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St. Lucia accused of selling out to Japan

St. Lucia has invited scathing criticism locally, regionally and internationally by siding with Japan in helping to block the establishment of a South Pacific Whale Sanctuary. "Unacceptable and shameful", "shortsighted", "tragic and painful" and a "form of prostitution" are some of the terms used to describe St. Lucia's decision to obstruct the efforts of eighteen nations, including several small South Pacific island states, to end whale-hunting and instead promote whale-watching - a sustainable eco-touristic activity that  currently earns  St. Lucia as much as $500,000 a year.
Instead, St. Lucia's delegation cast its vote against the proposal for the establishment of  a whale sanctuary in the South Pacific. While the final outcome was 18 in favour and 11 against, a vote of 75% in favour was needed.
Minister of agriculture Cass Elias defends his government's 'no' vote by arguing that since St. Lucia's banana industry is on the decline and the international financial sector under attack, the island reserves "the right to resort back to whaling if we have to". There is, however, no historical evidence that St. Lucia  has ever exploited whaling commercially.
 Chief Fisheries Officer Horace Walters, on the other hand, defends St. Lucia's vote by arguing that there are no "scientific data" underlying the move towards a whale sanctuary. This is the same stance adopted by Japan. Japan argues that there is an abundant whale population which could be sustainably hunted. According to The Voice, Japan caught and killed more than 500 minke whales "for scientific purposes"  in 1999. Similar arguments were used by St. Lucia's department of Fisheries in justifying its decision to temporarily lift the ban on turtle hunting, last December [search news archives].
Dominica's minister of Agriculture, Atherton Martin, on Wednesday resigned following his country's 'no' vote on the whale sanctuary issue. He had proposed to his delegation that they should instead abstain from voting. In an interview with The Star, Martin condemns what he calls the "cheap extortionary tactics of Japan" with regard to international fisheries issues. Referring to St. Lucia's minister Cass Elias' statement about St. Lucia wishing to reserve the right to resort back to whaling, Dominica's now ex-minister of Agriculture Martin said: "He is quite clearly making an ass of himself on the international stage. It is tragic and painful when people who should know better are so short-sighted".
Speaking generally about the Eastern Caribbean states that voted 'no' on Tuesday, Martin further remarked: "We have highlighted once again a lack of integrity. We should not be bought with a few pieces of silver. We do not have to be anybody's little house boy slave anymore. We have the opportunity to show the world that we are nations of integrity and to attract the right kind of investors and tourists to our island".
Critics of last Tuesday's vote - both in St. Lucia and elsewhere -  link St. Lucia's decision to vote against the sanctuary proposal to the substantial financial support which Japan has given to Eastern Caribbean states in recent years, most notably in the form of fisheries complexes such as the one in Vieux Fort which was recently officially opened, but is yet to commence business. Japan, unlike St. Lucia and other Eastern Caribbean countries, is actively involved in whale hunting. St. Lucia's financial benefits with regard to whales, on the other hand, is derived from whale-watching as a niche activity within the larger tourism market.
For this reason, local boating and whale-watching operators are worried about the backlash that St. Lucia's vote will have on their businesses. "Americans and Canadians who might have come here may even boycott us. That is our real fear", says one charter operator in The Star. The St. Lucia Whale and Dolphin Watching Association adds to this: "At a time when whale watching is becoming a significant money earner in the Caribbean, we would have thought St. Lucia would have wished to show solidarity with the small island nations of the South Pacific as they move to develop the industry in their own region".
Voting against the whale sanctuary were St. Lucia, Japan, Norway, China, Guinea, Denmark, Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. In favour were the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, Austria, Brazil, Chile, Finland, India, Mexico, Monaco, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Italy.
The Star reports that since 1993, an alliance of South Pacific island states, the South Pacific Forum, the South Pacific Regional Environmental Programme and the South Pacific Tourism Organisation have worked towards establishing a South Pacific whale sanctuary.
Not only is whale-watching the most sustainable form of economic exploitation of whales, some of the indigenous peoples of the South Pacific also consider whales an important part of their spiritual heritage and argue that the whale-watching operations they own are helping them to re-establish connections with their ancestors.
"A South Pacific Whale Sanctuary would have stimulated sustainable industries and economic independence for developing island states by providing a strong foundation for the emerging whale watching industry", says Sakiusa Quereqeretabua of Fiji in the Thursday Voice. "It is unacceptable and shameful that the East Caribbean island states have ignored the wishes of South Pacific islands by allowing their vote to be bought by a country [Japan] that wants to commercially exploit whales thousands of miles away from its own shores".
That St. Lucia should have invoked the wrath of South Pacific island states is all the more serious considering the fact that in fighting to maintain its preferences on the European banana market, St. Lucia has hitherto always sought the support of the so-called ACP countries: small African, Caribbean and Pacific Island states.

