BVI judge rules in favour of environment
(BVI Platinum News): Justice Indra Hariprashad-Charles just minutes ago in the High Court ruled that Hans Creek is a fisheries protected area and that the approval letter issued by the Minister on 31st January 2007 is void for illegality. The case involved judicial review of the former NDP Government’s planning approval for a five-star hotel, marina and golf course that would destroy the scientifically documented biologically important Hans Creek Fisheries Protected Area in Beef Island, British Virgin Islands. In the controversial case a battery of UK Lawyers, headed by renowned environmental lawyer Stephen Hockman Q.C appeared for the VI Environmental Counsel (VIEC). Photo: Ocean Review Institute
Category: Science and Nature
Not very often does the environment "win". Good for the judge for using common sense. A five star hotel? With a marina and golf course? One can imagine the amount of clout that outfit had. And all the spin that must have happened. "Jobs will be created" "It will be great for the economy" "It will be sensitively done" "We will replace every displaced flamingo with a plastic one"
Future generations will look back and wonder what the H we were doing.
It is nothing short of painful to watch whistling ducks standing on the roof of my house awaiting the oppertunity to enter my chicken run to steal a little water and food while my chickens are in the nest box.
This occurs on a daily basis at my home and I wonder quite often if our Politicians many of whom make millions from real estate are going to stop the foreign developers from destroying the little bit of wet lands that we have left.
Yeah, one victory for the Environment !
When are WE to get the Legislation needed to protect ours?
In certain countries, one cannot even cut-down a single tree without a permit, yet I see entire ‘forests’ of trees and mangrove cleared (Spinnaker Drive), and not even a shrub re-planted.
It’s no wonder the rains ‘pass’ our shores, this place has become a ‘Heat-island’.
Mark my words, IF we don’t do something QUICK, we will soon reap what we are sowing.
We are already reaping what we sowed. A degraded tourism product but the real estate guys don’t give a monkeys. Laws should have protected us but our governments for decades have been petrified to stop Caymanians selling their birthright (and then blaming it on expats). Ezzard they tell me wants his North Side buddies to be able to sell all the land along North Sound. Yup! So that effs up one of the few remaining parts of GCM worth a damn. Way to go, Ezzard. Dont let them damn furriners in the National Trust/DOE stop you.