Duke: Put Sandals on Carrera

FEARING environmental damage, Tobago House of Assembly (THA) minority leader Watson Duke yesterday urged that the Sandals Resort should bebuilt on a site like Carrera Island.

He was speaking at a briefing on the inter-island ferry service held at the Public Services Association office in Port of Spain.

Sandals is being considered for an area of vegetation, mangrove and beach at Buccoo, Tobago, known as No Man’s Land, just onshore from the famous Buccoo Reef.

Duke said, “I hear, I’ve got information, that somebody said that Sandals wants to build on the reef. We have spoken to people who are old fishermen and they spoke about the dredging of that reef area to put up Sandals.”

He said the minority members of the THA are quite concerned.

“We do not want Sandals to build on the reef. Give Sandals the island of Carrera and let them develop that and build something out there.”

Tourism Minister Randall Mitchell referred Newsday to Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Stuart Young (who is in charge of that project, but whom Newsday could not reach). For his part, Mitchell said Duke seemed to be proffering “sensationalism and scandal.”

At this stage there is no agreement to build Sandals, Mitchell said.

Asked if he would like to state a list of principles for environmental protection such as ensuring no hotel effluent ruins Buccoo Reef, Mitchell said those are within the purview of the Environmental Management Authority (EMA.) This body facilitates construction, while protecting the environment, Mitchell said.