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  by pltm
• May 29, 2017
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(PLTM) - BVIslanders are being deliberately pushed out of the yachting industry, and it is time for government to bring laws to ensure they are protected.

Hon. Delores Christopher, Fifth District Representative, said that owners of marinas have gone to the extent of using tricks to make it difficult for locals to land a job, even as a boat cleaner.

"One of the injustices is that our people are often laid off from the marinas and other people coming in to fill those positions, and it is being said that we don’t like to work...Cleaning boats, painting--all these things are part of the industry that has been gradually taken away from BVIslanders on purpose, because there are some other people who want to take everything for themselves," Hon. Christopher lamented.

She was at the time speaking during the debate of the Cruising Permit (Amendment) Act, 2017, today, May 29 in the House of Assembly.

The government member said that back in the days, locals benefited tremendously from the industry, mainly local captains.

"But we have come to the point where our local captains are groaning because of some cock eye story that the captain, mate or cook must now be together and share one cabin…It’s a trick because some outside persons coming in with their families and their whomever, and they are sharing the room on the pretense that it creates a room for guests," she said.

Hon. Christopher added, "All these things are wrong and it just seems as if there is no place to take your complaint, because I have heard this thing around for quite some time...We have to correct these things."

To this end, she said a bill should be taken to the House of Assembly to address such injustice.

"We have to, in the very near future, bring another bill that is going to ensure security for our own people in this industry...God has blessed us with these waters. We don’t have a lot of land, but we have the water and it is beautiful."

She said, "We should be the one capitalizing on this benefit, but every day it seems to be slipping and slipping further away from us."