La Colombe de Grenade menacée par un projet d’hôtel de luxe

A ‘high-end luxury resort’ threatens one of the last remaining refuges for the Grenada Dove, a Critically Endangered species with a global population of just 180 birds. In an unprecedented move the Government of Grenada looks set to sell the whole of the Mount Hartman National Park to make space for a Four Seasons Resort, on the basis of its biodiverse location and « sea-view ».
The Mount Hartman National Park – also called ‘The Dove Sanctuary’ – in the south-west of Grenada, supports at least 22% of the global population of the Grenada Dove – equating to just 20 pairs. With such a low population in just a few remnant patches of forest, Grenada Dove is facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the near future. The Sanctuary was created 10 years ago, in order to mitigate for habitat removal elsewhere on the island, partly from development. This year saw the opening of a visitor centre to mark the educational value of the park for tourists and local people. But now the proposed hotel project, supported by the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts group, plans a 150 room hotel, 300 luxury villas as well as a golf course, marina and conference centre. Dove Sanctuary was chosen on the basis of its natural surroundings, a rare commodity in Grenada today, and the unimpeded sea-views that abound throughout it.
After a presentation of the Grenada Dove and the « Mount Hartman Protected Area », we make a point on this project. We also present the point of view of the Government of Grenada. We thank Jules Howard, communication manager of BirdLife International, for having sent us some pictures of this species and its habitat.