Dennis: Buccoo Marine Park draft bill to be debated next week

A draft bill governing the operations of the Buccoo Marine Park will be debated in the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) next week.

Chief Secretary Ancil Dennis made the announcement on Wednesday at the post-executive council media briefing at the Victor E Bruce Financial Complex, Scarborough.

“It is my hope that after it is passed by the assembly that it will get to the Cabinet and that at some point in the very near future become law so that we, here in Tobago, can manage that critical Buccoo Marine Park and other sensitive spaces, coral reef systems and other spaces that are valuable to us here in Tobago,” he said.

Dennis recalled when he became Chief Secretary in May, he immediately sought to address the operations of the marine park.

He said the beaches and marine park were closed at the time and a decision was taken to implement a user policy for the marine park.

Dennis said several meetings were held with stakeholders – reef tour operators, boat owners, jetski operators.

“By the time the marine park was reopened after the first lockdown we had identified a path and a process for the effective and sustainable management of the marine space.”

He said he had told Tobagonians and stakeholders that to manage this space and other sensitive marine spaces effectively, legislation was needed.