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Prisoner sues attorney-general and demands $500,000

On Thursday, a judge is expected to decide whether Alfred Harding, the 47-year-old Barbadian prisoner who was kept shackled and in solitary confinement from 31st August of 1999 until 15th June 2000 (a period of ten months and fifteen days) must be paid $500,000 in damages. Two weeks ago, Harding's case was taken up by international human rights organisations, Caribbean Justice and Amnesty International. Letters of protest written by concerned people in England, Belgium, Austria, Italy, Canada and Curacao were sent to prime minister Dr Kenny Anthony, Attorney General Petrus Compton, minister of Legal Affairs Velon John, St. Lucian representatives in England and Belgium, the OECS High Commission in Ottawa and the St. Lucian media [see last week's news].
Harding is now suing the Attorney General and the Superintendent of Prisons for violating sections 5 and 13 of the Constitution of St. Lucia. The case was called before the courts last Thursday but Attorney General Compton called for an adjournment, saying his office had not had sufficient notice of the hearing. The Voice reports this, and also quotes minister of Legal Affairs, Velon John, as saying that he was unaware of the court case.  At the same time however, the minister defends the shackling of Harding by explaining that the man is an "escape artist". Further according to The Voice, minister John "could not say whether the chaining of Harding was a violation of St. Lucia's Constitution, however he did point out that human beings are not perfect and therefore capable of making mistakes". The Mirror adds to this that minister John has started negotiations with the Barbadian authorities to extradite Harding back to his home country. According to The Star, this is exactly the point made by prime minister Dr Kenny Anthony who said: "I am not aware that a letter has been received at my office. But I have to ask why we have not deported him [Harding]".
According to a report in The Crusader of 15th April (the first newspaper to have told Harding's story) and now Harding's affidavit, he was not only permanently shackled but also handcuffed some of the time, beaten by prison staff, and made to sleep on a wet concrete floor. He was denied visitors, reading material, a calendar or contact with other prisoners and he was kept in a part of the prison reserved for those on death row. His cell was searched four times a day, Harding claims, and he was denied sunlight and exercise.
"Harding's affidavit asserts that his cell floor was flooded with about two inches of water and that when he brought this to the attention of one Sergeant [..], he was told that when he lay down in the water his body heat would dry it up. He claims he is asthmatic and suffered two attacks as a result of the wet conditions of his cell", reports The Mirror. The newspaper concludes that Harding's treatment "can easily be interpreted as a violation of St. Lucian laws against torture and inhuman punishment".
Harding's shackles were removed on June 15 but are replaced - albeit on his legs since his ankles are now scarred, bruised and swollen - whenever he visits the bathroom or when his lawyers visit him. The Mirror reports this.
Harding gained himself the nicknames of 'Spiderman' and 'Al Capone' when, brandishing a firearm, he jumped over rooftops in downtown Castries on 28th of August 1999 in an attempt to escape custody. Harding had already escaped four times from prison in Barbados where he was wanted in connection with attempted murder and armed robbery. He was sentenced in St. Lucia for illegal possession of a firearm and resisting arrest.
While Harding is considered a high-security risk by prison superintendent Mr. Pierre thereby warranting special restraint, three 'ordinary' prisoners escaped two weeks ago. One was charged with murder, another with armed robbery and the third had two charges of robbery against him. A fourth man who escaped on 7th June was in prison for illegal possession of a firearm and robbery. The Crusader reported this last week.
Also of interest in this case is the fact that  last year, the government of St. Vincent was ordered to pay $256,000 in compensation after a prisoner successfully sued the attorney-general for having him placed in mechanical restraints without good reason. The Star reports this and The Crusader adds: "if Harding succeeds in his legal suit against the attorney general and the prison superintendent, they are not the ones who will be forced to pick up the tab. As always, it's the long-suffering taxpayers".

