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Ban on turtle fishing lifted: protests vociferous
Turtles in St. Lucia can once again be actively hunted, following a decision by the department of Fisheries to allow seventeen fishermen to catch and kill as many turtles of all species as they can, provided that the animals are of a certain size and weight. For the past four years, all marine turtles in St. Lucia enjoyed the relative safety of a moratorium. This ban on turtle fishing has now been suspended, for the duration of one month: until 31st December.
The Star carries this news as its lead story. According to the paper, Cabinet last October voted in favour of a scheme which allegedly intends to distill research data from the turtle fishing activity. In a statement to the press this week, as interpreted by The Star, the department of Fisheries explains that the research effort "is aimed at allowing a modest take of turtles for traditional fishers, while allowing for biological assessment of all turtles captured, including the collection of tissue samples for contribution to regional DNA analysis".
The Star goes on to quote Chief Fisheries Officer in the department of Fisheries, Horace Walters, who allegedly claims that other Caribbean islands continue to fish turtles, and that there has been "increasing pressure from fishermen here who do not see the logic of a St. Lucian moratorium when others failed to follow suit".
Asked if the number of turtles currently present in St. Lucian waters have increased to such an extent that this warrants breaking the moratorium, Walters reportedly replied: "I can't give you exact numbers, all I can say is that we have released some 50,000 hatchlings back into water and we have a number of sightings and I'm more than satisfied that there are increased numbers. ... We need this time and this data to decide what we will do about a [fishing] season next year and in the years to come. We have turtles in our waters so why shouldn't we use them?"
With respect to the Hawksbill turtle, which continues to be listed as critically endangered by the World Conservation Unit (IUCN), Horace Walters confirmed that this turtle, too, may be caught and killed this month. Walters is further reported as saying "There is nothing scientific about the IUCN list. They have everything on the list. They sit in their offices on other countries and write a lot about our islands. They want to globalise the issues, but we don't have to look at the wider picture. The turtles are not threatened globally and there are even moves by Cuba to have them downgraded by CITES".
CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, at present lists sea turtles as endangered. According to the chairperson of the St. Lucia Naturalist Society, Lenita Joseph, St. Lucia is a signatory to Appendix 1 of CITES. The Naturalist Society, which has worked to protect marine turtles in St. Lucia for fourteen years, was not consulted by the Department of Fisheries in its decision to re-open the turtle fishing season.
Members of the Naturalist Society, along with members of the St. Lucia Animal Protection Society, have all responded with alarm to the decision. Said Lenita Joseph: "For years we have been telling people don't take the eggs from the beach, don't kill for the meat, and this latest move will have a very negative impact on all the work we've been trying to do. We have been trying to save the turtles, but what are we saving them for? For this? I would like the government to ... revisit this decision. I am confident there are other ways of getting DNA material - I don't see any reason why the turtles have to be killed".
According to The Star, Fisheries Officer Walters however claims that certain DNA testing has to be carried out on internal organs of the turtles, which necessitates killing them. Perhaps knowing that DNA is the same in every body cell of an organism, internally or externally, The Star reporter queried the precise nature of the intended tests but, according to the paper, Walters "could not exactly say what the tests on the internal organs were for, but said that his scientific officers would know".
Finally, with respect to possible implications of turtle fishing for the growth of St. Lucia's emerging eco-tourism product, Walters reportedly did not agree that the two are related. "This decision is to do with sustainable use of resources we have in abundance. Should we deprive our people, our fishermen of food for themselves or for their families, just because the tourists don't like to see us eating turtles? Why should we not eat turtles? It's part of our culture and if we have them why shouldn't we eat them?"
None of the other newspapers report on the turtle fishing issue.
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Odlum says No at riotous WTO conference
George Odlum, St. Lucia's delegate to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) ministerial talks in Seattle, USA, was forced to climb over a wall to escape from his hotel, last Wednesday, after thousands of angry anti-WTO demonstrators had blocked streets and hotel exits. Finding himself in the midst of the protesters, Odlum then went on to explain St. Lucia's problem with the WTO to a television crew. The Star reports this.
