Izitshixo ezi-3 zokuGcina iCaye yeCuba

nguMichael Bourie, i-TOF Intern

Emva kokuchitha iKrisimesi yokugqibela ndivalelwe ngaphakathi ndinqanda ikhephu, ndigqibe kwelokuba ndichithe eli xesha lobusika lidlulileyo kwiCaribbean ndithatha ikhosi yendalo yaselwandle ngeZiko leZifundo zaMazwe ngaMazwe eziZinzileyo. Ndachitha iiveki ezimbini ndihlala eTobacco Caye kufuphi nonxweme lwaseBelize. ITobacco Caye iphuhlise kanye kwiMesoamerican Barrier Reef. Imalunga neehektare ezine ezizikweri kwaye inabahlali abasisigxina abalishumi elinesihlanu, ukanti isakwazi ukuba nayo, into abantu balapha ababhekisa kuyo, “uhola wendlela” (nangona kungekho sithuthi esinye kwicaye).

Phantse iikhilomitha ezilishumi ukusuka kwidolophu ekufutshane yezibuko yaseDangriga, iTobacco Caye isusiwe kubomi bemihla ngemihla baseBelize. Emva kokuba iNkanyamba uMitch yantlitha ngowe-1998, uninzi lwezakhiwo zaseTobacco Caye zonakaliswa. Uninzi lweendawo zokulala ezimbalwa kwi-caye zisalungiswa.

Ixesha lethu kwi-caye alizange lichithe. Phakathi kwee-snorkels ezininzi ngosuku, nokuba ngqo elunxwemeni kunye needocks, okanye ukukhwela isikhephe ngokukhawuleza, iintetho kwiSikhululo saseLwandle saseTobacco Caye, ukunyuka kwemithi yekhokhonathi, ukusebenzisana noluntu lwasekuhlaleni, kunye nokulala ngamaxesha athile kwi-hammock, bahlala bentywiliselwa ekufundeni malunga neenkqubo zaselwandle ze-Mesoamerican barrier reef.

Nangona sifunde ulwazi lwesiqingatha sonyaka kwiiveki ezimbini, izinto ezintathu ziye zanamathela kum malunga neTobacco Caye kunye nemigudu yokulondoloza ulwandle.

Okokuqala, abantu basekuhlaleni baye benza umqobo weqokobhe elijikeleze i-caye ngelinge lokuthintela ukhukuliseko olungakumbi. Nyaka ngamnye, unxweme luyancipha kwaye i-caye esele incinci iyancipha ngakumbi. Ngaphandle kwenani elishinyeneyo le-mangrove elalidla ngokulawula isiqithi ngaphambi kophuhliso lwabantu, unxweme lusesichengeni sokhukuliseko lwamaza kakhulu, ngakumbi ngexesha lezaqhwithi. Abahlali becuba caye banokuba luncedo ekugcinweni kweendawo zokulala, okanye bangabalobi. Eyona nto ixhaphakileyo kwaye ithandwayo ngumlobi weTobacco Caye yi-conch. Xa bebuyela kwi-caye, basusa i-conch kwiqokobhe baze baphose iqokobhe elunxwemeni. Iminyaka yolu qheliselo eneneni idale umqobo owoyikekayo elunxwemeni. Ungumzekelo omhle woluntu lwasekuhlaleni oludibanisa kunye ukunceda ukugcina i-caye ngendlela ezinzileyo kunye ne-eco-friendly.

Okwesibini, urhulumente waseBelize waseka iSouth Water Caye Marine Reserve ngowe-1996. Bonke abalobi baseTobacco Caye ngabalobi abanobuchule yaye babeqhele ukuloba kanye ngaselunxwemeni. Noko ke, ekubeni iTobacco Caye ilele kwindawo yolondolozo yaselwandle, bayazi ukuba kufuneka bahambe umgama omalunga nekhilomitha ukusuka elunxwemeni ukuya kuloba. Nangona abalobi abaninzi bekruqukile kukuphazamiseka kommandla wolwandle, bayaqalisa ukubona ukusebenza kwawo. Baqaphela ukukhula kwakhona kweentlanzi ezahlukeneyo abangazange bazibone ukususela ebuntwaneni, ubukhulu beelobster spiny, conch, kunye neentlanzi ezininzi ze-reef kufuphi nonxweme zikhula, kwaye ngokokubona komnye umhlali, ukwanda kwenani lofudo lwaselwandle oluzalela elwandle. Unxweme lwaseTobacco Caye okokuqala ngqa kwisithuba seminyaka elishumi. Isenokuba luphazamiso olungephi kubalobi, kodwa ulondolozo lwaselwandle ngokucacileyo lunempembelelo ebalulekileyo, elungileyo kwi-ikhosistim yolwandle.
 

Okwesithathu, kwaye kutshanje, uhlaselo lwe-lionfish luchaphazela ezinye iintlanzi ezininzi. I-lionfish ayizalelwa kuLwandlekazi lweAtlantiki kwaye ngenxa yoko inamarhamncwa ambalwa kakhulu. Ikwayintlanzi edla inyama kwaye itya kwiintlanzi ezininzi ezihlala kwiMesoamerican Barrier Reef. Kwiinzame zokulwa nolu hlaselo, izikhululo zaselwandle zasekuhlaleni, ezifana neTobacco Caye Marine Station, zikhuthaza i-lionfish kwiimarike zentlanzi zasekuhlaleni ukwandisa imfuno kwaye ngethemba lokucenga abalobi ukuba baqalise ngokukhutheleyo ukuloba izixa ezikhulu zale ntlanzi inetyhefu. Lo ngomnye umzekelo wamanyathelo alula athatyathwa luluntu olukwi-Cayes yaseBelize ukuphucula nokugcina le nkqubo ibalulekileyo yaselwandle.

Iifoto ngoncedo lukaMichael Bourie

Umfanekiso 1: Umqobo weqokobhe leconchi

Umfanekiso 2: umbono ovela kwiReef's End Tobacco Caye

Umfanekiso 3: Icuba Caye

Umfanekiso 4: I-Mufasa i-Lionfish