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St. Lucia tumbles low on Human Development Index

St. Lucia has tumbled thirty points on the Human Development Index since last year, coming 88th out of 174 countries in the world. Furthermore,  most neighbouring islands rank considerably higher, with Barbados ranking 30th, followed by the Bahamas at number 33, Antigua and Barbuda at 37, St. Kitts and Nevis at 47, Trinidad & Tobago at 50, Dominica at 51, Cuba at 56, St. Vincent & the Grenadines at 79, Jamaica at 83 and the Dominican Republic at 87. There was little cause for celebration, therefore, when prime minister Dr Kenny Anthony accepted a copy of the report last Thursday from representative Anne Forrester of the UNDP, during a small ceremony at the NIS conference room.
The Human Development Index measures the achievements of countries in terms of life expectancy, educational attainment and adjusted real income. It defines the eradication of poverty as a human right and further states that the granting of social and economic rights in theory alone is "not good enough". The Star and the weekday issues of The Voice all report this.
The Star quotes from the report: "You cannot legislate good health and jobs. Countries need an economy strong enough to provide them. ... People will work because they enjoy the fruits of their labour, fair pay, education and health care for their families and so on. This will allow the people to be compensated. But if the rewards of their labour are not realistic, or if there are no jobs in the first place, then the people are being denied and will lose their motivation".
Dr. Anthony, in his acceptance speech, admitted that the rate of unemployment is still "unacceptably high" in St. Lucia. "Government must persist in its application of a mix of policies to stimulate the demand for labour, by stimulating investment in tourism, diversification of the agricultural sector and creating opportunities for self-employment and strengthening the capabilities to train and re-train our workforce". The Wednesday Star reports this. The paper also quotes the PM as saying: "Human rights and human development each, together, seek to secure the freedom, well-being and dignity of people everywhere, through freedom from discrimination; want and fear; injustice and violations of the rule of law and the freedom to develop and realise one's potential through freedom of thought and speech".
In the Thursday Voice, Micah George confides that, to him, the report was "an eye opener". "The Human Development Report serves to disprove most everything our leaders said before and are saying now. ... Prime Minister Anthony was very upbeat that an improved HDI score for St. Lucia can be realized, however he must understand that such realization comes only through the pursuit of tangible, practical efforts rather than simply [by] saying so".
On a separate issue, The Voice reports this week that Dominica managed to beat the United States and Barbados in an assessment ranking of the World Health Organisation. Dominica now ranks 35th out of 191 nations surveyed in terms of the quality of their health services. The USA comes 37th and Barbados 46th. The article does not provide the ranking for St. Lucia.

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First woman and first St. Lucian at top of CHA

Berthia Parle, president of the St. Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association (SLHTA) and general manager of the Bay Gardens hotel has made history in more ways than one, by being elected vice-president of the prestigious Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA). Parle is not only the first St. Lucian ever to have held such a high-ranking position, but she is also the first woman to have been elected to the vice-presidency. Parle was elected to the post during the recent Caribbean Hotel Industry Conference in Cancun, Mexico.
High on Parle's agenda as vice-president are the issues of encouraging governments to consider tourism a priority industry, increasing linkages between the Caribbean islands to the benefit of Caribbean nationals and creating an Annual Tourism Summit to gain wider acceptance of the sector. Parle also received an award for her commitment, dedicated support and contributions on behalf of the CHA. The Star and Voice both report on Parle's achievement.

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Mirror: "the good old days of sand mining"

The topic of sand-mining crops up twice in this week's papers, albeit highlighting contradicting views on the activity. In the southern section of The Mirror, Kingsley Emmanuel reminisces with a number of inhabitants of Piaye - a "closely-knit community" near Choiseul - about "the good old days when they depended solely on sand mining to feed their children". "We fed our children and bought all our needs by selling sea sand", a 79-year old man is quoted as saying. "We worked together... Everybody carried sand on our heads to build the old Piaye School. We did a lot of self help". Children were also involved in the income-earning activity. "Before they had breakfast they had to help us carry sand... You should see us with our enamel basins carrying sand", quotes Emmanuel.
In recent years, the mining of sand from beaches in St. Lucia has come under strict legislation because the activity has seriously eroded the coastline and beaches, but illegal mining nevertheless continues on secluded beaches all around the island. In fact, not long ago, a group of young men from Piaye were arrested for illegal sand-mining and made to face the courts.
This is the aspect of sand-mining which is tackled in Wednesday's issue of The Star, where three photographs show men shovelling sand onto the back of a truck. "Please enjoy the beauty and pain offered by these photos", writes The Star. "There is nothing like witnessing the destruction of a country's national heritage, especially when it is against the law. ... In 12 months alone Grande Anse beach has been reduced by more than half its original size. It was the biggest beach on St. Lucia. A small beach like La Ti Tasse will be destroyed irreparably within a few months, evidence of damage is already apparent. Please help - be it education, be it political pressure. You all want your children to walk on the same sand and enjoy the same sites as you did".

