GREAT BAY--Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor (VSA), Claret Connor, has acknowledged that St. Maarten's growing problem with monkeys, iguanas and other pests must be addressed as government moves forward with its proposed Breadfruit Tree Initiative. The Minister confirmed that discussions have already begun with other government ministries to explore how the pest problem can be tackled, recognizing that it poses a potential threat to efforts aimed at strengthening local food security.
Speaking during the Council of Ministers briefing on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, Connor provided an update on the initiative, which has generated public interest and questions about its practicality, particularly given the presence of animals that could damage young trees and undermine food-growing efforts.
The Minister explained that the Breadfruit Tree Initiative forms part of a broader effort to strengthen food security and encourage greater self-sufficiency among residents. The intention is to encourage households and communities to become more involved in growing their own food, reducing dependence on outside sources while promoting local food production.
However, Connor acknowledged that encouraging residents to plant trees must be accompanied by practical measures to protect those trees and ensure that the initiative can produce the intended results.
According to the Minister, concerns raised about monkeys, iguanas and other pests are legitimate and must be considered before the initiative advances beyond its preliminary planning phase.
Connor confirmed that discussions have already been initiated with departments within the Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT), while further consultations are expected with the Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (VROMI) and the Ministry of Justice.
The Minister indicated that addressing the pest problem, particularly the presence of monkeys on the island, cannot be the responsibility of VSA alone. Instead, it will require cooperation among several ministries to identify possible solutions and determine how best to respond.
This interministerial approach is intended to ensure that the food security initiative does not proceed without consideration of the environmental and practical challenges that could affect its success.
The Minister's comments also place the issue of pest control within the wider discussion about St. Maarten's ability to develop sustainable local food production. While encouraging residents to grow food is one objective, protecting those efforts from damage will be another important consideration.
The issue of managing invasive species has previously been addressed by Minister of VROMI Patrice Gumbs as part of government's wider environmental policy. As reported by The People's Tribune in January 2026, Gumbs outlined provisions within the Nature Policy Plan 2025–2030 aimed at reducing the impact of invasive species, establishing management plans and strengthening environmental protection.
During that presentation to Parliament, Gumbs identified increased funding to the Nature Foundation to support invasive-species management among the steps taken under the country's environmental objectives. He also acknowledged that implementation of the previous Nature Policy Plan had progressed more slowly than anticipated because of staffing shortages, limited budgets and other institutional challenges.
The matter returned to Parliament on October 20, when Gumbs provided an update on the Nature Policy Plan and Members of Parliament questioned the government's ability to implement its environmental objectives. Questions included the availability of financing, technical personnel and coordination with French St. Martin on invasive species and other shared environmental concerns.
These earlier policy discussions provide context for Connor's latest announcement. Although invasive-species management is already part of VROMI's environmental agenda, the Minister of VSA has now identified the need to address monkeys and other pests as a practical requirement for advancing the Breadfruit Tree Initiative.
The Breadfruit Tree Initiative remains in its early planning stages, and Connor did not announce a specific implementation date, distribution plan or confirmed measures for controlling the animals.
The challenge moving forward will be translating the proposed cooperation between ministries into practical measures that allow residents to grow food without seeing their efforts undermined by animals that damage crops and young trees.
Connor indicated that government intends to continue discussions with the relevant ministries as it examines how to move forward with both the initiative and the concerns raised by the public.
