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Concerned citizens urge authorities to hasten process to declare Grand Police a protected area |23 October 2017

 The meeting in progress

 

 

A group of concerned residents of Takamaka joined by other nature lovers and environmentalists from around the country gathered at the district’s primary school dining hall on Saturday afternoon to be updated on the process to declare Grand Police a protected area.

It was the principal secretary for environment Alain de Commarmond who led the meeting with support from forestry and conservation officials.

It is to be recalled that a public outcry surrounding Grand Police -- an area in the Takamaka district rich in biodiversity, with a freshwater wetland which is home to two species of endemic and endangered protected terrapins among a large variety of other flora and fauna -- was first raised in 2014 when the environment impact assesment (EIA) for a large proposed hotel development project the ‘Grand Police Bay Hotel’ was made known to the public in a consultative meeting.

Since then the residents and nature lovers have been campaigning for the project to be abandoned and earlier this year the Grand Police Citizens Initiative -- the name of the campaign group -- submitted a petition to State House  on the matter. In May members of the group were received by President Faure where they discussed further their concern for the protection of the area with the head of State.

This was followed by the Cabinet of Ministers agreeing that all necessary steps should be taken to transform the parcel in question -- T575 -- into a protected area.

In the meeting on Saturday PS de Commarmond explained the process underway noting that there needs to be a lot of consultations to get public, scientists, conservationists and other stakeholders’ inputs in relation to all that needs to be done on the ground to give the area the right status and classification.

Answering a concern from a citizen who wanted to be reassured that there is no possibility the developers will not reconsider their decision and come back to revive the hotel project now that the tourism minister has declared that there is a shortage of hotel rooms, Mr de Commarmond said the developers never came back after the outcry in 2014.

He reassured the public that no development had been agreed on and only the EIA process was being carried out then.

Guy Esparon was very vocal on the matter calling on the authorities to consider protecting the whole area and not only the demarcated plot of T575.

“We the residents will continue to demand and fight for the protection of Grand Police as we believe it is among the few areas on the island that needs to be left alone,” he stressed.

Lena Desaubin, another concerned resident and staunch nature lover, said even the EIA for the project should not have been undertaken in the first place considering the importance of the area.

She said environment and conservation authorities should have gone through the report of  a study detailing all the species found in the area and stressed why it is important to leave it in its virgin state which was conducted during the era of Minister Danielle Jorre de St Jorre.

PS de Commarmond reminded the residents that the government has always been committed to preserving and protecting the environment wherever its sees the need and merit no matter who owns the property.

Residents also wanted to know quickly and when the protected area process would be completed because there are increasing concern for the area also a popular nesting ground for sea turtles which is becoming more popular among locals.

“There is a need to put in place urgent protection measures to protect the turtles nesting grounds because locals are invading their habitat with their parties and picnics shying them away with bright lights and loud music,” one man said.

He went on to add that poachers also lurk in the vicinity and with the nesting season of sea turtles fast approaching, there is rising concerns that poaching will also increase.

Another lady added that the issue of littering is also an increasing concern as revelers leave all their rubbish behind.

She called for more environment education not only for schoolchildren but for adults.

There was also a call for stepped up security in the area as well as consideration for an entry fee to better protect the area.

PS de Commarmond noted that the process is a serious one and the authorities are doing all that is necessary to complete it as soon as possible and hopefully during the first quarter of next year.

He has called for the cooperation and contributions from concerned stakeholders for the smooth realisation of the process.

He said all the issues raised will be seriously considered.

He also encouraged the Grand Police Citizens Initiative group to register as an association so it can benefit from programmes and funds which could help in boosting volunteers’ support initiatives in helping to protect the area.

It is to be noted that the same protection process is being considered for Anse Source d’Argent and Anse Lazio.

 

 

 

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