Hon. Fraser Looks At Fishing, Beaches and Anegada Lands Issue

Pelagic fishing and the opening up of at least two more beaches on the island of Tortola were two of the major issues discussed by Minister of National Resources the Honourable Julian Fraser with the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States Natural Resources and Management Unit (OECS/NRMU). He met with the regional officials during a meeting in St. Lucia on April 6th. "The purpose of the trip was to discuss ways in which they can assist this government in developing three major projects under this Ministry," Hon. Fraser revealed. St. Lucia is much advanced in the area of pelagic or deep-sea fishing, with the government owning two fishing vessels used primarily for research and development. The fishing itself is done by private enterprise, but their complex is a statutory body.

He hastened to declare that he was not about to advocate the establishment of a statutory body here to manage this programme, but noted that the government of St. Lucia feels very strongly about this system being a profitable venture. Mr. Fraser said the BVI was able to draw on the experience of officials there in terms of what this programme can mean for the territory. "I was able to visit their facility and I notice that they have a processing capability of 20,000 pounds per day and they do have the capability to do some more," he reported during a press conference April 19th. He said in discussions with the OECS/NRMU, he discovered that they too are of the view that the Caribbean should harness the energies available to it, fishing being one of those. "We here in the British Virgin Islands are fortunate to have fishing grounds such as the ones we have, but unfortunately, we don't exploit it," the Minister of Natural Resources and Labour stated. He said in the 2000 budget, he has embarked upon the development of a programme, funding for which has already been secured. He said his trip to St. Lucia was the first step in trying to get the programme off the ground.

Meantime, the meeting also discussed the development of two harbours in Tortola - Brandywine Bay and Sea Cow's Bay. "Most people may not know this, but government, for several years, has given thought to developing a beach on the south coast of Tortola, which we don't have," Hon. Fraser revealed. He said because of the territory's vulnerability to hurricanes during the season, the north shore beaches are off-limits. "We're trying to do something about that," he declared. According to the Minister, the NRMU intends to conduct an Environmental Impact Assessment study (EIA) on the development of Brandywine Bay. He said this might involve some dredging and the re-alignment of the road network in the area, but he is open to all the suggestions that might be presented. "My view is that a recreational beach facility will be of great importance to not only tourists, but the locals and we would like to move as quickly as possible on that project," the government Minister told reporters.

He went on to say that the OECS/NRMU would also conduct an EIA and present a preliminary design to his Ministry. "When we receive that...we hope to take it to the people of the Third District, in order that they might give their comments and views as to what we will be doing there," the District Representative announced. The third project involves watersheds. "I recall vividly when I was a kid growing up that we had guts in Tortola and those guts ran almost all year...today, the reverse is true, they run only when it's raining and two days after the rain, they just kinda dry up," Mr. Fraser noted. He said the BVI has been talking with the NRMU for years about watershed projects. He said if the BVI is to be serious about agriculture, water is the most important asset and such projects must be developed.

Officials from the OECS Natural Resources Management Unit are expected to visit the BVI during the first week in May. The BVI Minister will travel to Nova Scotia, Canada in June to discuss with the Minister for Fisheries and a private concern, local plans for the development of pelagic fishing and ways in which a partnership can be forged. He will be accompanied then by Permanent Secretary Ms. Sheila Brown, Assistant Secretary Mr. Julian Willock and Chief Conservation and Fisheries Officer Mr. Bertrand Lettsome. "Everything has been provided for; there is no reason for us by the end of this year not to have started some sort of work in the areas of pelagic fishing, the two bays and also the watershed project," the Minister of Natural Resources and Labour stated. He went on to reiterate government's commitment to developing agriculture in the territory and mentioned several projects already underway. These include the continuing goal of equipping farmers with the tools to produce more, plans to install a desalination plant on Anegada, the Virgin Islands white sheep programme being done by CARDI, the cleaning up of the Road Town Market area and the resolution of the docking situation between Little Dix Bay Hotel and the fishermen of Virgin Gorda. ANEGADA LANDS "A bone of contention too is the Anegada lands; this is something that has been going on, as the report mentions, over a hundred years," Minister Fraser continued. He said government is moving on this particular issue. He said this is one that no individual should attempt to resolve. He said Executive Council has accepted the Renwick Report #2.

"The recommendations are as follows: an area be set aside for housing, preferably near to the Police Station; each residential building lot should be about 1/2 acre in size and) all applications for land should be submitted in triplicate to the Minister of Natural Resources and Labour," Hon. Fraser reported. Where applications relate to land for business use, several conditions have been laid down. These include: the type and size of the business should be stated, along with the amount of land needed; the terms of the lease should be for a period of 50 years, with an option to renew; and the proposal rental should be calculated at 5% of open market value or $100 per acre per annum for the first ten years, whichever is greater, thereafter to be reviewed at open market value. A development management plan should also be prepared by the Town and Country Planning Department, for and in collaboration with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Labour, for the island of Anegada.

The recommendations call for the membership of the Anegada Lands Development Advisory Committee to be increased by one to include an ex-officio member from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Labour. The committee, which has been in place for some time now, was re-appointed on April 12th, after its term expired at the end of last year Members are Captain Ira Smith - Chairman, Mr. Darvin Potter - Vice Chair and members Mr. Aubrey Levons, Mr. Everard Faulkner, Mr. Hugo Vanterpool, Mrs. Maria Vanterpool and Mrs. Bellansita Creque. Previously, this committee advised the Minister as to what lands should be given to which applications, however, with the appointment of another committee, if the first committee does not act within a specific time frame, they will advise the Minister as to what steps to take. "That's one mechanism in making sure that the process moves, as opposed to the present inertia that we now face," Mr. Fraser declared. The recommendations also suggest that the size of land required for the airport which will accommodate medium haul traffic jets, be determined by the Ministry of Communications and Works and submitted to ExCo in a detailed paper and a committee be established to advise the Minister of NR&L on land allocation matters.

This committee should consist of officials from the MNR&L, Town and Country Planning Department, the Attorney General's Chamber and one other person from the private sector to be appointed by the Minister. In all of this, he said the greatest issue relates to the walls. He said government will work closely with the people of Anegada to have these walls surveyed to try and resolve this before titles are issued. "I wish to take this opportunity to advise the public against the demarcation and development of property without the requisite approval from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Labour - those are lands pertaining to Anegada proper," Mr. Fraser said during his recent press conference. He said the Ministry, in its effort to be a part of the development process of the BVI, has several capital projects for the year 2000. These include a new slaughter house and meat stall for Virgin Gorda, a new abattoir for Tortola built to USDA standards in order for all meat to be inspected to these standards and used by local hotels, the replacement of tractors on Virgin Gorda and Anegada so that farmers on the two sister islands will be able to produce to the level of those on Tortola and the completion of the Anegada mini-sub station.