Pure Grenada, the Spice of the Caribbean is taking important steps to further protect its marine environment for future generations while creating opportunities for the sector.
The tri-island nation is working with the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) to develop a public-private sector partnership to reduce marine waste coming from pleasure vessels such as yachts.
The project dubbed ‘Integrating Water, Land and Ecosystem Management in the Caribbean for Small Island Developing States’, will examine Grenada and Carriacou’s current capacity and create research-based solutions to deal with waste in an eco-friendly manner.
Additionally, Grenada is set to implement a Marine Waste Management policy with amendments to the existing legislation and the introduction of accompanying regulations. This policy is aimed at setting up a management system for marine waste management, including monitoring, funding, penalties and cost structures. Confident that this is a positive action to manage Grenada’s fisheries sustainably, Permanent Secretary (Ag.) with responsibility for Fisheries and Co-operatives in the Ministry of Sports, Culture and the Arts, Fisheries & Co-operatives Michael Stephen stated, “Grenada is an International Maritime Organization (IMO) member and will comply with measures to improve the safety and security of international shipping and to prevent marine pollution from ships.”
The Grenada Ports Authority (GPA) is the country’s focal point for international maritime matters falling under the auspices of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). The General Manager Carlyle Felix affirmed, “The Grenada Ports Authority reiterates its support for the proposed policy and looks forward to a timely adoption of the IMO’s Caribbean Small Commercial Vessels Code. We are convinced that its adoption will promote cleaner seas, which is one of the pillars of an ocean-based economy.”
Speaking of these important steps in marine waste management, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Climate Resilience and the Environment Desiree Stephen said, “Grenada is a geo-tourism destination in which the marine environment is significant to the livelihoods of many Grenadians, for fishing, diving, tourism and recreation. Taking these important steps now will ensure that future generations will be able to reap economic and other benefits.”
To support these and other activities in the local yachting sector including destination marketing is the newly formed Grenada Tourism Authority (GTA) Subcommittee on Yachting. The members are Karen Stiell, representing the Marine and Yachting Association of Grenada (MAYAG), Nicholas George representing Sportfishing, Charlotte Fairhead representing Camper & Nicholson Port Louis Marina and GTA Nautical Development Manager Nikoyan Roberts. The subcommittee is energised about further maximising Grenada’s position as the gateway to the Grenadines and a globally recognised responsible yachting destination.
Grenada Tourism Authority
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I truly appreciate reading this article , and listening to all the comments both good and bad . we are all entitled to our opinions even though we may not agree with each other. I am Grenadian currently living outside of the country , whenever the opportunity presents itself its always a pleasure to visit the home front . It must be stated that i take no pride in calling the present situation at this discussion a great one , it’s appalling to drive around this beautiful island and see the carnage that mankind has caused both locals and foreigners. It must be stated in my opinion the locals do bear a very large share of this burden , even if they try to turn a blind eye to the situation , and somehow blame foreigners . In sharing this blame the Government is also largely to blame for its loose laws ,and complicit ways which enables this disease to fester , if there is no leadership of the flock the Sheep’s will go astray, therefore the Government needs to put standards in place for everyone to follow , this means establishing hefty fines for those breaking the law , but its also means that they need to lead by example . Creating a task force that over sees the health of the country and keeping clean , enforcing the laws , while changing the mind set of its people who have been uneducated for far too long in the ways of self destruction, by taking advantage of a lawless system that has not been proactive Environmentally friendly .
I suggest that people end the propaganda talk and go down to see what locals have already done to Mt. Hartman Sanctuary. THEY HAD BEEN DUMPING WASTE MATERIALS ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. PEOPLE SHOULD BE MORE ANGRY AT THAT THAN HOTEL CONSTRUCTION.
Grenadians have done far worst than what hotel construction had done in the last year. There are tons of Garbage dumped down there. Waste Materials. Furniture. I swear that place was going to turn into a dump created by locals. Little did I know it was already one. I wanna know why people havent spoken out against the matter as yet.
I wanna know why the opposition and propagandists were quick to run their mouth on some foreign investors from China coming to help develop this poor third world country we have here. People need to speak out against what the grenadians are doing first before speaking out against what foreigners are doing. its a very ignorant and selfish mentality black grenadians have.