In his address to the WTO ministerial meeting at this week's meeting in Seattle, Odlum harshly attacked what he deemed the organisation's presumption to creating a new benevolent system in which all countries will some day be equal.
"I come from a small, developing island where the banana farmers, if they had been able, would have been here in Seattle this week, marching and shouting with the protesters in the streets ..., calling for the dismantling of the WTO", Odlum told the other WTO delegates. "Their attitude is not born of ignorance of what the WTO stands for. On the contrary, it has been forged from the bitter experience of WTO rulings and Panel reports, which has marginalized them, by depriving them of access to a banana market, on which not only their livelihood but the future of the economies of so many Caribbean countries depend. It is an experience learnt from their betrayal by a country [the USA] they had considered a friend, who, in the name of a so-called crusade for liberalized trade, sold them out to enhance the profits of a multinational corporation".
The Voice, on its weekend frontpage, carries the full text of Odlum's speech to the WTO.
Odlum boldly denounces the WTO, saying: "We have come to Seattle to say NO, NO, NO, NO! NO, to the central purposes of this gathering as orchestrated by those who have assumed the role of being an economic directorate of the world! No to dictatorship and the imposition of the economic ideology of the strong. No to globalization without ethics! No to globalization without inclusion! No to liberalization without human security! No to globalization without sustainability! And above all, chairperson, no to liberalization without development".
The St. Lucian minister also asked, rhetorically: "How can we, the world's deprived countries, be expected to come here, to this WTO that was supposed to be the epitome of democracy, to put the seal of approval on a declaration that has been developed by 'Green Room' procedures to which we have had no access; to discussions in corridors to which only the economic power blocs are privy ...?" And he went on to say: "The injustices inherent in the present system will persist until the advocates of liberalization remove their rose coloured glasses and view global commerce from the perspective of developing countries like our own. The playing field will never be level. ... The invisible hand of free trade never favours the weak. It always makes the strong stronger". Odlum finished his speech by saying: "We cannot be party to a consensus in that mindset of victimization and insensitivity. We thank the protestors of Seattle and London for showing greater empathy with the wretched of the earth than the Government of the United States".
Meanwhile, police arrested 68 militant demonstrators on Tuesday and at least 35 on Wednesday. Tear gas and rubber bullets were used in an attempt to maintain control over a small, militant section of protestors. In all, approximately 16,000 labour union members, environmentalists and others took to the streets in Seattle, claiming that the WTO too often considers only the needs of giant multinational corporations at the expense of protecting the environment and workers' rights.
On the other side of the coin, the WTO chairman is quoted in the Voice as saying that what the least-developed countries want is "more open markets for their exports". One measure which could help to guarantee that, he continues, is to make sure that "the least-developed countries should enjoy duty-free access for all their exports. What would be the real cost to the wealthiest nations if all barriers to exports from the poorest nations were lifted? Especially when these exports represent just half a per cent of world trade? This small effort would be of little economic consequence to advanced countries, but would bring considerable trade benefits to many least-developed countries. Above all, it would give real political substance to our commitment to find solutions to marginalization - and to our universally shared goal of poverty eradication". This speech is also reproduced in full in The Voice.
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WASA becomes WASCO: water rates to rise
Water rates will increase this week, as the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) ceases to exist, making way for the Water and Sewerage Company Incorporated. The formal launching of the privatized water company takes place on Monday 6th. December. Earlier this year, minister of Utilities, Calixte George, warned that a price increase for water is unavoidable and will be "significant" but no exact figures have been revealed as yet. The Voice reports this.
