be used for the re-establishment of the population in the event of a catastrophic event.
On Monday 4th November 2019, a celebratory ceremony was held at the Argyle International Airport (AIA) to commemorate the return of three (3) birds used in the program.

In his brief remarks, Hon.


Saboto Caesar, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Rural Trans- formation, Industry and Labour commended the Forestry department in their efforts to conserve different wild life species originating from St. Vincent and the Grenadines, especially the Union Island Geico, which has placed the Director of the ACTP, Martin Guth accompanied the birds from Germany country on the map for conservation.
He gave recognition to the ACTP, friendly organizations and other persons who have played a significant role in any quest to conserve any endangered species lo- cated on the island.

Director of the ACTP, Martin Guth expressed how proud he was to be a part of such a historical event and thanked all persons who were involved in the execution of the project; he also provided a brief historical background of the project, which began in 2006.
Director of the Forestry Services, Mr. Fitzgerald Providence gave some insight into the duties of the Forestry Service and he ex- pressed his appreciation for the workers of the department who have contributed to ensuring the habitat in which these birds reside is well taken care of.

He went on to encourage the citizens to join their ef- forts in the conserving trees.

Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Rural Transformation, Industry and Labour, Hon.
Saboto Caesar giving brief remarks at the homecoming ceremony The National Economic and Social Development Plan has been executed over a period of twelve years and aims to revitalize the agricultural sector through appropriate in- vestment in capacity building, extension, technology and research.
The Agricultural Sector within the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Rural Transformation, Industry and Labour is fo- cused on achieving a significant level of food and nutrition security and economic growth while coping with droughts, and conserving and protecting natural resources.

In light of this, the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines in collaboration with the Kingdom of Morocco has embarked on the Soil fertility-mapping project here, which began in 2016.
In an exclusive interview with Deputy Chief Agricultural Officer, Renato Gumbs, a general overview and status was given on the project.

He spoke of the plans to develop a web-based system that will assist farmers in knowing the fertility status of each area and information on the adequate fertilization of certain crops.
Demonstrations on methodology used to carry out sample collections were carried out by the Head of the Plant Protection and Quarantine Unit, Michael Delpeche and Agricultural Instructor for the Plant Protection and Quaran- tine Unit, Renrick Williams.

Deputy Chief Agricultural Officer, Renato Gumbs Field sample collection proc- Agriculture Instructor Renrick Williams of the Plant Protection And Quarantine Unit conducting soil testing exercise.
Wildlife trade refers to the commerce of products that are derived from non- domesticated animals or plants usually extracted from their natural environment or raised under controlled conditions.

It can involve the trade of living or dead individu- als, tissues such as skins, bones or meat, or other products.

Interna- tionally, Illegal wildlife trade is widespread and is one of the major illegal economic activities.
In the Caribbean region, it is rapidly be- coming an issue of concern for conservation authorities as well as law and border enforcement agencies.

Wildlife trade is a serious con- servation problem, has a negative effect on the viability of many wildlife populations and is one of the major threats to the survival of many species.
The Forestry Department within the Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with Fauna Flora International (FFI) hosted a 4-day training workshop on Combating Illegal Trade in Endangered Wild- life Species (CITES) from the Caribbean which was held from 14th to 18th October 2019 at the Methodist Hall Conference room.

This workshop aimed to strengthen capacity to conserve biodiversity in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and combat the rising illegal trade in endangered reptiles from the Caribbean.
At the Opening Ceremony, Permanent Secretary of the Minis- try of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Rural Transformation, Indus- try and Labour explained the role of Fauna Flora International and stressed the importance of protecting the values of our environment.

In her brief remarks, Isabel Vique, Flora and Fauna Interna- tional Caribbean Programme Officer gave a brief historical back- ground of the relationship with the Forestry department, which began in 2015 with the Union Island GEICO.
She commended the Forestry department on showing interest in the matter of Wild life Trafficking and looks forward to working on more conservation projects with them.

Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Consultant, Justin Gosling provided a synopsis of the matters addressed in the Work- shop.

He emphasized the importance of ensuring that wildlife traf- fickers do not contribute to high levels of negative environmental fac- tors that are already affecting not only the Caribbean but also World- wide.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agri- culture , Mr. Raymond Ryan .
Flora and Fauna International Caribbean Pro- gramme Officer, Isabel Vique Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Consult- ant, Justin Gosling Senior Forestry Supervisor, Cornelius Richards and Director of the Forestry Department, Mr. Fitzgerald Providence also provided some brief remarks and men- tioned that this workshop was approved by the FFI, which works primarily in the Caribbean to develop programs to control the trade of special species of animals between islands.
Senior Forestry Supervisor, Cornelius Richards Group photos with the participants of the workshop The St. Vincent and the Grenadines Bureau of Standards (SVGBS) has embarked on the journey to developing a National Quality Policy (NQP) with the assistance of the Commonwealth Standards Network (CSN) and the British Standards Institution.
This National Quality policy aims to achieve accelerated economic growth, increase in ex- ports, ensure supply of safe quality products at competi- tive prices and contribute towards the protection of the environment.

It also provides a framework and other sup- port for the SVGB to create, promote and maintain a Na- tional Quality Infrastructure on the pillars of Standards, Quality Assurance and Metrology.
In light of this, a consultation was held on 18th November, 2019 at the Fisheries Conference room with the aim of enabling the public and private sector stakeholders to par- ticipate in the process of strengthening/developing the National Quality Infrastructure.

The meeting heard from Ezra Ledger, Executive Director SVGBS, Mr. Charles Baker and Dr. Mike Peet, represen- tatives from the CSN.
Representative from the CSN, Mr. Charles Baker Representative from the CSN, Dr. Mike Peet In celebration of their 122nd anniversary, the Kingstown board hosted a week of activities under theme ― A time to re- flect, reorganize and re-energize".

Two (2) of these activities included a tree planting and pruning exercise which was held on Wednesday 20th October 2019.

The Kingstown Board in collaboration with the Forestry Services, held a tree planting exercise at the Kingstown Public Library compound.
The ac- tivity began with the removal (cutting down) of an old Black Pearl tree and a replanting of a Caribbean pine.

Mr. Marlon Nanton, Accountant for the Town Board and chairperson for the week of activities stated that this exercise was the first of many in joining the Forestry department in their efforts to restore Kingstown to its previous state.
Forestry Officer within the Forestry Services, Shanique Wil- liams-Delpesche encouraged the public to play a role in the revitalization of not only Kingstown but other landmarks across the country.

Chief Clerk of the Kingstown Board, Oliver Cupid expressed how elated he was to be a part of the activity and encouraged persons to dispose of their garbage properly.

Group photo with Kingstown Board Members and staff of the Forestry Services Department.
Tree planting Exercise Chief Clerk of the Kingstown Board, Oliver Cupid Forestry Officer within the Forestry Services, Shanique Williams- Delpesche Accountant for the Kingstown Board and Chairper- son for 122nd anniversary week of activities , Mr. Marlon Nanton