VINP Superintendent Mark Hardgrove, above at far right, accepts the Blue Flag from the international jury on December 2.
The Virgin Islands National Park was awarded a Blue Flag designation at the popular Trunk Bay beach on Friday, December 2, 2011.
This international designation recognizes beaches and marinas worldwide that meet certain strict standards for water quality, environmental management, safety and visitor services, and environmental education and information.
After almost a year of water testing, assessment of criteria by the Blue Flag jury and development of a Blue Flag sign, the actual flag was awarded to four beaches in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
In the USVI this program is supported by the V.I. Department of Tourism, The V.I. Hotel and Tourism Association and the V.I. Conservation Association. Funding for the Trunk Bay sign was provided by the Friends of V.I. National Park.
On September 28, the Blue Flag International Jury awarded the Blue Flag to a beach and a marina in Sint Maarten as well as four beaches in the U.S. Virgin Islands for the first time.
Sint Maarten and the U.S. Virgin Islands have therefore now completed their pilot phase and have achieved full implementation of the Blue Flag program.
The International Jury decided to award the Blue Flag to 81 beaches and 13 marinas in the Bahamas, Brazil, Dominican Republic, French Departments and territories, Jamaica, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Sint Maarten, South Africa, Turks and Caicos Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands and the United Arab Emirates.
“Blue Flag is proud to count so many qualitative sites in the world, and to see the interest for the programme increase as more countries join us,” said Malcolm Powell, chair of the International Blue Flag Jury.
Originally a French idea, the Blue Flag program became an international award in 1987 and has since spread across the world, expanding from one to 41 countries and reaching New Zealand, South Africa, Canada and Brazil.
In 2011, the Blue Flag sites around the world are in total 3,650. Each year, national Blue Flag juries assess all Blue Flag candidates to ensure they meet all of the criteria for beaches and marinas at the national and international level.
Those that do are then forwarded to the International Jury, who focuses on set criteria that varies from year to year, before giving a final verdict.
The International Jury is composed of representatives from the United Nations Environment Program, the United Nations World Tourism Organization, International Lifesaving Federation, the World Conservation Union, an international environmental education expert, the International Council of Marine Industry Associations and the Foundation for Environmental Education.
The Blue Flag International Jury congratulated all sites awarded this year for their commitment to the program and the high standards achieved for the public and the environment.
