BVI to be made a no-anchoring jurisdiction
Minister for Natural Resources, Vincent Wheatley has said there are plans to make the British Virgin Islands a no-anchoring jurisdiction.
Wheatley announced during a recent live panel discussion that the measure is a step towards helping to preserve coral reefs in the territory.
“We lose a lot of coral when persons drop anchors, and I have evidence here that I got from a few years ago of the damage caused by those anchors. So we have to make the BVI a no-anchoring jurisdiction and that you can only come in on moors,” the minister explained.
“It is easier said than done of course but we are moving towards that in very short order … We are moving towards that as soon as we have the legislation to back us up with that,” he added.
Options to be decided for mega yachts
Wheatley also said a full research study has to be conducted. And once it gets on the way, it will allow for his ministry to properly decide on what measures will be taken for mega yachts.
He said: “Those are the most destructive, actually. Those mega yachts; when they drop their big anchors and their chains begin to swing, they do the most damage. So couple options we could have: special mooring buoys just for those boats, or you must go into a marina. Those are a couple options we can look at.”
Positive impact on natural resources
Wheatley said by preserving the coral reefs, it will have a positive impact on many of the other natural resources in the territory which are reliant on the existence of coral reefs.
“We must work hard now to do what we have to do to preserve our environment for generations and more so when they come they can see starfish, they can see shellfish, they can see turtles, they can see the different birds, they can see red mangroves, white mangroves, black mangroves and everything,” he explained.
In addition to anchors causing damage to coral reefs in the territory, a recent discovery has found that the deadly Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease has made its way to the British Virgin Islands.
The disease — which some experts have now referred to as ‘the coronavirus of the ocean’ due to how quickly it spreads — has been spotted at five popular dive spots located in the southern cays of the territory.
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First step is to define anchorages for the commercial vessels which are anchored on the reefs in Drake Channel, making them anchor in waters deeper than 65 feet. How are you going to accommodate the bigger boats on which our ship’s agents and purveyors are dependent? Current moorings only take boats to 60 feet; what will the rest do, not come to the BVI? Protect the coral, but have an actual plan before you scare away the big money boats!
More hot air from Wheatley. How about concentrating on important matters. First, clean up all the wrecks from Irma that are still sunk or laying on beaches and land. Second clean up the sewage that you pour into the sea. Third and most importantly stop acting like a p*****s trying to show your great concern for the environment… With the upcoming opening for tourists why don’t you scare them away before they arrive with your no anchoring c**p.
Incompetent is the word
Please note the picture above depicts a small dingy anchor. Its a folding anchor which someone has deliberately slid under the coral for the sake of a photograph.
Agreed it definitely looks like this was set up for the sake of a photograph.
Just being nit-picky but there is no coral in that picture. I don’t mean this comment directed at you but more of a blanket statement that I see so many people commenting on what should be done or shouldn’t be done to protect coral reefs when very few of them know what a coral is.
What about the barges that go stern too on anchor at Port Purcell? They have to go stern too, to be able to offload cargo by ramp. Can’t see that changing. Sure, put in place no anchoring zones, but a lot of the BVI anchorages are coral free, and anchoring is safer than a poorly maintained mooring ball.
While protecting the coral reefs is important, does this government really think a no anchoring designation is the right solution?
The consequence of this will be quite impactful on the yachting industry and the revenues it brings in.
Seems to me this country is doing everything it can to isolate itself from the rest of the world and drive away everyone.
Not a sensible approach in my opinion. The BVI needs all the money it can giving its current economic plight. Drying up revenue streams when u need them the most makes no sense.
There has to be a better solution to protecting the coral reefs and maintaining cash flow. This isn’t it.
Wheatley will be the BVI and VIP undoing. This man dreams of awful ideas and has a c*******t leader that gives free rein. He first dismantled the workforce, then divided the Territory. now this e**l man decided to set his sight on the most lucrative part of our tourism sector. by the time we vote him out what would be left.
Just like the ‘rush’ to clean up all the Hurricane Irma wrecks around the territory? No environmental hazards from them a guess? Or, the continued pumping of raw sewage into our sea and killing every reef down current while it all flows into Sea Cow’s Bay (also still full of Irma wrecks).
There are a lot of other things this Government should be focusing on that should be done in ‘short order’ Sir!
Could go on and on regarding this bull$hit but I have to go see my therapist to get my blood pressure down!