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Training to prevent and recognise money laundering

A three-day anti-money laundering seminar was held in Castries this week to inform personnel of local financial services institutions, banks, money-lending institutions and depositories of the process of money laundering, prevention measures, internal reporting procedures and legislation. Present were minister for Legal Affairs Velon John, deputy permanent secretary and former director of International Financial Services Ingrid Bullard, minister of Foreign Affairs George Odlum, Commissioner of Police Francis Nelson, and members of the Chinese, French and British diplomatic corps. The seminar was part of a five-year programme funded by the UK, USA and European Union. With a nascent international financial services sector and the increasing global use of electronic payments via the internet, the prevention of and fight against money laundering has become an urgent issue in St. Lucia. The Star, Crusader and Tuesday Voice all report on the seminar.

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Star: Magistrate Toussaint sent on leave

A lack of magistrates once again threatens to rear its ugly head in the island's courtrooms with only the High Court and one magistrate's court in Castries having been in operation this week, according to The Star. The paper further reports that magistrate Toussaint has been sent on leave by "the authorities". Although no further mention is made of this in any of the other newspapers, nor any explanation given in The Star, magistrate Toussaint appeared on the DBS television show Talk! two weeks ago. During the show, it became clear that she had been criticised for dismissing a $4.5 million marijuana case during the week of the 27th of May, after the prosecution had at least twice failed to secure the services of a drug analyst [search news archives]. Toussaint explained during Talk! that by law, suspects must be tried as soon as possible and that it is the duty of the authorities to make efficient prosecution possible, which includes having access to the services of an analyst if so required. In drug cases, an analyst is always required to testify that the substance presented is indeed what the prosecution claims it to be. Toussaint was criticised by police officers, government officials and members of the public for her strict application of the law. Talkshow host Rick Wayne however supported the magistrate and said that although St. Lucians may have become quite used to suspects being kept on remand for long periods of time without trial or conviction, this is in fact wrong.
Meanwhile, minister of Legal Affairs Velon John announced this week that there are currently applicants undergoing the interview process for the various positions of magistrate. Last year, the government resorted to inviting lawyers to sit on the bench in a bid to reduce the existing backlog of cases - something which prompted  heated debate about the potential for conflicts of interest [search news archives].

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Remarkable improvements in NIS efficiency

The National Insurance Scheme (NIS) under the leadership of Emma Hippolyte has, over the past eighteen months, managed to secure increases across the board: in its income from contributions  (17.64%); in arrears collection (48.76%); in its active insured population (5.63%); in its number of newly registered employers (18.69%) and finally, in the number of new entrants registered (15.23%). Yet despite this extremely positive record of achievements, St. Lucians continue to harbour several misconceptions and misunderstandings about the way in which the NIS operates. Although the NIS has done much in the past year-and-a-half to improve its image, efficiency and relationship with the public through intense media campaigns, a recent survey showed that many people wrongly believe that the NIS has increased the contribution rate and is about to move the pensionable age from 60 to 65 years overnight. Both notions are totally wrong, emphasises Hippolyte in this week's issue of The Voice. Nevertheless, the NIS director has decided to suspend the implementation of changes to the National  Insurance Act and Regulations which was planned for 1st of July, until such time that the public better understands the policies. Meanwhile, Hippolyte is calling on the media to support the NIS' drive to educate St. Lucians on the issues of pensions and health insurance.

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Dominica to apply for membership of European Union

Dominica's prime minister Rosie Douglas has announced his government's intention to apply for membership of the European Union within the next year or two, "even though we know that no country so far away has ever been allowed to become a member", says Douglas. According to an article in The Voice, other governments in the region "scoff at the idea" but Douglas reportedly said: "I am not worrying with what other people might say. I can't just sit around and watch Dominica sink. I have to do something and membership in the EU will be the best thing for Dominica". According to Douglas, Dominica should qualify because of its location between Guadeloupe and Martinique, which are both French provinces. Dominica trades extensively with both islands. "Douglas says his country has grown closer to France in recent years, with officials in Guadeloupe expressing interest in an agreement to speed travel permits between Dominica and the French territories. French banks have shown an interest in funding investment projects, and a French team is expected to visit soon to examine Dominica's request for US$250 million in aid to repair roads, build schools and improve health facilities". Prime minister Sir James Mitchell of St. Vincent and the Grenadines does not endorse Dominica's plan. "I really don't know how he is going to do it other than by giving up the island's independence and becoming a part of France", remarked Mitchell. But Rosie Douglas says he intends to seek support for EU membership from liberal governments in Europe. "If I ask my friends in the Caribbean Community for help, I am sure that all I will get is talk", he said.

