When the Lawyer Jean Kelsick’s Carrs Bay sand destruction letter (See the letter on page 4: “Lawyer speaks out on Carrs Bay Beach sand removal (sand mining) destruction,”) was reported in the ZJB news yesterday May 26), there was included a response from Environmental Minister Claude Hogan, which the radio reporter recorded as follows. “In response, Mr. Hogan stated that to his knowledge the harvesting of sand at Carrs Bay is historical and is also based on updated and Environmental analysis. Mr. Hogan is of the view that the clearing of the ghaut and harvesting activity have not affected the birds, bird watching or the biodiversity in the area that has provided sand for local construction for many years.
“The Environmental Minister confirms that the beach sand itself is not for sale in Montserrat although homebuilders pay the transportation cost from privately operated stockpiles. On the question of using heavy equipment Mr. Hogan said this is for the harvesting of the sand which allows the ghaut to flow unimpeded into the sea especially during the hurricane and rainy season, he said to his understanding the exercise also safeguards the businesses in Carrs Bay from flooding especially the fuel bulk station.”
But Social Commentator and regular contributor, Claude Gerald, and one who has written on environmental issues and on this very subject, sent us today the following in support of Kelsick’s position, speaking of his own experience on the matter, questioning if anyone cares.
Gerald writes: “I give wholehearted endorsement of your sentiments Mr. Kelsick. You are being mild and kind in your description of the happenings at that site. Your comments reflect sickening acts of management by those well paid to manage our gifts of nature.
“Do you really think that anybody cares? Do you really think that you will get concerted action from the leaders in the public sector responsible for the management of such? From my experience it is not likely as it has been raised many times in several fora. You get drunken responses.
“You are asking much and in fact too much but ask you must.
The dye is already cast and the stain of allowing the physical degradation of nature’s gifts to our island shall not be altered. We are in a different mold of management. It is a now paradigm and not tomorrow or later. Sell our patrimony for dollars. Smash down Gun hill and bury Piper’s pond. Chase the egrets and ravish native trees. Just Brok Dong and gwarne bad because a we run things!
Nothing of value matters anymore Mr. Kelsick. Save your breath.
Gerald then added as he references sentiments he has previously expressed. He is driven to comment on what he calls ‘drunken destruction’, ‘Appalling destruction by agents…’; and shows more his questioning need for “gutsy leaders that condition resource management?”
“Realtor Frank Edwards has a telling photo of exquisite beauty of a tranquil Little Bay as late as the 1980s, in his Hilltop Office. A collector’s item. This was before the rapacious invasion of our North by the all-conquering forces of greed and destruction, from the South, post volcanic eruption. The mindset then and now is to destroy in the name of economic growth. The last governor made it clear: destroying Montserrat’s physical beauty in the name of dollars is acceptable.
And Reuben Meade and his lot mercilessly followed. Not that Mr. Meade needed any encouragement to plunder our natural resources for gain. Mr. Meade is bereft of the substance that builds sustainable growth.
Meade was a hater of ecological progress and environmental integrity.
Little Bay and Carrs Bay have had a disrespectful beating for at least 30 years.
I had a look at the site described by Jean Kelsick yesterday. Appalling destruction by agents of the State flouting environmental laws at will. Callous and merciless. Drunken destruction of sacred Nature and stock piling sand next door for sale. Oh God man!
Who is managing the affairs of this island? Just who is calling shots? Where are the gutsy leaders that condition resource management? Are we locked into simply collecting salaries? And perks and looking smart as though we are being productive?
We are in dire straits headlong into apocalyptic destruction on this island that we sacrifice to live on largely because we love its safety and its relative peace.
Nature is powerful to repair and reshape and beautify. But Nature cannot do so in the face of relentless assaults by agents that themselves depend on the very Nature that they despise and treat with ingratitude.
We need leaders. We need them fast. We need them constantly. We need their presence. We need their guidance. We need them with uplifting values. Will they stand up? Oh God man….
But whey dem be? On Montserrat?”
Related: http://www.themontserratreporter.com/save-little-bay-and-caars-bay-from-their-executioners/
“Montserrat is therefore being destroyed from within. Our government is callous with regard to how it treats our natural resources. Development at Little and Carrs Bay makes the point most strongly.”
“It means that the historic cemetery (across the road from the beach) at Romeo’s will be soon history; the Carrs Bay Battery…”