I’m so glad you mentioned the wrecks still littering certain harbours in the Territory. Please though put the blame where it belongs. The many inconsiderate owners who collected the insurance check and left the wreck to be either an eye sore or a financial burden on the Government! Do you have any idea of the costs associated with removing just one wreck? Or, in the alternative legally pursuing owners who are not resident in the Territory? Some of owners actually sailed here to anchor for hurricane Irma due to the marine shelters and never had a backward glance once the vessel became a wreck, even though many collected from their insurance. Those owners should be ashamed of themselves! I too would like the wrecks removed in short order but understand that financial resources are not unlimited and there is but so much Government can do.
It’s my understanding that the owners who received an insurance check no longer own the wrecks, it belongs to the insurance company. Go after the insurance company, not the boat owner who did his due diligence and insured his boat. Now the owners who didn’t insure and left their wrecks you should go after.
This is incorrect. Insurance companies are not in the business of owning boats. Except in very rare cases, they do everything they can to avoid this and either dispose of the boat (destroy or sell it) or leave it with the owner. They too, are aware of this liability. The vast majority of the vessels that remain wrecked in our waters were uninsured when Irma came. This is a violation of the Merchant Shipping Act. There are a few which people bought as wrecks, picked the bits they wanted, and then abandoned here as well. It is expensive to remove these vessels, but in many cases, it is equally or more expensive to pursue the legal owners to have them removed. We need to learn from this and put better legislation and ENFORCEMENT in place to prevent this from happening again.
If the insurance company CTL the vessel they pay for salvage. Insured boats get cleaned up.
More knee-jerk reactions from govt. You don’t ban anchoring in the “Sailing capital of the world”, you should instead designate specific areas for proper anchorage. Build and maintain (which is something BVI has trouble with) a large boat mooring buoy system in key areas. Patrol areas that need protection. Educate boaters ahead of time, instead of just penalizing them later. We need forward thinking and REAL plans, not quick ideas with no thought to their real-world consequences.
@ Captain BVI. My point exactly bro. Resriction zone. But i would figure the minister know that but its how narrator write the story.
I think there are plenty of safe anchoring areas in the BVI that can be used… all it needs is enforcement..
All these new laws and changes the new government are implementing are useless without enforcement,, and we all know how good we are here for following the laws of the land !
NO, NO,NO Yachts need to be able to drop a hook and not depend on mooring balls. I rarely use mooring balls as I go where others do not want to go just o stay away from the crowds
This is wrong. No not outlaw anchors.
how did they get the chain under the rock for the photo?
Yep. Something a bit fishy about that.
The anchor in the photo is not one that any charterboat would be using.
What about merchant ships / cruise ships
D.J. proposed a no anchor zone everywhere North East of Saba Rock over a year ago. The result would be no local boats can go anywhere near Oil Nut Bay and it’s beach. It is just like the ‘swimming zone’ markers. Those blocked off the sand area and made boats anchor in the sea grass if they want to snorkel in Oil Nut Bay. This is not about ecology. This is about rich people blocking access to their property. Don’t be fooled.
Seems like some of these guys suffering from foot-in-mouth disease! How about coming up with proper plans and solutions before announcing these measures? Do these people realize that our news reaches the international market and not just from Sopers Hole to Beef Island?
This is ridiculous, a knee jerk reaction on the part of an incompetent Government. Megayachts anchor out in deeper water, away from the reefs. This Government is doing lots of harm to the marine industry in the BVI….
What is the status of the Beach Management Plan or Policy. We seem to be jumping all over the place instead of identifying priorities and working towards achieving completion on at least one item.
How will a 500 gross tonnage mega yacht tie on a mooring that is use for a 20 ton vessel or yacht mr minister you wearing fancy jacket and pants but you don’t know what you are talking about.
To many square pegs in round holes. Some years ago when I served as a member of the Tourist Board there were only one person who knew how to Scuba Dive out of about 50 employees. In this government it seems there isn’t anyone who know about yachting, scuba diving, fishing etc. How can this be in Nature’s Little Secrets, the Sailing Capital Of The World?
Sounds like something Boatie Balls is behind.
1. So where will the commercial ships anchor?
2. You really think a mega yacht is going to want to tie up to a dock? Not many places for them to do that in the BVIs, but lots of other nice places to visit other than BVIs.
3. What about boats in distress?
4. Who is going to maintain these mooring balls? Presumably the cost for using them will go up. Who will assume the liability if the mooring ball breaks free with a boat attached?
5. If everyone has to use mooring balls, then there will be a capacity issue, meaning then that BVI will have to restrict the number or yachts (charter and private) coming in. How is that going to be managed?
