A pleasant Good Day to all the people of the Virgin Islands.

One of the biggest challenges we face in the BVI is striking the right balance between use and development of our resources and protecting those resources from damage and depletion.

One thing that we can say about Virgin Islands people is that we love our islands. We love our beaches, and our reefs, our beautiful views, our marine flora and fauna, and all the wonderful features that we have because of our God-given natural resources. And as much as we are keen on putting our resources to use so that they can create jobs and opportunities for people, we must do this in a responsible way and in a sustainable way. This is something we all agree on.

As my Government seeks to further the development of the Virgin Islands and our economy, we recognize the importance of sustainability, and we are being guided by the National Sustainable Development Plan (NSDP), which was crafted with a lot of research, consultation and deep thought. The NSDP has important goals that we must strive to achieve, and this includes goals in the areas of sustainable tourism development and environmental protection.

Today’s signing of the contract for construction of the Vending Zone at Long Bay, Beef Island and the grant agreement for continued environmental restoration and awareness, are central to achieving a sustainable development model at Long Bay, Beef Island.

The Virgin Islands has several beaches that are in pristine or near pristine condition – and we would like to protect those beaches even as we use them and incorporate them into our tourism product. In fact, it is their stunning beauty that makes them attractive to visitors, and why we must ensure their sustainability.

Without going into too much technical detail, there are several risks that can damage a beach and its value as a tourism product. But these can be mitigated by planning and responsible use.

For instance, unplanned development such as haphazardly placed structures can ruin the aesthetics and enjoyment of the beach. Structures must be properly and orderly placed. They must have an appearance that is complementary and fitting for a top tourist destination. They must have all the necessary amenities to deliver a quality guest experience while helping to care for the environment. This can be achieved by introducing some structure, planning and regulation of how things are done.

Another major threat to beaches is the erosion of the sand dunes. A beach without sand is hardly worthy of being called a beach, and definitely will not be as attractive to visitors.

In the BVI, we are lucky to be blessed with beautiful white sand beaches. Unplanned development, indiscriminate parking that damage the roots of the trees that line the beaches, and certain other activities can damage the foliage and contribute to the depletion of the sand dunes. Again, the solution lies in exercising a bit of planning, structure and thoughtfulness in how we go about utilizing the spaces at our beaches.

Long Bay, Beef Island is a very valuable resource with immense cultural, environmental and social value. In 2005, the Government purchased over 63 acres of land at Beef Island, including the land immediately surrounding the beachfront and neighbouring salt ponds, for over $5.5 million dollars. This was done with the express intent to protect this precious resource for the present and future generations to enjoy and benefit from. Additionally, Long Bay has always been a cultural and recreational hub, especially for the people of the 7th and 8th Districts.

So, our objective is to preserve the sustainability of the beach and create some structure in which persons can have enjoyment and entrepreneurs would be able to make their living, all with balance. The vision for Long Bay includes creating a more attractive, inviting and comfortable space for tourism-based commerce; improved accommodations for vendors where they can enhance their products and services; creation of outdoor eating and entertainment areas that will add significant value to the visitor experience and amenities that each vendor can capitalize on as part of their business model; and more.

The project will also provide better protection for vendors and the beach itself during future hurricanes, through hurricane-resilient structures, appropriately setback from the shoreline where they are protected from storm surge, while allowing full recovery of the sea grape tree line and dune vegetation to ensure the protection of the beach, including from erosion and the longer-term threat of sea level rise. All of this will help to ensure that the BVI’s tourism sector can stay up and running after a storm and that losses to vendors, taxi drivers and the wider tourism supply chain are minimised.

We hope that the beach management model that we are developing through this project will help us to have sustainable development at our other beaches and sensitive tourist attractions.

We look forward to the new Vending Zone at Long Bay being fully operational at the start of the next tourism season, and to the next stage of enhancement at Long Bay, including development of a gazebo space for entertainment and hiking trail around the salt pond with a lookout featuring panoramic views of the beach and eastern cays. 

I wish to thank the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change for aptly leading the charge on development of the Beach Management Plan, and all the agencies that have supported development of the plan and the overall process to bring us to this point. These partners include the BVI Tourist Board, Public Works Department, the Procurement and Project Units of the Ministry of Finance, the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College Marine Center which is providing logistical support to the project, the National Parks Trust of the Virgin Islands and Dr. Shannon Gore who is providing technical support as well.

In many ways, this project, especially the environmental restoration aspect, would not have been possible without the kind, ongoing contributions of Unite BVI for which the Government is truly grateful. This partnership demonstrates the multiplier effect that can be achieved when Government and donor funds are blended together. Finally, I would like to thank the community for engaging in the process to develop the plan, including by participating in the public survey and investing time in attending the public meetings. Equally, I would like to thank the vendors for also being engaged in the process and for their ultimate cooperation as we work together to improve the outcomes for all. Thanks also to Hon. Marlon Penn, Representative of the 8th District who has worked hand-in-hand with the Government to ensure stakeholder support for this Project. This is an example of the great things that can be achieved for the country when we work together.

Remember, we are all responsible for shaping our present and future reality; for creating an island home that we can all be proud of - not just today but for generations to come. Like our forefathers before us, we have a responsibility to be good stewards of our inherited land, resources and community for those who will come after, also seeking to benefit from its bounty.

Let’s continue to work together to protect and build up these beautiful Virgin Islands.

I thank you.