Last Updated on July 15, 2019, 2:15 AM AST by Anthony Morris
On February 6, 2018, the Office of the Prime Minister Harris proclaimed that “the longstanding barrier that restricted public vehicular access to the beach at Sandy Bank Bay since 2009 is now gone, thanks to effective dialogue initiated by the Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris, and his Cabinet with the principals of Christophe Harbour Development Company.”
“For several months now it has been observed that new barriers have been quietly erected without any fanfare or statement from the Office of Prime Minister Harris,” said an individual on Thursday, who informed of this development and wanted to bring it to the nation’s attention.
“It is another example of our prime minister misleading the people and the country by giving the impression that it was the Labour Party government and prime minister (Denzil) Douglas who prevented locals from accessing the public beaches,” said the person, who requested anonymity for fear of victimization.
SKNVibes.com, in a May 1, 2009 article written by Ryan Haas, quoted then Christophe Harbour’s Director of Planning and Government Relations, Ellis Hazel as stating that the barriers were erected to preserve Sandy Bank Bay, which is “one of the better turtle nesting sites on the island.”
“Hazel stated that by partnering with the St. Kitts Turtle Monitoring Network and building the gate, Christophe Harbour is helping to ensure that the leatherback turtles nest on the beach do not become “any more endangered than they already are,” SKNVibes reported.
Information on the said sign read: “Only pedestrians beyond this point,” a clear indication that locals had access at the entrance to Sandy Bank Bay beach at all times and the only restriction was to vehicles driving on the beach destroying the eggs of the sea turtles.
In the February 6, 2018, press release, the Office of Prime Minister Harris stated at a press conference that the restoration of public vehicular beach access to Sandy Bank Bay “was a significant development which came after Dr Harris and his Team Unity Government listened to citizens’ concerns about inconvenient public access to certain areas on the southeast peninsula,” and declared the Team Unity Government “would defend the public’s right to access any and every beach in St Kitts and Nevis.”
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