Why not just designate specific anchoring areas?
Also, if it’s about the reefs, then what about controlling silt and dirt run off from the land?
Great that reef preservation is getting some attention, but this is not the way to go, unless we want to just keep out all private and charter vessels from the Territory.
Fortunately for the BVI, the bareboaters don’t know how to anchor, so they will only follow a route from mooring ball to mooring ball.
And the anchorages are so clogged with mooring balls, that larger yachts can’t get in. They anchor out. Way out, compared to the bareboaters on moorings.
The Hon. Minister gets it wrong again.
Yes, but…. there is still coral being damaged in the deeper water where the larger yachts anchor.
dumb, dumb, dumb! Including the picture.
For your consideration Mr. Minister
* charts and cruising guides already have designated areas for anchoring which most boaters use
* fine those individuals who improperly anchor and allocate a portion of those funds for environmental protection
*Consider alternative anchoring/mooring options in the territory
* Have advisory boards with individuals who know the yachting industry, products and services to better advise the government in some of its decisions
*Lead by example! Stop ruining our own environment by dumping waste in the channel off Slaney point (DISGUSTING)
*Think through processes and plan accordingly when decisions are being made. Take into consideration cause and effect. Be mindful about what is released in the media even if it isn’t implemented.
Dear Minister;
As a member of an established cruising club (whom uses the BVI yearly) have you really stopped to think this No Anchorage rule through from stem to stern?
Firstly, may I point out that many of our members spend between 3 to 4 months yearly enjoying the beautiful BVI. We as a group shop in your stores for provisions, clothing, hardware etc. We spend countless dollars yearly on cellular and satalite needs. We as an entity put our spendable dollars into the economy of the BVI (which I calculate to be many thousands of dollars annually). We do not have mega yachts whose chain drags the bottom of your oceans headlands and anchorages, we do not have massive anchoring systems or anchors. Rather, we simply have very modest anchoring systems, whereby your chain is not dragging across seabeds. Our chain, for the most part, is held off the bottom by an intermediary float (chain/anchor marker) and as such has little contact with your oceans bottom. Sir; you must realize, that we as cruising sailboat owners, we certainly do not want our chain dragging along the oceans bottom any more than you do. Each time we drag our chain across the oceans bottom, have you stopped to realize the damage we are doing to our chain or rode? Why,in heavens name, would you think that we would have no respect for the ocean and its bottom contents; for we are the people who live most of our life on that very water you intimate we are destroying. No Sir; we infact cherish the ocean and its’ contents. We as a group believe in ecology, for if we did not, then we would be destroying the very life blood for which we live and breath 365 days a year all over this great world.
May I also remind you Sir; we as sailors can and do travel the world day in and day out all through the year. Our boat is our home and Sir; please remember, we can take our boats anywhere in the world where we feel welcome. With this new policy of yours, do you think that the BVI will be a welcoming place for us to visit in the future???? I would suggest not!!!
Have you stopped to think, or put yourself in the position, whereby you, as a sailor, would visit the BVI for 4 months yearly. Up until now you have been enjoying anchoring for those 4 months; all of a sudden you are told No Anchoring. OK so now all of a sudden, you have to take at least 30 dollars nightly out of your pocket (900 dollars monthly) just for the right to be allowed to stay within BVI waters. Sir; there is something totally wrong with this. I would go so far as to suggest that this may inact a constitutional challenge. I ask you Sir; humbly, do you have an extra $900 monthly in your pockets???
Have you considered what this will mean to your country and the businesses you so expect to thrive after this pandemic shutdown? I would think twice if you believe that this new No Anchoring policy will not strip your land based business establishments from much needed cash. Remember; you are putting yourself in a sailors shoes…..would you have extra money to spend ashore, or would you be going elsewhere to another Island whereby you have the freedom to anchor at leisure and have those extra dollars to enjoy the bounties that on-land businesses and eating establishments have to offer? So Sir; if you honestly put yourself in the position for which you are forcing us cruising sailors, and you honestly have that kind of extra monies in your budget to spend, then you are obviously much better off then you should be. It is only when a person looks inward upon oneself, do we really see the other side of the coin.
The ocean Sir; is our home. It is the place inwhich we live, play, discover, and above all it provides us with an education on a daily basis. I ask you Sir; do you really think that a little sail boat with a little 45 pound anchor and 100 feet of chain can or would destroy an eco-system or its’contents? Would we as cruising sailors really want to do damage…..heck no…..not a chance.
