Saint Martin reopens for tourists today with strict eco-friendly rules

NN ONLINE:

Saint Martin’s Island will reopen to tourists today after a nine-month closure, with a strict daily cap of 2,000 visitors to help preserve its fragile ecosystem and biodiversity.

To this end, the government has issued 12 directives to ensure responsible and eco-friendly tourism. Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) of Cox’s Bazar Md Shahidul Alam said the 12 government directives will be strictly implemented to safeguard the island’s biodiversity. For enhanced safety, passenger vessels will now depart from Cox’s Bazar city and cross the Bay of Bengal to reach Saint Martin’s Island, replacing the previous route from Teknaf, he added.

The coral-rich island had remained off-limits since February 1 this year. Tourism activities will be permitted from November through January. According to the Department of Environment (DoE), the temporary closure led to notable improvements in the island’s environmental health and biodiversity.

Home to 1,076 documented species, Saint Martin’s Island had faced ecological stress due to unregulated infrastructure development, overcrowding, and pollution. Authorities hope that the new guidelines will help safeguard the island’s natural heritage while allowing controlled tourism.

Local residents said that during peak seasons in the past, easybikes (e-rickshaws) and motorcycles on the beach caused the deaths of various marine species such as snails and clams. Over the last nine months, the absence of tourists has allowed these species to breed. Collection of coral and algae has also been suspended.

Advocate Mujibul Haque, Chairman of the Youth Environment Society (YES) Cox’s Bazar, said that the first nine months of limited tourism have significantly improved the island’s environment. Red crabs and marine species are now breeding along the beaches, and nesting sites for mother turtles have developed, he added.

Deputy Director of the Bangladesh Tourism Board Mohibul Islam said tourists must purchase tickets online through the Board’s recognized web portal.

Each ticket will carry a travel pass and QR code, and tickets without QR codes will be treated as counterfeit, he said, adding that adequate arrangements have been made to enforce these rules. Director of the DoE Cox’s Bazar office Md Jamir Uddin said the directives, issued on October 22 by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, will be fully implemented to protect the island’s environment and biodiversity.

Key points of the 12 directives include: only authorized vessels approved by the Ministry and the BIWTA may operate; daily tourist numbers will be strictly controlled; no overnight stay will be allowed in November; February will remain completely closed; the use of motorized vehicles on the beach is prohibited; damaging wildlife, coral, or marine species is strictly forbidden; and carrying single-use plastics is discouraged. Tourists are advised to carry their own water flasks.

The government hopes that these measures will ensure responsible and eco-friendly tourism while preserving Saint Martin’s fragile ecosystem.