Reprinted from Caribbean Net News
caribbeannetnews.com

Montserrat misrepresented again?

Thursday, August 31, 2006

by: Karen ‘Lioness’ Allen
Caribbean Net News Montserrat Correspondent
Email: karen@caribbeannetnews.com

BRADES, Montserrat: Temporarily relieving the media as the main culprit, some residents of Montserrat are claiming that the Montserrat Animal Protection Society (MAPS) is responsible for the misrepresentation of the situation facing the country in their effort to solicit funds. Yet, this assistance came with a detrimental price.

A veterinary surgeon in Montserrat, Dr Wolf Krebb, publicly asserted the MAPS organization’s exaggeration in a letter to editor of the Montserrat Reporter.

The veterinary surgeon said that the Michigan Humane Society (MHS) website, for the solicitation of contributions for the MAPS, published the following information about Montserrat:

“Montserrat Animal Protection Society Fund: A decade ago, the island of Montserrat was devastated by a volcanic eruption. Even now, its animals suffer from neglect, poverty, and lack of veterinary care.

"Further devastation arrived in May of this year in the form of a second eruption. Now, as part of the tragic aftermath, the animals of Montserrat suffer from neglect, poverty, and lack of veterinary care.

"Fortunately, help was on its way. Recently, members of the Michigan Humane Society and MSU School of Veterinary Medicine established a free clinic for animals in Montserrat. Great work was done but so much more is needed...”

A photograph of an ash-covered landscape, followed by instructions on how to donate funds, accompanied this quote.

As far as Krebb is concerned, “It is bad enough that lies are used to make unsuspecting people pay.” What’s worse is publishing inaccurate information knowing that Montserratians are struggling to improve their image abroad.

Krebb says, “The perception of many foreigners is that we are living in a desolate place ravaged by a fierce volcano. We normally blame the media...” However, in this particular case, Dr Krebb blamed Montserrat’s own people.

The MAPS was unable to provide a response by the time of this printing.

However, Eugene Skerritt, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Housing & the Environment (MALHE), says, “The website’s description of Montserrat’s animals is not accurate, but it is not totally incorrect. However with regards to the word neglect, a more appropriate term would be abandoned. This is due to the fact that, at the start of the current volcanic crisis, a number of evacuated livestock owners were no longer able to provide land to sustain their animals. Hence, animals were left in the exclusion zone and forced to return to a natural state of survival.”

According to Skerritt, based on observations, “the reality is that these animals in the exclusion zone, under ideal conditions, have enough food and water to surpass recorded sizes attained under the care of humans. However, based on the level and type of volcanic activity plus wind direction, these same animals do find themselves, at times, faced with temporary conditions of hardship because of the effects of volcanic activity on the environment—like heavy ash fall and acid rain. In some cases, some of the animals may even die, as nature dictates only the strongest will survive.”

Skerritt went on to emphasize that resources are needed to manage and improve the conditions of these animals in the wild. Further, the animals in the northern safe zone of Montserrat are not faced with these same conditions.

The MALHE contacted World Society for the Protection of Animals (WISPA) for suggestions on how do deal with this ongoing and growing problem that affects the exclusion zone and those habited areas close to the borders of the exclusion zone. This ministry is still awaiting advice from WISPA. In the meantime, the ministry representatives met with livestock owners with animals in the exclusion zone. Thereafter, it was agreed to establish a holding pen on land donated by local landowner Brian Hollander.

Hence MALHE will capture animals roaming habited areas, consequently damaging property. These captured animals will then be tagged. All identifiable animals will be returned to their owners. The remaining animals will be sold in auctions; slaughtered for export markets and local charitable organizations; and some live animals will be exported. Finally, all animals not suitable for human consumption will be culled. This approach is being taken because Montserrat currently has more animals than it requires for consumption.

This is not the first time that the situation surrounding the country of Montserrat has been exaggerated and sensationalized. However, it is the first time that the blame, for this misrepresentation that may sabotage the country’s economic outlook, has been cast on someone else besides the media.

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