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Yachties leaving St. Lucia following hike in visa fees

Fees for  the extension of visitor's visas and temporary residency permits have been increased significantly with the recent passing of a new statutory instrument, potentially jeopardising at least one sector of the tourism industry: that of yachtsmen wishing to have their boats overhauled at the Rodney Bay marina, weather the hurricane season in St. Lucia, or otherwise remain for longer than the standard 42 days granted to most visitors (although 'yachties' regularly receive less time than that). This is alleged in two letters to the editor published in The Voice, and was also the topic of discussion on Thursday's edition of the DBS talk show Talk! with Rick Wayne.
Until recently, visa extensions for visitors cost EC$40 for three weeks. The new charge is $100 for the same period. Temporary residence permits according to one of the letter-writers, now cost $50 in application fees, plus a $1000 fee when the permit is granted. If a yachting couple intends to spend twelve months in St. Lucia, for example, this means that they will have to pay $1800 per person, or $3600 together, merely to be able to remain in St. Lucia for that period. According to both letter-writers, neither they, nor any of the other 'yachties' with whom they had discussed the visa price hike, had any intention of remaining in St. Lucia beyond their initially allotted visa period. "It has been estimated that on average each cruising yacht spends between $20 to $40 US a day when visiting a Caribbean country. ... That would be between $1600 to $3200 EC a month. Most of this money goes direct to merchants and service providers and directly benefits the residents of St. Lucia. By imposing the $100 EC visa extension fee .... St. Lucia is discouraging lengthy yacht stays in the false hope of realizing additional revenue through new and increased fees. In fact, for each yacht that chooses not to stay beyond the initial six weeks visa limit, each month the St. Lucia economy stands to lose twenty-five times ($3200 vs. $125) what it might gain by the fee increases".
The second letter-writer concludes: "As you know there are marine facilities available to us throughout the Caribbean in countries where we will not be exploited. Martinique, for example, is only 25 miles away and charges no visa fees and has a full service yard available to us. I can leave here after breakfast and sail there in time for lunch. .... St. Lucia is a beautiful country with wonderful people. But then, the same can be said for many other Caribbean islands as well".

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Banana prices won't rise dramatically after fraud arrests

Although no immediate or dramatic improvement in the price of bananas on the European market is expected, some beneficial effects may be felt by the banana trading countries of the Windward Islands now that a "massive" case of fraudulent use of licenses for the importation of so-called 'dollar' bananas from Ecuador has been uncovered. The illegal importation of bananas into the European market via Italy since at least July 1999 has caused "a vast disturbance" of the market in the European Community, maintains The Crusader. It has further been established that since March 1998, 101 false import certificates have been presented to Customs in order to fraudulently import more than 160,000 tonnes of bananas from Ecuador. The import duties thus evaded total some 134 million US dollars. The bananas were apparently brought in through the Italian port of Catania but the article in The Crusader claims that there are other points of illegal entry into the European Community as well. The investigations are still ongoing and more arrests are expected.
Last week, minister of Agriculture Cass Elias announced in the Wednesday Star that he is ready to fight for financial compensation for Windward Island banana farmers following reports confirming the fraudulent importation of bananas into the European market. Elias was quoted as saying that the St. Lucian government is "relieved that some form of action will be taken against the perpetrators and anxious to see that some steps are put in place to prevent a re-occurrence".

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Minibus drivers and farmers clamour for better roads

Members of the Choiseul Mini-Bus Association went on strike last Tuesday in protest at the bad road conditions in the area, while banana farmers in the Micoud area are threatening to undertake 'dramatic action' if the roads in their villages are not immediately repaired. They write this in a letter to Agriculture minister Cass Elias. The farmers state that because of the neglect since 1997, most roads are now impassable "except by four-wheel drive vehicles and perhaps by the Montserrat donkeys". They also say that the neglect appears to be "the result of political victimisation". The Tuesday Voice writes this. Meanwhile, The Crusader and Mirror both report on the disgruntled bus drivers from Choiseul who complain about the road from Vieux Fort to Soufriere, which is full of deep potholes, something which angers not only bus drivers but also taxi drivers and ordinary traffic. Parliamentary representative for Choiseul, Ferguson John, has given the protesting drivers his "unreserved support". Although John comments that money has been allocated to upgrading the road, he agrees that action is not being taken fast enough. A spokesman for the ministry of Communications and Works agrees that "the roads are very old. They have exceeded their lifespan. What is needed is a full rehabilitation of the roads", according to The Mirror.

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