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Sexual harrassment and unequal pay illegal
Four new bills were passed in the House of Assembly last week: two providing legislation to regulate and ensure clean practices in offshore banking, and two to ensure equality of opportunity and treatment in employment, outlawing sexual harassment in the workplace, and improving the system of registration, recognition and status of trade unions. The Voice, Mirror, Star and One Caribbean all report on this.
The laws for financial services guarantee that international financial services in St. Lucia are in keeping with the requirements of current international regulatory and supervisory bodies combatting laundering of drug money and other illegal financial transactions between countries offering tax havens.
The Equality of Opportunity Act states that "Employers and persons acting on behalf of employers shall pay equal remuneration to men and women performing work of equal value for the employer"; that "Any act of sexual harrassment against an employee committed by an employer, managerial employee or co-employee shall constitute unlawful discrimination ... and constitute an offence". Finally, the new Act states that "A person shall not seek by the use of any threat or intimidation, to compel or coerce any other person to join or not to join, or to support or not to support, any trade union or employers organisation".
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Miami Consulate General opens this week
In a bid to stimulate trade and investment opportunities, the government will on Friday open its new Consulate General in Miami. The opening ceremony is scheduled to coincide with the annual Miami Conference on the Caribbean: a meeting of business and government leaders meant to promote private sector growth, better relations between government and businesspeople, and more US investment in the Caribbean region. Minister of Foreign Affairs, George Odlum, will be on hand for the official opening. The Voice and One Caribbean report on this.
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Lower price of unleaded petrol - says Shopper
Lower government tax on unleaded petrol, so that unleaded petrol may come to replace leaded petrol as the cheapest option. This would contribute to the health of the environment and human beings, as lead released by vehicles is related to health problems such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and IQ reduction in children. This recommendation comes from the St. Lucia Shopper magazine. According to a survey, St. Lucian motorists will have consumed 8.5 million gallons of leaded petrol by the end of this year - being 53.4 per cent of the total fuel market of this year. The Shopper believes that many drivers opt for leaded petrol because it costs $6.06 per gallon, as opposed to unleaded petrol, which currently stands at $6.42. The difference, the Shopper claims, is solely due to government tax. The Voice reports this.
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Amerijet pulls out: fifteen sent home
Amerijet International Inc., a Miami-based freight airline that has been operating out of GFL Charles Airport for the past nine years, has definitely pulled out of St. Lucia. Fifteen employees have been sent home, all ground equipment has been moved to Grenada, and local businesses which relied on the airline to transport their products have been forced to find more expensive alternatives. This is reported in the Tuesday Voice.
The withdrawal follows months of awkward negotiations between Amerijet, minister Pierre and the St. Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority (SLASPA) - some of which has been fought out in paid advertisements in the local press. The issue first arose when SLASPA informed Amerijet that it would not be able to use GFL Charles Airport for some time, due to renovations. Unwilling to operate out of Hewanorra Airport because of higher costs, Amerijet proposed a number of alternatives. Negotiations, however, were either not forthcoming or unsuccessful, with the final result being the cessation of Amerijet's operations in St. Lucia.
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AIDS/HIV: change in behaviour needed now
Alarming figures - that is the news carried in all newspapers that devote space to the observance of World Aids Day in St. Lucia, last Wednesday. AIDS and HIV are on the rise in the Caribbean region in general and in St. Lucia also, and it will take more than just knowledge about the lethal disease to stop the epidemic. "St. Lucians know about HIV/AIDS. They know how it is spread and they know what needs to be done to protect themselves. ... What our people need to do now is make a decision to change their behaviour", says co-ordinator of the local AIDS programme, Lucretia James. "The key to managing the AIDS epidemic is for the public to understand their values in terms of protecting themselves and to develop respect for themselves and for others". Ms. James is quoted in The Star.
In all, 254 persons in St. Lucia have been diagnosed with HIV or AIDS since the first cases became known in 1985. To date, 116 persons have died - sixteen of those this year alone. The real figures are believed to be much higher.
