I Have Very Little News: Perhaps, the headline is more accurate. I practically have no news. That is why I have not updated the blog for several days.
Unless, you think that the news of the relocation of the dolphins to Blowing Point is news!
Planning and Executive Council permissions and leases have been granted, in spite of the criticisms of the people of Blowing Point who will now have a circus in their midst! In spite of the nuisance that this development will cause its neighbours! In spite of the realization that this relocation must ensure that the Blowing Point taxi-drivers will never again earn a penny from the business! Dolphinarium customers will simply walk there from the ferry!
Yes, that is the public access to the beach. This development will inevitably destroy one of the public's last accesses to a popular beach and picnic site!
Yes, that pretty white building you see in the background, behind one of the newly installed pilings, is the ferry terminal. The dolphins will love breathing its spilled fuel and fumes! Their echo location sensors will just have to learn to put up with the ferry engines!
The lease and permits were granted based of one of the most idiotic “environmental impact statements” you have ever read in your life. It was written in a semi-literate style, but was no doubt well funded. This report should have been all the evidence government needed to tell these people to go away. The other EIS was very well written, but by a notoriously pro-dolphin-circus engineering company. They are a reputable company, but they build dolphinariums, for Heaven’s sake!
And, government does not subject these two reports to expert scrutiny of its own?
Nor hold the sort of public consultations they promised in signing the Environmental Charter?
But, then, I hate to say, “I told you so!”
Who is the Land Development Control Committee and did they even bother to read the EIS report?
ReplyDeleteIt is my understanding that they did not even give the various environmental agencies enough time to read the document in the beginning. A day to review that crap was inadequate. I guess they didn't want anyone to comment. And if they had really consider the views of the other stakeholders they would not have approved the project. I understand that some of the 'real experts' in some of the other Government Agencies are so upset with the way the LDCC is operating that they are seriously considering not attending anymore consultations. If this is indeed so, Executive Council really need to look into this, because the are approving projects on the basis of mis-information.
ATM is laughing at a Government that is so stupid to be making decisions based on the crap that they keep submitting (The Marina EIA wasn't any better). An EIA report should be objective and unbiased. It should give a description of the proposed project, potential positive and negative environmental impacts and mitigative measures against any potential negative impacts, along with an alternative to the project. Instead ATM submitted an EIS which contained an adequate description of the proposed project, and the surrounding marine area but left out important aspects such as the impacts of hurricanes and rough seas, and how to mitigate against potential poor water quality in the area. The socio-economic section was not worth the paper it was typed on. It was so bad I would refuse to use the paper as tiolet tissue. Nothing was mentioned of the importance of the beach as an important picnic area for Anguillians and the impacts of the poor water quality on the persons utilizing the beach downstream of the facility etc.
A word of advice to those of you who are not happy with Dolphin Discovery - you are not going to get the project stop on animal welfare or environmental issues. Furthermore, if locals are not apart of the opposition you can forget it. If you do not want a captive dolphin facility in Anguilla, and this is the basis of your opposition you can forget about that too, as this is selfish and only serves to impose your own likes and dislikes on others.
It is not too late the project was stopped in Sandy Ground and the same can be done in Blowing Point. All it takes is for someone in the community to draft up a petition and to have person in the community sign the petition. After that the petition should be taken to the Governor and the Chief Minister. If that fails it is easy for someone to go down there at time and cut a big hole in the fence. It is as simple as that, Dolphin Discovery is so cheap that they will not employ a security guard to watch the facility at night.
Don,
ReplyDeleteIn a letter from Laura Stansfield, Captivity and Rescue Officer for WDCS, Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society to Chief Minister Osbourne Fleming regarding the conditions at Dolphin Fantaseas, she writes "We believe that the dolphins are being held in violation of Anguilla's Animal Welfare Act (1977) which states that prosecution will occur if, according to 2. (1) "any person(a) shall cause any unnecessary suffering, or, being the owner, permit any unnecessary suffering to be so caused to any animal" and (2) "For the purposes of this section, an owner shall be deemed to have permitted cruelty if he shall have failed to exercise reasonable care and supervision in respect of the protection of the animal therefrom," and encourage the authorities in Anguilla to seriously consider the repatriation of the dolphins to their country of origin - which we believe to be Cuba - for rehabilitation and release back into the wild."
I would think placing the dolphins in such close proximity to the ferry terminal boat noise and fuel would definitely be unnecessary suffering.
From crew-life.com (http://www.crew-life.com/index.php
/crew-life/editorial/anguilla/) comes this bit of news: In July, Island Global Yachting announced plans to build a luxury marina complex at the Altamer resort on Shoal Bay West in Anguilla. The development, due to be finished in late 2009, will become the official entry point to the quiet British Overseas Territory, and will have around 30 megayacht slips out of 101 in total, with a 164-unit resort, duty free shopping and restaurants....
Would this new "official entry point" marina on Shoal Bay West replace the current ferry terminal?
Don can you answer this? Thanks.
