The Saba Bank

Until recently the Saba Bank remained a mysterious and largely unexplored off shore atoll falling mostly within the water of the Exclusive Economic Zone, some 5 km south of Saba.

Research directed towards the exploration of the Saba Bank was initiated by the Central Government of the Netherlands Antilles and came as a direct result of the fishing pressure on the Bank, particularly by foreign vessels, and the passing of fisheries legislation.

In 2010, after the constitutional change, the Saba Bank became the direct responsibility of the Netherlands. Since that time considerable resources have been spent on the Saba Bank including several research expeditions to assess the state of the fisheries, coral reef health and shark population. A known biodiversity hotspot, the Saba Bank is of special interest to scientists because it has remained relatively pristine thanks to its remote location. But the Saba Bank is by no means immune to global and regional impacts including the effects of climate change.

DCNA is proud to present this Special Edition, which came about as a response to the Saba Bank Symposium, organized by Wageningen Marine Research, in Den Helder in December 2016. The Symposium brought together scientists working on the Saba Bank and provided the Dutch Government with a wealth of information as well as recommendations for the future wise management of this national treasure.

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