Letter: Turks and Caicos going green - with money
|
| Published on Monday, June 2, 2008 |
Email To Friend Print Version |
Dear SIr:
Ruth Dolbey of Canada’s letter is spot on about the travesty that is happening to the Turks and Caicos Islands. Thank you for printing it… but then your website is still a free press, which the TCI is not now.
There is the Star Island fiasco where the government is selling natural resources for celebrities and their hangers-on, to buy $5 million dollar home sites where no regular riff raff can trespass. Thus the name Star Island… stars only need apply.
But, did you know that Salt Cay is now totally under attack by developers disguised as eco-tourism good guys?
What they really are is a Slovakian venture capital group called Istrokapital which arose from Tanta Tigers… they call themselves Salt Cay Development Co. and their goal is to demolish Salt Cay and build it their way for the megayachts and super rich, make millions doing it and to hell with the folks who call Salt Cay home. They claim to control 80% of the island -- mind you it is a very small island.
Salt Cay is an island that once was a driving force in the creation of the Turks and Caicos Islands. It abounds in history, heritage, natural wildlife reef and eco systems that are still pristine.
The humpback whales come through every year along the Columbus Passage, migrating and calving. Dolphins, turtles, sharks and an abundant undersea life thrive on the beautiful coral reefs. There are few cars, a laid back life style and peace and tranquility. But, we’re going “green” and not with ecology but money.
But all this needs changing for the greater good…. the good of Istrokapital.
The developers plan to build a golf course… a sure fire natural disaster… scrape the land and plant a new environment -- just what a water starved island needs -- a golf course. Take open, pristine land and turn it into two-storey, multi million dollar homes, take the entire North Beach for an upscale resort -- like there aren’t enough of them already --and kick out the folks who lived there for all their lives, and their families before them.
They’ll take the nest where the ospreys have been breeding in an old windmill on the Salinas, and turn that into a yacht harbor for gigayachts…. in this time of fuel issues it is like building a petting zoo for dinosaurs.
To make this monstrosity they plan to cut a channel through the island, across Victoria Street (the main street) which connects the island’s North and South residential districts… children will have to walk around the island to get to school or to the nurse’s office… assuming children continue to live on this “green” island for the superrich.
When they cut this channel then the interior of the island is open to the sea and hurricane force winds and tides can roll right in -- but not before the original ecology and nature of the island’s interior is blasted out for a deep water harbour. They assure they have this little problem solved, until a Cat 5 hurricane comes through and wipes out the island and their best laid plans go kaput.
A new dock is being built so big ships can drive right up to and over one of the finest dive sites in the Turks and Caicos Islands, over the reef, over the heads of sleeping nurse sharks and a huge green moray eel, lobsters and crabs and divers who may chance being there.
All of this is being done with the full consent of the current government. No mind is being given to what the residents of Salt Cay want. No mind is being given to what anyone but the money people want. And, there is concern there is no mind being given, or recognition of, environmental regulations, historical designations, nature preserves, no building zones, or coastal considerations.
The Queen’s land is all for sale and she reportedly won’t be seeing a dime. If they are allowed to build this mess then it will no longer be habitable for Salt Cay belongers or the expats who call it home… it will only be for the rich, famous and the wait staff to support them. No one else need hang around; no normal travelers need bother coming and divers should go find some place where the reef and fish are still alive.
You may be able to buy an “e-ticket” to the mangrove eco exhibit though… where mangroves will reportedly have been allowed to grow wild in the new environment… unless someone really wants to live in the mangrove, buys it and closes that too. Or they die because the environment is gone.
Salt Cay doesn’t plan to take this lying down. Help is needed from all sources before it is too late.
Now, given this unseemly objection by the residents the government has stripped Air Turks and Caicos of subsidies that support flights to Salt Cay’s airport. Salt Cay stands up for its rights with the developers and suddenly getting to Salt Cay is that much harder. What will be next? Taking away boats? Closing the airport altogether?
Most importantly, when you read the propaganda being circulated as to what a great, ecological “green” great island Salt Cay will be some day… find out what’s really happening… the destruction of a perfectly good island, happy as it is, a traveler’s experience and trip back in time to simpler days… not a glitz ridden new Provo to be. When will it stop?
It is time to draw a line on the beach!
Michele McNair
California | | | | Reads : 556 | | | |
|
|
