A number of placard-bearing protesters staged a noisy demonstration outside the Governor’s Office at Old Ta on Tuesday afternoon, June 18. The event was an expression of their opposition to a recent vote in Executive Council which, if and when implemented, could result in the closure of the Dolphin Discovery site in Anguilla.
It is understood that the vote was in connection with an appeal by the homeowners near the dolphin project, and other persons throughout the island, against the decision of former Minister of Home Affairs, Walcott Richardson, to grant a licence to the operators. It is further understood that the new Minister of Home Affairs, Jerome Roberts, who inherited that appeal, was therefore unable to vote; and that Minister Evan Gumbs, a supporter of the project, recused himself from voting. It is further understood that Minister Edison Baird, known for his opposition to any dolphinarium in Anguilla, supported the appeal; that Governor Alistair Harrison, Chairman of the Executive Council, voted with Mr. Baird and that the only person who voted against the appeal, and therefore in support of the dolphinarium, was Chief Minister, Hubert Hughes. It is that voting situation which has now affected the operations of Dolphin Discovery and sparked the demonstration and shouts that both the Governor and Mr. Baird “have to go”.
All of the demonstrators, except a few of them, were obliged to remain outside the gates of the Governor’s Office where they congregated along the concrete wall fence screaming at the Governor and brandishing their placards. Those who were allowed to enter the courtyard, and walk to the steps of the Governor’s Office, were Roosevelt Harris, whose name was signed to a protest letter; Ms Jacqueline Richardson, who read the letter; and Ministers Jerome Roberts and Evan Gumbs. (The full text of the letter, in which Governor Harrison was asked to leave Anguilla, has been published elsewhere in this edition of The Anguillian.)
In accepting the letter, the Governor (against whom a protest march was staged in December 2011, in defence of former Home Affairs Minister, Walcott Richardson) promised to study its contents. He told Ms Richardson: “I have taken delivery of the letter or petition. I will consider them very carefully. Thank you very much indeed for coming this afternoon.”
At that point, a crescendo of voices from the protesters filled the air and continued for some time with some of them drumming and dancing outside the gates.
The dolphinarium is located in the foreshore and floor of the sea at Sandy Point, Blowing Point. There are five dolphins at the sight-seeing facility attracting day-trippers from cruise lines calling at neighbouring St. Maarten. It provides limited employment opportunities for a number of Anguillians as well as service opportunities for taxi-drivers and restaurant operators. These persons and other who staged the demonstration which began at a virtually vacant area north of the George Hill main road and made its way, to the beat of drums, up the Old Ta Road to the Governor’s Office where the security gates were locked by the Police.
The situation with the dolphinarium arose on Thursday, June 13, following the outcome of the vote in Executive Council. The following day both Ministers Jerome Roberts and Evan Gumbs, accompanied by Parliamentary Secretary, Tourism, Haydn Hughes, travelled to Blowing Point. They met with operators of the dolphinarium, staff, taxi-drivers, ferryboat, tour operators and other members of the public.
Speaking afterwards with the media,Mr. Roberts said “something is just fishy about the entire process.” About the appeal referred to above, he said the situation “started with the appellants making the presentation [to Executive Council].” He went on: “I would not have been able to make a casting vote in the overall matter because the appeal was against me as Minister. So I would have to sit on the side with the appellants.
“When we started off on the very first appeal, we basically declared our hands in terms of interest – stating who had a stake in the matter so that we would have a transparent process. One individual wanted to hear her appeal heard because she was leaving the island and we had a special Council meeting to address this matter. The Governor allowed both Ministers – Mr Baird and Mr Gumbs to have a say. It was said by the Attorney General that he figured that Mr.Gumbs showed his hands in terms of voting and therefore he suggested that Mr.Gumbs should not sit in and continue the process. So he was out of the process on the advice of the Attorney General whether it was correct or wrong.
“We went back to the appeal on June 13 when we would now have a more comprehensive body of those who had appealed…Prior to the start of that appeal process, Minister Baird indicated that he would like to step aside because he has objections to the dolphins being in Anguilla…It was said to Mr Baird that he should stay in the process because he started, and had already requested information for the process. He stayed, but indicated in the presence of the appellants that he had objections to the dolphins being in Anguilla. That means that he showed his hands as well. When it came to the vote, as was expected, Mr. Baird supported the appeal. The Chief Minister did not and the Attorney General, because there was a tie, advised the Governor that he should be the one to cast the deciding vote. And the Governor did just that – cast his deciding vote of upholding the appeal process… We don’t think that it was a fair process.”
Parliamentary Secretary, Haydn Hughes, commented: “Because of the partnerships that the Dolphin Discovery has forged with the cruise ships and cruise lines and marketing in St. Maarten, we have another avenue to bring people to Anguilla. We have seen significant numbers coming to Anguilla due in part to Dolphin Discovery.
“Our day trippers have increased 70% from last year to this year. What has really changed in Anguilla that has caused our day trippers to increase to such an extreme number? It is only the Dolphin Discovery.”
General Manager of Dolphin Discovery, Alejandro Raygoza, said it started operations in Anguilla on July 8, 2012. “It is a multi-million dollar project,” he emphasised. “We have already invested millions of dollars in the pier, bringing in the dolphins and contracts with the cruise lines. It is not only for us, but also for Anguilla. We have 22 staff members and four part-time workers…If we add up all the months between July 2012 and today we have brought in more than 10,000 people in less than a year. Imagine in two or three years when we duplicate these numbers.
“The last time that we operated in 2007, we had more than 25,000 people per year so imagine all that income coming to Anguilla.”
It is said that when the Executive Council performs the role of a quasi-judicial body there can be no appeal against its decision. Exactly what will happen in this case, with the dolphinarium, is anyone’s guess.
