Above: PM Tillman Thomas (Photo: GIS)

For small island states like Grenada, development is balancing act, where governments must weigh the benefits of development against efforts to conserve their heritage, Grenadian Prime Minister Tillman Thomas said yesterday.

Thomas, who was addressing the International Conservation Caucus Foundation at the New York Yacht Club in New York City, called for the development of a global framework for governance of the conservation process.

“In the same way that I have called for a global governance structure for the management of climate change, global warming and the environment, I also suggest that we look to develop a framework that will govern matters of conservation,” he said. “We cannot ignore the fact that there is an ongoing debate between development and conservation.”

Thomas pointed to several projects in Grenada, including the protection of the island’s oyster beds and the replanting of its mangroves as evidence of the country’s conservation programme.