As if bedevilled by a constant stream of confusion and maladies, Anguilla is again in the throes of another type of national crisis and debate. This time, it relates to the dolphin project which has had its own set of problems of acceptance, and perhaps proper functioning, in the face of much local and international criticism.
This critical view of the project, as a departure from the up-market status of the island’s tourism product, to a lower level, has been a constant thorn in the smooth operation of the dolphinarium. This was the case during the years when it first operated at Meads Bay, and it is again the case at the present time when it is operating at Sandy Point, Blowing Point.Despite this, it is seen as a Godsend by those benefitting from it in these hard times and that is probably understandable whether others see it as a good or bad project.
Following the project’s removal from Meads Bay, in the wake of the expansion of the thenKOR Grouptourism project several years ago, attempts were made to establish operations at Sandy Ground which were eventually denied and dismantled. In 2008, the High Court ordered a halt to the construction of the dolphin project at Sandy Point, Blowing Point, on the basis that its developers had no permission under the Beach Control Act to undertake the work there. In 2012, following a change of Government, a licence was issued by the Minister of Home Affairs giving permission to the operators to establish and operate the dolphinarium at the current location. This, of course, followed a brief period of public consultation during which there were arguments for and against the project. It was a result of that consultation, and the eventual decision of Government to grant permission to Dolphin Discovery, that various persons residing in the area, and others throughout the island, appealed to the Governor in Council against the decision of the Minister of Home Affairs togrant a licence to the operators under section 4 of the Beach Control Act to construct and operate a dolphinarium Sandy Point, Blowing Point. Webster Dyrud Mitchell represented the appellants who also included the Anguilla National Trust.
Among the arguments were that having a dolphinarium was inconsistent with Anguilla’s high- end ethical tourism policy and, at the same time, permitting the dolphins to be kept in captivity was viewed as condoning and promoting cruelty to animals. It was stressed that such sightseeing facilities, everywhere, were frowned upon by numerous animal rights and high-end tourism organisations – and in some cases they were discontinued.
The arguments maintained that the only Anguillians who could conceivably benefit from Dolphin Discovery were those with businesses in the Blowing Point area, a small number of employees and other beneficiaries including ferryboat operators. It was further argued that restaurants, hotels, taxi services and amenities were unlikely to profit from day trippers from St. Maarten supposedly taking into account the dolphinarium’s very near location to the port. The reason advanced was that the visitors arriving in Anguilla to visit the dolphinarium would not have any reason to venture more than 500 yards from the Blowing Point ferry terminal. In addition, it was contended that the current location of the project would prevent tourists from experiencing Anguilla’s natural beauty and diverse culture; the bulk of the earnings from visitors to the dolphinarium would go into the pockets of the operators; and the project would have no impact on valuable and up-market tourists visiting Anguilla, with no interest in the dolphinarium. Another argument was undoubtedly that such a project would not fit within the planned scheme of port development at Blowing Point.
It was acknowledged by the Parliamentary Secretary, Tourism, that the dolphinarium was aimed at providing for Government an avenue, through the cruise lines, to bring more people to Anguilla. Those are the people who one supposes cannot normally be reached by costly marketing strategies.
Admittedly, Anguilla has been in a severe economic situation since the global recession in 2008; and certainly up to 2012, when the licence was granted to Dolphin Discovery to operate in Anguilla, the local economy, as it remains today, was still in the doldrums and needed an urgent injection at whatever cost. It appears therefore that with no other development coming to the island, the Government was faced with a panic situation which was likely to hastily give approval to any type of project, once it couldbe perceived as a form of economic development and money generation. It is unfortunate that the restraining vote in the Executive Council came at a time when the project appears to be gaining momentum by those persons benefiting from it.Like many other matters in today’s business world, however, there are hurdles either emanating from previous and uncalculated mistakes or those that crop up along the way.
There are lessons that teach that there is always a need to carefully determine what is in the best interest of Anguilla, its people and its environment and what policies should be adopted in moving the island forward before it is too late to reverse the situation. As has been seen by Tuesday’s demonstration, a new form of national crisis and debate has presented itself and, unfortunately, it is not known how or when it will be resolved. What is known is that there are many other matters which need to be addressed and which do not only benefit a particular area or people of Anguilla, but all the citizenry and the entire island.
There are politicians and other persons in Anguilla who are at present in a state of frenzy and this is regrettable. It would be a pity for the employed persons at the dolphin project, and the various associated businesses, to lose the financial benefits it provides. It is therefore hoped that some suitable remedy to the problem will be found. We can only hope that calm will settle across the island; that even at this late stage some way forward would be found – and that nothing further would materialise to add to those vexing situations that are already bedevilling our lovely island.
