A Cabinet minister joined Port Department officials in meeting jet ski and water sports operators to address issues that resulted in the industry being cited in the latest US travel advisory.
Renward Wells, minister of transport and local government, said his main goal was to address the problems and ensure both visitors and the Bahamian people are safe when he met stakeholders for an April 1 town meeting at the National Training Agency (NTA).
Mr Wells added that the meeting was timely given recent complaints against the water sport industry, including the recent US advisory. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to safety and security in the sector, and pledged to regulate and preserve the water sports industry via acquisition of the necessary resources, consultation with industry stakeholders, and law enforcement.
He warned that the recent travel advisories potentially cost The Bahamas tens of millions of dollars in revenues, as they fuelled perceptions among some that the water sports industry is “lawless”. The minister warned that the government would not allow a small group of rogue operators to jeopardise the country’s economy.
Some of the concerns raised at the town meeting were:
• The need for greater manpower on beaches (port officers and police).
• The need for increased jet ski use by the Port Department to patrol waters.
• More intensive dialogue between hotel operators and water sport operators.
• Steps to remove related stigma regarding the industry.
• Inefficiency of the rotation system at Cabbage Beach.
• How disciplinary actions should be carried out. For example, the need to issue citations in the first instance before suspension and revocation of licenses.
• The need for more leniency towards first-time offenders and those found guilty of minor infractions.
Several action plans and corrective measures were proposed to address some of these issues. A recommendation was made to amend the Water Sports and Recreation Act to ensure that laws and regulations are in place for safety and security.
There were also calls to implement uniforms and proper identification badges. Other ideas included the use of technology, such as CCTV and drone technology; manned “look out towers”; deployment of additional patrol boats and monitoring of jet skis; extension of the Cable Beach ramp as more space is needed to load and offload persons from boats; and an increased police presence.
Mr Wells told stakeholders to take ownership and protect their industry, and form an association.
Comments
banker 5 years ago
I have reported jet ski operators selling drugs, harassing female tourists and showboating in the buoy line on Cabbage Beach to no avail. Licence number NP451 is especially a bad actor. Does Glenys Hanna Martin still own them?
OrdinaryMan 5 years ago
Ah, banker....(sigh). Your pain and frustration for a beloved,devolving land always linger in the background of your comments in this Tribune forum. I hope you live to see a change from the similar cultural/mindset forces that are now threatening my USA-land.
Quiet despair aside, one truth still remains: while there is life, there is still hope. That, and the fact that amonst the life-harried masses there are also real human beings who are doing what they can, where they can, when they can. Keep on truckin' banker.
Dawes 5 years ago
The fact that this is still an ongoing issue shows that we as a country won't change. A different article asks what can be done to stop the brain drain. One way is to actually do something that would make the country better. However that won't happen unless those in power can see a personnel benefit to them (and no the country being better is not one of them). Unfortunately i suspect banker is right as to why this is still allowed to go on.
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