I appeal to your intelligence Sir;please do not stagnate your BVI economy by driving away the many of us who have spent many a year enjoying your beautiful Island. I appeal to you Sir; think of what is right in this world and not what is unjust to those who dollars you and your people rely.
Please Minister; have you really thought this one through. An intelligent man like yourself, should know better. I thought you knew better then to irritate a cruising community at large. Not your brightest passage to the media my friend. Once spoken sometimes is twice shy….better to think of all implications before verbalizing your intent. Nanny Cay is one business unit that would suffer consequences should cruising sailors decide to jump island for an island who’s government is more welcoming.
He is working for his masters trying to prevent boats from anchoring around oil nut, mosquito, guana, eustatia and necker,,Those places will only allow their guests to tie up on their moorings balls
Finally ayo eyes open up. His colors showing bright bright. This is exactly what the hell is happening in broad day light.
They going kill this country dead like a duck by the 1 December.
Will never work. Not needed. Just protect the reef and use the already designated anchorage on the charts. Where there is only sand it is an absolute insult to our intelligence to say no anchoring, Get real.
Puerto Rico and the Spanish Virgins looking better all the time.
To the Member of the World Cruising Club, I agree that this is a policy that needs much more thought and is absurd at the outset. However, PLEASE use facts, rather than nonsense, to make your argument. Close to 100% of your membership use all chain anchor rodes for the express purpose of keeping the chain on, or near the bottom. This provides the proper lead to the anchor and uses the chain’s friction on the seabed to help holding power, and you must know that. If you can name me three of your members who keep any substantial part of their chain off the seabed with “intermediary floats”, I will eat my hat. In fact, it would take a huge float to do anything like this, and if you wanted your rode off the bottom, you would use line, and not chain. I am on the same side of the argument as you, but this will be a serious discussion not helped by utter rubbish and invention. The answer is to regulate where people can and cannot anchor, because even small boat anchors do damage, in the wrong place, which you must know. It generally takes some knowledge and experience to be a member of your Club.
I have personally witnessed the beginning of complete devastation and destruction of under sea life, fauna and food from Devils Bay to Town Bay from age five to sixty-five. And it is all due to unregulated anchoring.
From 1960 onwards one began to see the devastation. By 1970 there was hardly any life left. By 1980. It was a complete desert.
When the quality of environment is gone; when there is no good snorkeling left; when the sand has turned to stone, what will happen? Will those that are complaining now stay and feed us? No!
They will take their yachting, mega yachting and touring industry elsewhere. The fact is, they care only about two things, their bottom line and the immediate product that is providing that bottom line. They care not about the long term sustenance of that product into the future..
Therefore, it is those who are of fore sight that must make the unpopular decisions to safe guard the environment for future generations.
As such, this initiative has my full support, because I was born and swam in a quality and pristine environment in those waters from Devil’s to Town Bay as a boy and into teenage and adulthood.
Today, the under water environment is a skeleton. No life, no fish, no fauna, no fans, no color, no nothing.
Is that what we want to pass on to the next generation just for the sake of appeasing a few and collecting a dollar?
1. That is a dinghy anchor in the photo.
2. The chain is not attached to anything.
3. The chain is lying flat, must been a really long anchor and rode.
4. The chain goes under the log or whatever that is.
My God…
Another worthless comment from an official who wants his spotlight time. Loss of mega yachts but even more importantly, how about the Puerto Rican navy? They bring in tens of thousands of dollars, if not more. So penalize the people who provide us with us needed dollars?
Don’t forget. These were some of the first people to help us after Irma. But I guess that doesn’t matter anymore.
Selfish BVI. Boy has it changed for the worse.
From the perspective of one of those tourists you’re worried about driving away, eco friendly, preserving the oceans and coral for the future, these are phrases we want to hear and values that will keep us coming back. Minister Wheatley is both doing the “right” thing, AND listening to the tourists who come and spend money in the BVI. Keep up the good work Minister Wheatley and members of the National Parks snd Tourism Boards!
Even thought I work for the industry, I believe is more important to protect our house that is the ocean, the BVI and the world. With a great plan created to accommodate the boats differently, TAKING CARE OF THE CORAL IS MANDATORY SINCE WE HAVENT DONE IT FOR LONG ENOUGH TO ALMOST LOSE IT.
CORAL takes care of the weather and so the hurricanes.
