Local News
Jelly Marine Life In The British Virgin Islands Waters Are Sea Salps
The jelly marine life currently in the British Virgin Islands’ waters are not jelly fish but sea salps, confirmed Marine Biologist Argel Horton
A Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources, and Climate Change June 26 statement said the presence of sea salps in the water was recently brought to the ministry’s attention.
Horton, who is also an Environmental Officer II, said sea salps are gelatinous creatures that are found in warm seas and are often overlooked in the world of marine biology.
She explained that they are “part of the tunicate family also known as sea squirts and are not harmful to humans, so residents don’t need to be nervous or scared when enjoying their usual visit to the beach.”
The Marine Biologist said the appearance of sea salps on beaches correlates to phytoplankton blooms within the water, which is their food source.
“The more phytoplankton is present in the water, the more abundant the sea salps will be as they reproduce themselves through cloning,” she noted, adding that the sea salps reproduce to match their food source.
“Their numbers will continue to increase until their food source is gone. They will then die off and wash up on the beach or sink to the ocean floor. They are important for cycling nutrients throughout the water column as they excrete nutrients to ocean communities,” Horton further explained.
There are about fifty species of salps in different parts of the ocean with some bearing the resemblance of little tubes, long snakes, and chandeliers hanging in the water. They can survive between two weeks and three months before being eaten by mackerel and tuna, or slowly fall to the seafloor where they are collected in vast quantities.
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Local News
British Virgin Islands Financial Services Commission Welcomes New Leadership
The British Virgin Islands Financial Services Commission (BVIFSC) has announced new appointments to its governing board, with Mr. Gerard St Clair Farara KC stepping in as Chairman and Ms. Patlian Johnson as Commissioner. The appointments, confirmed by the Ministry of Financial Services, Labour, and Trade, mark a new chapter for the commission as it seeks to strengthen the territory’s financial services sector.
Mr. Gerard St Clair Farara KC has been appointed to a three-year term as Chairman, effective August 1, 2024. A seasoned legal expert with a distinguished career, Farara currently serves as a Commercial Court Judge for the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court and leads the litigation team at the BVI office of COLLAS CRILL, formerly Farara Kerins. Farara’s prominence in the legal community is further highlighted by his appointment as Queen’s Counsel in 1996, cementing his standing as a leading figure in the Virgin Islands Bar and the broader Eastern Caribbean.
Ms. Patlian Johnson will serve a one-year term as Commissioner, also beginning on August 1, 2024. Johnson, a Strategy and Policy Advisor with extensive experience, currently holds the position of National Coordinator for the UNDP Project Office. She brings an impressive academic background, including a Master of Science in Economics and Finance from the University of Bristol and a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Accounting with First Class Honours from the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus.
The pair will replace outgoing Chairman Mr. Robin F. Gaul and Commissioner Mr. Melvin A. Turnbull, whose terms have concluded. Minister of Financial Services, Labour, and Trade, Honourable Lorna G. Smith, OBE (AL), praised the new appointments, stating, “I am delighted to welcome Mr. Farara and Ms. Johnson to the BVIFSC Board of Commissioners. Their combined expertise will be invaluable as we continue to navigate the challenges and opportunities facing the financial services sector.”
Smith also expressed gratitude to the departing board members for their significant contributions to the growth and stability of the territory’s financial services industry. According to the Government Information Service (GIS), these appointments underscore the Virgin Islands’ commitment to maintaining a well-regulated and competitive financial services sector.
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