Nature restoring itself in Saint Martin’s Island

Staff Reporter :

Saint Martin’s Island, now free of tourists, is witnessing the revival of its natural beauty. Large marine leeches are appearing on the beaches, the number of shells and snails is increasing, and coastal mangrove trees and screw pines are thriving. Birds are flying near the shore, red crabs are seen scuttling around, and the seawater has turned crystal-clear blue.

According to reports, since the government imposed a ban on tourist visits starting February 1, only island residents remain on Saint Martin’s. This has allowed the natural ecosystem to flourish-mangroves and screw pines are sprouting around the beach, snails and shells are scattered across the sandy shores, and red crabs have returned.

Large marine leeches have also been spotted.
During this year’s tourism season, only 2,000 tourists were allowed to visit the island over two months. In contrast, in previous years, around 5,000 tourists visited daily for four to five months.
Saint Martin’s Union Parishad (UP) member Syed Alam said, “With the absence of tourists, marine leeches are now visible near the shore. Snails and shells are spread across the beach, red crabs are making their way back, and screw pine trees are growing freely. It feels as though nature is reclaiming the island, enhancing its beauty.”

However, this shift has had economic consequences for the local community. Around one-third of the island’s residents depend on tourism for their livelihood. Many rely on earnings from December and January to sustain them for the rest of the year. With the drastic drop in tourist numbers, many have been forced to look for work elsewhere-some are fishing at sea, while others have moved to Teknaf or Cox’s Bazar to start restaurant businesses.

Local resident Nur Mohammad shared his struggles,
“In previous years, I earned well during the tourist season, allowing me to pay my restaurant staff decent wages. But this year, the low number of tourists over just two months made it difficult even to cover my employees’ salaries. I have now moved to Teknaf, trying to set up a restaurant there.”

Similarly, another island resident, Haider Ali, stated,
“With the absence of tourists, nature is reviving itself. Previously, human activity disrupted the movement of snails, shells, and red crabs along the shore. The beach was littered with plastic bottles, chip packets, and polythene. Now, with fewer visitors, there is hardly any trash around. Most locals spend their time in the market or at the jetty in the evenings instead of frequenting the beaches.”