The Environmental Awareness Group of Antigua & Barbuda

Raising awareness & promoting sustainable use of natural resources

Livestock Reform Initiative (LRI)

The goat was introduced to Antigua and Barbuda during colonial times and free-roaming goats are now a serious invasive species.

Unlike other ruminants, goats are browsers and thrive on young woody saplings. When they eat all the young seedlings in a forest, there are no young trees left to replace the older ones when they die. The forest slowly dies out.  This is what is happening in the National Park.

When the trees are removed, the rain washes the soil away and a vicious circle is created. The land eventually becomes a desert.

Consequently:

• We’re losing soil fertility
• We’re losing invaluable native plant species
• We’re damaging our coastal waters and reefs, limiting fisheries

The Livestock Reform Initiative  aims to address this problem through a combination of legal work, awareness and training videos, media events and surveys.

The videos contain interviews with experts and farmers, explaining the benefits of proper livestock management as a business, the range of products that can be produced and advice on how to develop such a business.

A 30 minute video and 4 public service announcements are now being aired on TV and radio. The 30 minute video can be viewed here. Below are 3 of the psa’s. The fourth psa is on the home page.

Goat damage in the National Park

The EAG wishes to thank USAID for their generous support for this project.