News Articles

M.A. Dworkin St. Croix - There’s an old fishing slogan that captures the joy, relaxation, and adventure of angling: Bait It and They Will Come. Here to help make those fishing dreams come true is the arrival of Sandy’s Bait & Tackle which has recently opened its doors at 55 Company Street in downtown Christiansted. This very cool looking fishing supply store is filled with everything an Angler needs to make for a great day out on the waves. From a great variety of clas

Axel Dash USVI - In observance of National Boating Week, May 16 - May 22, 2026, Commissioner Jean Pierre L. Oriol of the Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR) is announcing the launch of a new Life Jacket Loaner Program through the Division of Fish and Wildlife (DFW), aimed at increasing access to safe recreational boating throughout the USVI. The program will help both adults and children participate in boating activities who may not otherwise have acces

M.A. Dworkin USVI - In a tense, escalating economic dispute, being described as a Charter Boat Trade War, that has now reached the U.S. White House and Congress, Governor Albert Bryan Jt. and members of the 36th Legislature of the Virgin Islands met to discuss the hot topic of the recent outrageous increase of fees imposed by the British Virgin Islands on cargo and trade entering from the U.S. Virgin Islands. Government House officials said the fees function as an unre

Precautions: • Avoid swimming at dusk and dawn. • Always swim with a buddy. • Swim in clear, calm water. • Follow local swim guidelines and lifeguards. • Don't feed sharks while snorkeling or diving. If sighted: • Remain calm making no sudden movements. • Keep eye contact with the shark while floating or swimming backwards. • Exit the water. If you witness an accident: • Exit the water and call 911. • Assist the victim out of the water if safe. Apply pressure to their wound.

M.A. Dworkin Caribbean Sea - Green Turtle populations have recovered so successfully that their official status has been downgraded from ‘Endangered’ to ‘Least Concern’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Green Turtles (Chelonia mydas) have declined in numbers by between 48 to 67 per cent over the last 200 years, largely due to human influences such as fisheries bycatch, loss and degradation of nesting sites and

St. Croix Times Staff USVI - Commissioner Jean-Pierre L. Oriol of the Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR) reminds the public of the annual 3-month seasonal closure for the following Snapper species: Black Snapper (Apsilus dentatus) Silk Snapper (Lutjanus vivanus) Vermillion Snapper (Rhomboplites) Blackfin Snapper (Lutjanus buccanella) As mandated by 50 CFR 622.435(A)(1)(iii) and Virgin Islands Rules and Regulations (V.I.R.R.), Title 12, Chapter 9A 316-13 $ 31

Understanding Coral Reefs and Their Importance Coral reefs are vital ecosystems that play a crucial role in marine biodiversity. They are made up of colonies of tiny individual corals, known as polyps. These marine invertebrates have hard exoskeletons composed of calcium carbonate. Polyps are sessile, meaning they are permanently fixed in one location. They grow slowly, forming various shapes and sizes depending on their species. Alongside other animals with calcium carbonate

M.A. Dworkin USVI - Commissioner Jean-Pierre Oriol of the Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR) and the Division of Fish...

St. Croix Times Staff St. Croix - A Green Sea Turtle which is considered “Threatened” due to human and natural impacts was apparently shot recently with a spear gun in a malicious manner by some brutal or careless individual. The Sea Turtle Assistance and Rescue (STAR) team was contacted about a Sea Turtle in distress near the Frederiksted Pier in St. Croix. Divers sent photos to STAR’s Sea Turtle stranding hotline of a Green Turtle with a fishing spear through i

St. Croix Times Staff Governor Albert Bryan Jr. met recently with the leadership of the Virgin Islands Professional Charter Yacht...

St. Croix Times Staff USVI - Commissioner Jean-Pierre L. Oriol of the Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR) reminds the...

M.A. Dworkin The only way to save the planet is to fight and win one battle at a time. No matter how small, no matter how inconsequential that battle may seem to the larger wars being fought. A person, an organization must commit to fight the good fight for the sake of the present world and for the future of the world. Such an organization that understands this type of creed are the dedicated people at the Caribbean Oceanic Restoration & Education Foundation (C.O.R.E.). They