Fat Hogs Bay beach targeted for restoration
Deputy Premier and Minister for Natural Resources and Labour, Dr the Honourable Kedrick D. Pickering recently announced that the beach must be restored to its former glory. He made the announcement at the recently held National Fishermen’s Conference at the Purcell Community Centre.
Hon. Pickering said “One of my job now is to restore that beach at Fat Hogs Bay, one of the most pristine beaches in the BVI.” According to the Hon. Minister and Representative of the Seventh District, one of the major reasons for the destruction of the beach was that persons were guilty of ‘mining’ the sand at the beach.
This ‘mining’ of the sand at Fat Hogs Bay beach started in the early 1970s when the tourism industry was at its infancy stages. The sand was used for the construction of buildings and Fat Hogs Bay beach was considered one of the easier accesses of sand sourcing.
“That is critically important my friends to understand, I start at that position to say to you that not only do we have to find new ways of doing old things but you have to take responsibility, along with us who are elected to office, of protecting the fishing industry of this country because just like how we destroyed the beach at Fat Hogs Bay and just like how we nearly destroyed the one at Josiah’s Bay that is exactly what will happen to the fishing industry if we don’t start raising the red flag and putting measures in place to ensure that we protect it,” said Hon. Pickering had added.
He had recalled that it took a lot of courage to rescue the Josiah’s Bay beach and today is striving beyond imaginations, against threats to his and others lives who were fighting to save the beach from sand miners. He recalled that back in 1986/1987 he, Mr Bertrand Lettsome, and others had a group called the East End/Long Look Action Committee, “One of the big problems that we saw at that time was the destruction of our beaches. Josiah Bay had become a major, major issue because we were mining the sand from Josiah’s Bay. And when we were trying to intervene to stop that process some of us were threatened with our lives and told if we don’t do this and if we don’t do that how much shots we going to get.”
At a recent community meeting held jointly by the 7th and 8th Districts Representatives, Hon. Pickering and Hon. Marlon A. Penn, residents had raised the concern about the development of fishermen in the Red Bay area to include Fat Hogs bay beach. Hon. Marlon Penn had said that process was being pursued but at the time it was being held up by the environmental impact assessment. “Once that is done we will proceed with the development of that dock so we are proceeding with that project.” He added for assurance, “It would be the entire Water front area, including Fat Hog’s Bay.”
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15 Responses to “Fat Hogs Bay beach targeted for restoration”
The environmental impact assessment is not just a formality and then its "development as usual". It is a study to see what adverse affect will be caused and the dangers of such a big project. Fat Hog's also has slow-growing mangrove seedlings. But it seems that this uninformed/ trained/ under-educated Natural Resources minister wants to trump nature and "restore the beach". Does that mean clearing brush from the berm, take out protective sea grapes and mangroves? AND what if the EIA finds the project detrimental- will he modify the project or does he plan to move forward no matter what?? These ministers are ill-equipped to make such decisions. Where is Burt or did he get paid off with a job??