SKELEC installs turtle friendly streetlights in keys

Basseterre, St. Kitts, June 15, 2020 (ZIZ News): The St. Kitts Electricity Company SKELEC continued its streetlight retrofit programme on Monday with the installation of environmentally friendly turtle sensitive streetlights on the island main road in keys village.

Public Relations Officer at SKELEC Gawain Fraites said the retrofit programme involves the re-installation of approximately 6 thousand street lights across the island.

He said however, that the lights in the Keys area are different from the others.

“Only in Keys the amber lights will be. The lights are LED so they are more energy efficient, they are safer, they cost us less in the long run—‘us’ as in SKELEC—because instead of us having to produce more electricity to burn the other lights, they are now LED so they are safer. Also they are not mercury based, which again is good for the environment.”

He spoke of why SKELEC has chosen to use amber lights in this area.

“We have just outfitted the area in Keys. What we are doing in keys is slightly different. On the rest of the island most of the lights would have a bright light impact but in Keys we are using amber light, that is to assist with the turtle nesting. So instead of the turtles when they nest they head toward the bright light, because they will be amber they will be heading out to sea where the moonlight is.”

Kevin Fahie of the Sea Turtle Monitoring Network spoke of the significance of these types of lights.

“It is significant because for every ten thousand hatchlings that hatch, only one makes it to reproductive stage which is 35 human years so it is very important. You’ll find that more turtles will make it to the ocean and it could improve the rate from one to a higher number.”

SKELEC’s retrofitting programme began in Basseterre in the Buckley’s area, moving eastward. Fraites said the crew is currently working in Dieppe Bay and the intention is to have all street lights retrofitted by the end of the year.