Carlos Farchette
Oral Histories about Great Pond lagoon, St Croix as part of the Great Pond Restoration Action Plan
St. Croix, USVI has only a handful of coastal lagoons that serve as critical habitats for many commercial marine fish species, as well as providing other ecosystem services for the small island community. Great Pond Lagoon, located in the East End Marine Park, is one such area that contributes to food security and hazard mitigation. As part of restoration planning for this priority site, the territory has included oral histories from community leaders. These perspectives provide historical context and characterization of Great Pond over time and highlight the importance of restoration for the future.
This project was made possible by principal investigators at the Department of Planning and Natural Resources Division of Coastal Zone Management (CZM), including the Coastal Resilience Coordinator Hilary Lohmann and the East End Marine Park Coordinator Kelcie Troutman. The oral histories were funded by NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management and produced by Soundstage VI through an agreement between CZM and Tysam Tech, LLC to host a community charrette and produce a Great Pond Restoration Action Plan. More information can be found on the project website and DPNR’s website.
Carlos Farchette is a retired Department of Planning and Natural Resources officer and currently serves as the chairman for the Caribbean Fisheries Management Council. He is also a secretary for the St. Croix Fishery Advisory Committee.
Scope and Content Note
In this interview, Carlos Farchette discusses his early memories of fishing and camping around St. Croix as well as his observations of environmental change gleaned from years of living and working on the island. Farchette remembers Great Pond as a former hub of fish and bird diversity. Now, he says, the pond has become increasingly shallow and may be on its way to becoming a salt flat. In addition to hurricanes and drought, Farchette also identifies upland runoff as one of the factors contributing to the changes in Great Pond. He highlights his own conversations with the local fishing community, who also hope to see Great Pond restored as a juvenile fish habitat. Finally, Farchette reflects on his job with the Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR) and the importance of maintaining other lagoons around St. Croix.
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