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Basseterre, St. Kitts, July 4, 2016 (SKNIS) – While the ever popular green vervet monkeys commonly associated with St. Kitts and Nevis are an integral part of our landscape as they are viewed by tourists as a delightful attraction, in recent times there has been a conflict between them and the human population.

The Department of Agriculture, in conjunction with a technical team from Colombia, will host two events geared at bringing significant resolutions to address matters relating to monkeys.

On Tuesday July 5, 2016, the Department of Agriculture will host a “Monkey Summit” at the Department of Agriculture, La Guerite, from 9 am to 3 pm. Following an opening ceremony, the summit will encompass a series of presentations from all stakeholders on matters relating to the monkey problem.

Subsequently, the Colombians will host a seminar on Thursday July 7, 2016, from 9 am to 12 pm at the same venue.

Tourists are fond of monkeys and monkeys are used in research for diseases such as Parkinson’s at the St. Kitts Biomedical Research Facility. Also new initiatives contemplated involving monkeys include EDU tourism (Education Tourism) and the establishment of wild life theme parks.

However, monkeys have posed significant threats to farmers, especially in recent times. They continue to be a menace in wreaking havoc on crops, resulting in great economic loss to farmers; they have also been troublesome at resorts, residential areas and urban districts.

It is against this backdrop that the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis is aiming to bring about effective solutions to address the problems associated with monkeys.

The plenary sessions of the Summit will cover areas such as Research Institutions and Work with Primates; Farming Perspectives; and Viewpoint and Work from Hotel and Tourism Vantage Point.