#BTEditorial – Good intent, horrible policy failure

There existed a clear love-hate relationship between Barbadians and the cruise sector as the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic deepened in the Caribbean last year.

We know how important the presence of these ships to our economic survival and the millions of travellers they bring to our shores. At the same time, the cruise lines represented a clear and present danger to public health because of the increased possibility for spread of the coronavirus.

It was a calculated risk that Barbados took, and the official position of our Government was that it was a humanitarian undertaking. Today, though, the true picture of that risk to allow 28 cruise ships to anchor in our shallow waters, is coming to light and it is not a pretty.

We understand that Minister of Maritime Affairs and the Blue Economy Kirk Humphrey, along with then Bridgetown Port chairman Senator Lisa Cummins, were faced with some difficult choices last year, when these mega vessels were seeking support in very desperate circumstances.

In fact, scores of Barbadian passengers and crew were among those thousands stuck on cruise ships in no-man’s land as countries, fearing further spread of the deadly coronavirus, closed their borders to the vessels.

Barbados, on the other hand, responded with a gesture of safe habour to the ships and passage through our Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA) to various international ports.

Eternally grateful citizens from around the world memorialized their appreciation in various ways through thank-you videos on YouTube and various social media platforms.

But behind the glowing praises from outsiders and the feeling of pride that many Barbadians felt, as a little nation coming to the rescue of global citizens, something quite awful was taking place.

Someone within the Ministry of Tourism, as well as Maritime Affairs, or one of the specialized departments such as Coastal Zone Management or even one of our non-governmental organisations (NGOs), should have spotlighted the clear and present dangers.

It did not take an expert in marine biology or some related area, or a Nobel Science Laureate, to appreciate that the anchors of nearly 30 ships would have created havoc on reef systems. We are still waiting to learn what happened to the human and other wastes discharged by these ships over the weeks and months they were anchored off our coasts.

With no word from Government about any stipulations imposed on these cruise ships who are based mainly in Florida, it would have been foolhardy to rely on the cruise operators to regulate themselves.

We thank Robin Mahon, Professor Emeritus of the Centre for Resource Management and Environmental Studies (CERMES), University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus for alerting the public to the underwater devastation caused by the ships.

“The anchoring has destroyed extensive areas of live coral reef on the South and West coasts. This is the conclusion of recently published research carried out at The University of the West Indies,” Professor Mahon wrote in Barbados TODAY on May 7, 2021.

“The project obtained data on the 28 cruise ships permitted to anchor off Barbados between March and September 2020, several of which anchored multiple times resulting in a total of 132 anchor drops.

“Thousands of square metres of reef were visually confirmed by divers to have been destroyed. The potential area of habitat damage from all anchoring events was estimated to be in the region of millions of square metres.”

Professor Mahon explained that when a large cruise ship anchors, it not only drops an enormous anchor weighing in excess to five tonnes, but it must also lay down up to 300 metres of heavy anchor chain.

And as each ship swings its anchor, the accompanying chains are dragged back and forth through an arc of up to 180 degrees, creating a semicircle of destruction on the sea floor the size of a playing field.

Even more horrifying was the commentary from the UWI expert that: “Huge areas of reef were destroyed last year on the South and West coasts of Barbados, as far north as off the [Arawak] cement plant [in St Lucy]. The time for recovery of these reef areas is in excess of 100 years.”

How this was allowed to happen, and for those who did the damage to be allowed to sail off into the sunset, with a big “Thank You”, is beyond us.

After awarding Barbados the Destination of the Year Award for 2020, due in most part to our decision to provide “safe haven, warmth and hospitality. In addition, ships were able to collaborate with the Bridgetown Port and the broader destination to repatriate crew”.

We believe there is need for a meaningful and authentic show of gratitude to the people of Barbados. It would be for the powerful Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA), of which the major cruise lines that ply the region are members, to begin meaningful dialogue on how they will provide real restitution for the damage inflicted on our precious, natural environment.