MIAMI, Florida — Miami-Dade County is recognizing May 9 – 14 as Fertilizer Awareness Week so that residents and businesses have an opportunity to prepare for the upcoming ban on the use of fertilizer during the rainy season, which starts May 15. During this season, residents, landscape companies, condominium associations, among others, are prohibited from using fertilizer. Fertilizer runoff is known to be a top contributor to pollution in Biscayne Bay. The rainy season ban is in effect through October 31.  

PARAMARIBO, Suriname – The Staatsolie Power Company Suriname (SPCS), says it has been forced to open blow down valves in order to guarantee the integrity of the Afobaka dam as the country continues to deal with the impact of heavy rains during the traditional dry season.

CASTRIES, St. Luci –St. Lucia says it is taking “decisive steps” to quell the upsurge of the invasive iguana population on the island.

CASTRIES, St. Lucia – The Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) is welcoming new initiatives aimed at providing adequate financing to implement effective marine management strategies.

ROSEAU, Dominica – Dominicans may be without their national dish for a ”very long time” as the authorities here warn of the chytrid fungus continuing to have an impact on the mountain chicken,  a species of giant frog native to the area.

GEORGETOWN, Guyana – President Dr. Irfaan Ali Monday said Guyana is sacrificing billions of dollars (One Guyana dollar=US$0.004 cents) to protect its forests which are almost the size of England and Scotland combined.

NASSAU, Bahamas – Bahamians have been urged to prepare for an above-average hurricane season that begins on June 1st and that they should begin their preparations to lessen the risks of death and damages.

CASTRIES, St. Lucia – Fisheries officials here are investigating “an apparent mass die off” event involving the long spine Black Sea Egg from the Caribbean islands of St. Vincent and the Grenadines,, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, St. Thomas, Saba and Statia.

KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent – The National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) has urged people not to tamper or remove equipment used for monitoring the La Soufriere volcano that erupted in April last year, forcing the evacuation of thousands of people.

UNITED NATIONS – The United Nations says thousands of small-scale, community driven initiatives, including many in the Caribbean, are making “a huge difference” in people’s lives and contributing to efforts to curb global warming. 

PARAMAIRBO, Suriname – Suriname has announced plans to establish a data base of all fishing boats registered in the Dutch-speaking Caribbean country in a move aiming at curbing illegal fishing and other criminal activities.

KINGSTON, Jamaica – Jamaica’s climate and disaster resilience capacities have been strengthened with the development of a Bush Fire Warning Index and Management System.