09/01/2025

Illegal visits to the Maria Islands Nature Reserve

By ST Lucia National Trust

It has been brought to the attention of the Saint Lucia National Trust, that unauthorised and damaging visits to
the Maria Islands Nature Reserve (MINR) are taking place again. Persons undertaking these illegal visits to MINR
have lit dangerous open fires and left behind garbage and human excrement. The Trust wishes to remind all
Saint Lucian residents and visitors to our island, that MINR is a bio-secure area and home to several endemic
species including the world’s rarest snake, the Saint Lucia Racer. The illegal visits to the islands are posing a real
threat that could result in the extinction of the extremely rare and critically endangered species. -
Persons visiting the Maria Island without the permission of the National Trust are committing an illegal act
under the Wildlife Protection Act, No. 9 of 1980 and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine of up to
five thousand dollars ($5000) or a term of imprisonment of up to twelve months.
The Trust is appreciative of the public interest in visiting the Maria Islands Nature Reserve, however, the islets
remain completely closed to public visitation due to the increasing threats to the unique species. These include
the threat from a recently identified invasive parasite which could have a detrimental impact on Saint Lucia
Racer snake. The Trust, in cooperation with the Forestry Department, the Durrel Foundation and Fauna and
Flora are working together to conserve and save these species.
Play your part, help us save these unique but endangered Saint Lucian species, by not venturing on to the islets
and by contacting the Trust’s Southern Office or the Vieux Fort Police to report illegal access to the Maria
Islands. See contact information below for the Trust.
If you are interested in seeing the Saint Lucia Whiptail lizard, kayaking tours to Praslin island are available.
There you will be able to encounter a sub-population of the patriotic lizard that carries the colours of the Saint
Lucian flag.
The Saint Lucia National Trust thanks the Public for your continued assistance and support in ensuring that the
Maria Islands Nature Reserve and the species found on them remain a National Treasure that all Saint Lucians
can be proud of for generations to come.

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