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Beach Management Plan underway for Long Bay, Beef Island

- Public will get opportunity to give feedback @ all stages
Long Bay, Beef Island is the first of many beaches in the Territory for which a comprehensive beach management plan will be developed to promote more sustainable recreational and economic use of the beach while ensuring environmental protection. Photo: VINO/File
Minister for Natural Resources, Labour and Immigration Honourable Vincent O. Wheatley (R9) has said that development of beach management plans is the next step in striking the proper balance on beaches. Photo: VINO/File
Minister for Natural Resources, Labour and Immigration Honourable Vincent O. Wheatley (R9) has said that development of beach management plans is the next step in striking the proper balance on beaches. Photo: VINO/File
LONG BAY, Beef Island- Long Bay, Beef Island is the first of many beaches in the Territory for which a comprehensive beach management plan will be developed to promote more sustainable recreational and economic use of the beach while ensuring environmental protection.

Beach management plans are part of the beach management framework established by The Virgin Islands Beach Policy that was passed by Cabinet in 2021.

According to a press release from Government Information Service (GIS) on March 18, 2022, every beach will have a management plan that is tailored to that specific beach.

‘Striking the proper balance’

Minister for Natural Resources, Labour and Immigration Honourable Vincent O. Wheatley (R9) has said that development of beach management plans is the next step in striking the proper balance on beaches. He said, “Our beaches are of utmost value to us in a vast number of ways. What the beach management plan for Long Bay, Beef Island seeks to do is ensure that the beach is preserved, maintained and used in such a way to ensure that future generations can use the beach in the same way that we do, and not have comparisons of what it used to be due to poor management and events that could have been avoided.”

Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Natural Resources, Labour and Immigration Mr. Joseph Smith-Abbott said, “A beach management plan for Long Bay, Beef Island has been prioritised as it is one of the most popular beaches for residential use and has also experienced rapid commercial tourism development and activity since Hurricane Irma. In keeping with the approved Beach Policy, the vision for Long Bay, Beef Island is a beach we can all be proud of that balances environmental, tourism, economic, recreational, spiritual and cultural needs. The details of the plan will be developed in keeping with the Beach Policy and established best practices.”

Public to give feedback at all stages

The development of the Long Bay, Beef Island Beach Management Plan will be phased, starting with a conceptual plan and followed by a draft detailed plan and final detailed plan. The plan will be presented to the public for feedback at all stages.

The public is encouraged to give their feedback in one of the various ways that are available and upcoming. The public is invited to share their current satisfaction with the beach and vision for the beach by taking the Long Bay, Beef Island Public Survey that will remain open until April 30, 2022. The survey can be found at  bvi.gov.vg/environment.

There will be a virtual community meeting on Tuesday, March 22 at 6:30 p.m. and a physical meeting at the Willard Wheatley Primary School on Thursday, March 24 at 6:30 p.m. The conceptual Long Bay Beach Management Plan will be explained in its entirety at those meetings. Details for joining the virtual meeting will be shared separately.

In the meantime, the public is encouraged to view the Long Bay Beach Management Plan video on the Government’s Facebook page @BVIGovernment and email their comments to the Ministry at nrl@gov.vg.

9 Responses to “Beach Management Plan underway for Long Bay, Beef Island”

  • resident (20/03/2022, 13:15) Like (4) Dislike (4) Reply
    Please hurry up and work on this and stick to the rules in place before we lose this beach! Was really becoming worried to see those developments!!!
    • @resident (21/03/2022, 21:29) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
      These are the people of the Virgin Islands beaches and yes the government will safeguard them, but don’t get carried away with your Busy body mentality. This is OUR homelands!
  • HMMM (20/03/2022, 13:30) Like (8) Dislike (7) Reply
    At Long Bay Beef I they put in little beach sun shade cabanas that WHERE nice. Then they were filled with condoms and syringes that weren't brought by tourists.
  • Security Management (20/03/2022, 17:13) Like (3) Dislike (2) Reply
    Monitor the beach and close it at six in the winter and seven in the summer. Get rid of all the illegal and elecid behaviors.
    • ok (20/03/2022, 19:25) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
      Granny
    • @Security Management (21/03/2022, 21:40) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      You can’t tell the government when to close a public beach! You are obviously a foreigner trying to control another man’s home country. There is no winter in the tropics, but if you wish you can leave the tropics in the winter months of your
      homeland, so that you will not have to witness what time we leave our beaches at night.
    • n (21/03/2022, 23:21) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      You sound like somebody grandmother
  • What? (22/03/2022, 09:59) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    "The development of the Long Bay, Beef Island Beach Management Plan will be phased, starting with a conceptual plan and followed by a draft detailed plan and final detailed plan."

    We need a plan for all these plans
  • Greg (22/03/2022, 19:47) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Josiah's Bay Beach has not had a bathroom fixed since the hurricane in 2017. The bathroom is good, but has no plumbing, causing thousands of people to crap in the sea and bushes. Can you do anything about that Mr. Wheatley? Do you really care about environmental health, when this has been brought to your attention and not even a public toilet to allow people relief and dignity? What a shame you are giving so much attention to other beaches over and over, but not any to a well-known and used beach which houses surfing competitions pulling in hundreds every year and on a daily basis. Can you go down there and need to use the bathroom? Well, there isn't a public bathroom anywhere. What a disgrace!


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