According to the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre, the Caribbean region is number two on the list of HIV/AIDS infected regions, being second only to the sub-Saharan region. According to the Centre, AIDS is already the leading cause of death for persons aged 15 to 45. In St. Lucia, teenage girls between the ages of 15 and 19 years account for 92 per cent of all teenagers reported with HIV. The adult group between 20 and 44 years represents 63 per cent of all HIV cases. This is also reported in The Star.
The Thursday Voice, in addition, quotes a spokesman for the ministry of Health who stated that last year, the Caribbean recorded more HIV/AIDS cases than Western Europe and North America - both of which have higher populations than the Caribbean.
One Caribbean cites a United Nations Programme Advisor, who stated that in the Caribbean, about 95 per cent of HIV/AIDS cases is the result of unprotected sex. Globally, 34 million people live with HIV, including 1.5 million children. Adding to the human drama is the financial cost of HIV/AIDS, which for the Caribbean was estimated at 20 million US dollars in 1995 and which is expected to rise to 80 million dollars in the year 2020, representing 6 per cent of the regional gross domestic product.
BAVA, the South's newest newspaper, runs an article to the effect that safe sex, understood as the use of condoms in intercourse, is a myth. Instead, the paper claims: "The Bible makes it abundantly clear that sex out of marriage is unacceptable and contrary to the will of God". It also claims that: "Sex is only safe when it is practiced between a man and woman married to each other, and who maintain their fidelity".
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New tunnel road in use: UWP debates naming
The Morne by-pass, also known as the new tunnel road, which cuts from Cul de Sac straight through the Morne to Castries, is now partly in use but a date for the official opening has not yet been publicised. The United Workers Party, at a special meeting in Vieux Fort this weekend, has put the opening and naming of the new tunnel on its agenda. This is reported in the Thursday Voice.
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St. Lucians honoured with British awards
Nine persons received medals of commendation last Tuesday at the Governor General's House, for services rendered to the community. The honours are a traditional part of Queen Elizabeth II's birthday celebrations. They are:
Ignace Charles: Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George (CMG)
Pascal Louis and Anthony Avril: Ordinary Officers of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order (OBE).
Thomas Johannes, Charles Alexis and Norella Tobias: Ordinary Members of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order (MBE).
Primus Duplessis, Mary Aubertin and Euriza James: British Empire Medal.
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Hoteliers bounce back from Lenny
Although most hotels on the island are back on track after the effects of hurricane Lenny, two weeks ago, bookings appear to have slowed down, causing grave concern among hoteliers on the island. According to The Star newspaper, general-manager of Sandals St. Lucia, Conrad Wagner, thinks that "the message and pictures portrayed after the storm in the regional and international media of damage to beach fronts and hotel property had kept many potential travellers away from St. Lucia and the rest of the Caribbean". According to Wagner, the 'bad news' travelled fast and far, causing travel agents and tour operators to believe that "all the resorts were washed away and restaurants destroyed". Says Wagner: "It is very important that the message and picture of extensive damage that was portrayed after the storm gets reversed really fast so that our winter season is not jeopardised. ... It is important that we now send a positive message and reassure the public that despite what they have seen and read, we have been able to get back to normal in a matter of days". With the exception of one or two, all hotels along the north and west coasts will be fully operational again this week.
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Modeste expects legalization of casinos
Director of Tourism, Hilary Modeste, says he expects the government to legalize casino gambling. The government is expected to make its position clear before the 18th December. According to Modeste, a decision to allow gambling in St. Lucia will be part of the government's drive towards a more diversified tourist product. "I expect the government statement to be quite positive in regards to the casino issue; how it will be regulated, how St. Lucians will benefit from it and why it is necessary for the government of St. Lucia to introduce casinos in St. Lucia right now as part of a tourism product". One Caribbean writes this. The paper adds that Modeste feels that the legalization of gambling must include a "detailed policy statement and legal framework on how casino gambling will be operated in St. Lucia".
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