Excuse me, but where is your name to be posted with the above comments you make? You calling out ” BLACK GRENADIANS ” for having a ” SELFISH MENTALITY ” ?!
I don’t see no ” black grenadians ” in million dollar boats dumping their filth from the boats by sailing 3 miles offshore to do so. I don’t see no ” black grenadians ” building concrete hotels and bs developments along every inch of the coastline and beaches destroying the environment for greed like at La Sagesse. I don’t see no ” black grenadians ” using each Caribbean island, like Grenada, as their trash dump from their WHITE OWNED CRUISE SHIPS. Grenada don’t need the foreign investors from China coming to try to put this island into debt so they can take over under the disgusting terms of any loans from China that stipulate that Grenada loses sovereignity within the agreements. Send China back where it belongs with its policies of no human rights and disregard for the Government of Grenada, environmental controls and their attitudes. You want to compare. Then lets take a look at what whitey has done to this island over hundreds of years. Shame on you gutless for not posting you name with your comments.
What about the cruise ships, where is the tons of trash and sewage generated daily on a cruise ship being dumped?
Grenada has the most polluted sea and most polluted air in the Caribbean. But they still cannot work out why Grenada has the highest cancer rates in the region. The sad thing is that there’s a total lack of leadership and interest in the wellbeing of citizens and no one at any level is able to understand the implications of:
Pumping raw sewage into the sea;
Dumping bottles, plastic bags and other rubbish anywhere;
Burning tyres, plastic and other waste;
Importing ‘nearly new’ high mileage vehicles with worn out engines;
Not making it mandatory for vehicles to be fitted with catalytic converters like almost all other countries have done over 50 years ago;
Not having a mandatory emissions check annually of each vehicle as almost all other countries have been doing for over 40 years;
Leaving unoccupied vehicles engines running for long periods while stationary, which is illegal in most other countries;
It’s share institutional ignorance that the police cause more human damage by using tyres to burn ganja than the damage the ganja would cause, if any.
Does Grenada have a date for the construction of a wastewater treatment plant? Do we have a date for the implementation of mandatory pumpout of yachts that has sailors living on board? Good start bu more needs to be done to keep human waste out of our coastal waters.
We spent 5 years docking our boat at port Louis in st george, to my knowledge there is no waste management plant in Grenada..sewage I assumed is just pumped into the ocean? So before they start fines on the cruising boats that spend so much money on the island perhaps they can find a way to finance construction of waste treatment plants?
Ever consider that might be what they need the money for? How are you addressing a solution for the problem instead of contributing to it?
Educate your grenadian people first not to dumb plastic bottles or other trash anywhere you go instead of anouncing bullshit.
I had a local fisherman on my boat, who wanted to buy an outboard. Came with a bottle of beer to my boat, drank it and tossed the empty bottle into the ocean. A fisherman !!!
All over the sudden my outboard was not for sale anymore.
So environmental superbrains … pick your own nose first, before finding new ways to charge boaters, who take good care themselves on trash issues.
Why don’t you stay away ! Don’t be telling them what to do or where to start ! FOH
Do you have a clue what glass is made from?
Glass is a resource efficient material which is made of abundant natural raw material such as sand. Glass is a fully recyclable material that can be recycled in close loop over and over again.
And some advice… keep an eye on your motor it may come up missing.
So Alex, let’s what you do on your fancy boat. Do you ever dump waster water overboard? Do you ever empty your bilge into the ocean? You ever chuck a wine bottle overboard after it is empty? That is where sea glass comes from. You keep every scrap of compostible waste aboard until you reach a port? Where does your waste from your toilet go when you are miles at sea You keep it as treasure til you can safely and environmentally get rid of it?
I don’t think so as these are common practices on sailboats.
A good place to start would be St George’s harbour which is often littered with trash and a film of oil on the surface
Good luck with the project
If you look to social media you will see there is an elderly gentleman named Taffy that comes most days with his net to fish trash out of the Carenage if that is what you are referring to as St. George’s harbour. Everyone needs to do their share to be environmentally appropriate. Not just the locals on Grenada. All Tourists who get off the cruise ships leave a pile of filth, empties and garbage behind them and just walk away when their afternoon on the beach is time up. Never seen one move their trash as far as a trash barrel.