Prime Minister Rob Jetten Visits Saba Conservation Foundation

The Saba Conservation Foundation (SCF) proudly welcomed Prime Minister Rob Jetten during his recent visit to Saba. The Prime Minister was received by Peter Johnson, Chairman of the SCF Supervisory Board, and the SCF team.

The visit provided a valuable opportunity to present the breadth and significance of Saba’s conservation work directly to national government leadership and to formally raise the issue of structural funding for nature and park management in the Caribbean Netherlands.

The Visit

During the meeting at SCF, the Prime Minister received a comprehensive presentation on Saba’s exceptional biodiversity, the importance of the island’s three national parks, and the scope of ongoing work required to manage and protect these unique natural areas. The presentation emphasized the significance of Saba’s ecosystems not only for biodiversity conservation but also for sustainable tourism, coastal resilience, community wellbeing, and the island’s cultural and economic identity.

Following the meeting, Prime Minister Jetten visited the SCF Research Center, where he observed innovative coral reef restoration research led by Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences (VHL). VHL drives the scientific program from the SCF Research Center, bringing institutional research expertise to one of the most pressing challenges facing Caribbean marine ecosystems.

Saba’s Conservation Responsibilities

SCF manages two nationally significant protected areas: the Saba National Marine Park and Mount Scenery National Park. In addition, SCF carries operational responsibilities for the Saba Bank, in collaboration with Wageningen Marine Research. Together, these areas encompass some of the most ecologically significant marine and terrestrial habitats in the Caribbean Netherlands.

From the cloud forest of Mount Scenery to the coral ecosystems of the Saba Bank, one of the largest carbonate platforms in the Atlantic, SCF carries broad conservation, monitoring, enforcement, education, and visitor management responsibilities. A small, dedicated team carries out these obligations in a context of chronic underfunding relative to the scale of the mandate.

A Significant Step Toward Structural Funding

During the visit, officials formally presented Prime Minister Jetten with a joint letter requesting structural funding for nature and park management across the Caribbean Netherlands. SCF was a principal signatory to this letter, which also carries the endorsement of the Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance and WWF Netherlands.

The letter represents a significant step in SCF’s ongoing efforts to secure a sustainable and predictable financial basis for its conservation work. Further details on the content and signatories of the letter are available on request.

“We are grateful for the Prime Minister’s engagement with the conservation challenges facing the Caribbean Netherlands. This visit reflects an important recognition of the role these protected areas play, not only for biodiversity but also for sustainable tourism, climate resilience, and the well-being of our communities. We look forward to continuing discussions on establishing a sustainable and reliable funding framework for nature management across the BES islands.”

Kai Wulf,