To address this, the Statia Government continues to enforce the General Local Ordinance (APV) of 2018, which sets clear rules for responsible livestock management and supports efforts to reduce the negative impacts of free-roaming animals.
Properly enclosed and cared-for livestock brings benefits across the island. Farmers can protect their crops, families can preserve their homes, roads become safer, and ecosystems are better able to recover. When livestock grazes freely, they remove the vegetation that helps hold soil in place, which can lead to erosion, landslides, rockfalls, and increased flooding in low-lying areas such as the town centre. These environmental impacts also threaten critical infrastructure and reduce the quality of the island’s beaches. By working together and following the ordinance, Statia’s residents can help protect the island’s natural beauty, food security, and economic well-being for current and future generations.
To stay informed about updates and activities related to roaming livestock, residents are encouraged to follow the official channels of the Statia Government. The full ordinance is available at Openbaar Lichaam Sint Eustatius: Ordinance.
Article 3.3.3. Letting Livestock Roam Freely
It is forbidden:
To let livestock roam unattended on or along public roads;
To let livestock roam on the premises of another without their permission;
To let livestock roam on domain land; and more generally:
To allow livestock to roam on land that is not properly enclosed for livestock, or to give permission to someone else to do so.