Don, Perhaps you would be kind enough to post the entire letter from the Whale & Dolphin Conservation Society to Chief Minister Osbourne Fleming for everyone to see. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteChief Minister
Osbourne Fleming
c/o Permanent Secretary
Merwyn Rogers
Chief Ministers Office
PO BOX 60, The valley
Anguilla
British West Indies
21 January 2008
Dear Honorable Minister Fleming
I am writing on behalf of WDCS, the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society to express our grave concerns at reports of the conditions in which the captive bottlenose dolphins owned by Dolphin Discovery are languishing in Anguilla. Reports suggest that due to the closure of the Meads Bay facility and the failure of Dolphin Discovery to secure a new facility for the dolphins, the current facility has fallen into disrepair with little or no staff available to look after the dolphins.
WDCS is an international charity and now has more than 80,000 members and supporters. WDCS is dedicated to the conservation and welfare of all whales, dolphins and porpoises (collectively known as cetaceans), and is at the forefront of efforts to provide a secure future for these highly intelligent and sentient mammals. We have funded research into the captivity debate over the past decade and we are an internationally-respected resource on this issue.
It has been reported to us that conditions at the current facility in Meads Bay are very poor. We are extremely concerned about the welfare of the dolphins kept there. Reports include lack of water filtration; excessive algal growth and 'scum' on the surface of the water; as well as the lack of adequate staff to look after and take care of the day-to-day needs of the animals as well as any emergencies that may arise. As reports about the number of dolphins being held at Meads Bay fluctuate, we are also very concerned that some of the dolphins held by Dolphin Discovery in Anguilla may have died.
We believe that there are currently seven dolphins being held in the Meads Bay facility, all of which have been imported from Cuba. I would be very grateful if you could confirm the following:
The current number of dolphins held at Meads Bay and their current status of health and wellbeing;
If a recent export of any of the dolphins held in Anguilla has occurred to a facility on Tortola;
If an adequate number of staff have been retained to provide for the health and welfare of the dolphins at Meads Bay.
We believe that the dolphins are being held in violation of Anguilla's Animal Welfare Act (1977) which states that prosecution will occur if, according to 2. (1) "any person(a) shall cause any unnecessary suffering, or, being the owner, permit any unnecessary suffering to be so caused to any animal" and (2) "For the purposes of this section, an owner shall be deemed to have permitted cruelty if he shall have failed to exercise reasonable care and supervision in respect of the protection of the animal therefrom," and encourage the authorities in Anguilla to seriously consider the repatriation of the dolphins to their country of origin - which we believe to be Cuba - for rehabilitation and release back into the wild.
We believe that these bottlenose dolphins may be suffering unnecessarily and respectfully request that the Anguilla Government take immediate action to remedy the situation. If you would like any further help or advice please do not hesitate to contact me.
Yours sincerely
Laura Stansfield
Captivity and Rescue Officer
WDCS, Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society
Email: laura.stansfield@wdcs.org
"Building permission is still required according to the release from the committee."
ReplyDeleteAren't they building in the pictures. I have not been to Blowing Point since this news broke but I have heard from residents of BP and friend who have taken the ferry since last weekend that construction has already started. What builind permission is still needed if they are already building?!
The statement implying that Altamer will be given the exclusive right to ports of entry in Anguilla is incorrect. Ferry boats will continue going to Blowing Point and planes will continue to land at Wallblake.
ReplyDeleteDolphin Discovery didn't bother with a building permit at Sandy Ground. Why should they bother with one now?
ReplyDeleteAnd what about the illegal Mexicans that are working without work permits nor can they speak English...or pretend not to.
ReplyDeleteThe ones doing the constructing in Sandy Ground had no work permits.
These could very well follow suit.
Presuming the Chief Minister or the Government responds to the WDCS: we'd like to have that reply posted here.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
Be assured that I will post a copy of the Chief Minister's reply to WDCS - if there is one.
ReplyDeleteAnguilla appears to be a country where the people have no voice. Sounds familiar? This type of political system is not suitable for our modern day countries. We have a bunch of old watch dogs for politicians who act according to their whims, and force their policies on us no matter what or how we feel about them.
ReplyDeleteThe time is now ripe for change and the people must stand up and demand that change, they must responsibly vote out these renegades who are bent on destroying our paradise. We have candidates who are quite capable of working for us the people to correct this fiasco our present Gov't is creating. The course that they have chosen to lead us will ultimately lead to hardship down the road because proper planning and careful foresight was not the norm.
What are we becoming? A country whose priorities are so fixated on wealth and profit that we are unable to see the havoc we are leaving behind? We talk a good game and expound on the follies and shortcoming of the Gov't, yet no one is willing to assist in changing this oppressive system. Why? Is it because we are brainwashed into believing that the fatter our pockets are the better off we will be? Even thought we might be able to afford most of the luxuries of life, what will it profit us if where we live is an environmental disaster zone? A place where our ecosystem is so contaminated that our very existence is a risk. If we are not careful that seems to be our bleek reality unless we stop it now.
Condemn me as a ------whatever but that’s ok too. I am Anguillian and always will be and this is my country so I have a right to express my views despite what or how you feel about them.
Please let’s work at changing this system and Gov't if not for our sake then for that of our children before its too late.
axa for life
ReplyDeleteI am all for change although by the time the next election it might be too late...but I do not know any of the other candidates. They should start NOW to let the public know who they are and what plans they have for this country. We are being choked to death by rhetoric and empty promises.