Not taking care of the corals is “bread for today, hungry tomorro”
I hate to think of the coral damage that C**n L** has caused in its 30+ years of service in the BVI. In just 2 years of working on her I can think of numerous occupation we pulled up huge chunks of coral on her two large hooks. Kind of ironic since it is a dive boat with intention of appreciating the reef but the calloused and reckless manner in which they anchor right next to the reef is astonishing!
Prioritize cleaning up the islands shore lines and run off issues that have far greater effect on the reefs then anchors. 95% of
Boats anchor in sand not on reef. Make it illegal to anchor on reef not illegal to anchor all together. This is such a simple solution but instead you announce something ridiculous like this and scare everyone. Don’t you know how badly rumors spread in the marine / cruising community. This is not a good look for the face of the BVI.
You have already lost 25% of day charter boats and yachts coming from the USVI because of your greedy customs fees and your extremely inefficient and down right rude unpleasant customs officials. The BVi has a lot of work to do welcoming tourist Back to your waters and encouraging them to spend much needed money. Tourism is your only recourse that keeps your economy afloat. Stop pushing your only resource away.
All this talk of anchors yet what about the cleaners of the reef that are slaughtered by the thousands and on put on display in every grocery store on island.
Establish more robust conservation laws for marine life, while also enforcing no-anchor zones.
The photo they are using to show anchors damaging reefs is so silly. How could an anchor and chain that is dropped by a Vessel possibility end up in that situation. There is no way a chain that is connected to a boat could make its way under a ledge like that and go back to the boat. This simply shows how much they know about the situation. This has to be a hand laid anchor and chain fed through the underside of the reef. This is also not an anchor that any cruising pleasure boat use.
If you do not understand the basics of anchoring then how can you be in charge of making very important decisions like this. There are far greater issues to be dealt with in the BVI.
The people doing the greatest damage with boats in the BVIs are the locals. Local construction barges, kicks day boaters tipping though mooring fields in there fast large boats, illegal fishing and lobstering, the use and sale of non environmentally safe 2 stroke engines, extremely poorly maintained vessels dropping excessive oil in the water. Start with education and teaching the locals how to take care of their precious land. This will have a far greater effect on your marine environment.
While we can agreed that there are boats that anchor within a mooring field or in a no anchor zone. What about the issue the fact that there are no enough moorings in many of the popular tourist spots? What about the issue that the government has allowed the Boatyball company(does it have BVI trade licensed) to take over most spots with a charge of $40 a night for a mooring instead of the $30 a night fee? BVI government is in the process of killing its charter business as people are already complaining about the fees that keep increasing. Someone in government must take a realistic view of the fees we are charging people to come and enjoy our country. Where is the BVILove????
This is a very small grappling anchor. The grappling anchor is great for all small boats including dinghies, inflatables, canoes and PWC
The ability to quickly fold and unfold in seconds and stow in a very small compartment makes the grappling anchor a good choice. You won’t see this anchor on charter boats, or any blue water sail boats.
During peak season it does not have enough mooring balls for everyone. I think you should study where they can anchor instead of the coral reef areas.
So queen mary 11 would stop coming to the BVI since she is too big for the pier and would usually anchored out in mr. Dreaks channel.
This whole ‘BVI Love’ campaign is so poorly thought out. You are putting a green leaf into the ad to show our ‘focus’ on conservation and ecology, yet we burn all our trash (countless single use plastic bottles and fiberglass from junk boats are being breathed in by tourist without their knowledge). Our ‘National Parks’ are used by locals to fish, catch lobster, conch and hunt goats despite laws set to restrict this activity. Houses and hotels located next to the sea have pipes that dump raw sewage right into the water. Developers are allowed to fill in salt ponds and dump additional sand on top of mangroves in the name of capitalism.
Natures Little Secret is going to be tourists finding out about all this mess and leaving. We need to clean up our act before running ads telling everyone how GREEN we are.
The idea of No Anchor Zones is a good one and has worked in St John. BUT this is not something you just announce and walk away from. This should take planning, discussions with the marine industry and creation of infrastructure to support this (at least a year for implementation and communication). A blanket statement saying ‘No Anchoring in the BVI’ is S-T-U-P-I-D. This is going to be one more thing that gets enforced on tourists and then a blind eye is turned to locals – one more straw on the camels back to kill boat tourism.
Madness! How difficult is it to consult local charter companies, and all the other businesses this would effect… should one not be educated in the subject before bringing such a ridiculous plan to the table.
What about boats registered here that are too big for a mooring? There are other island’s to charter who embrace new businesses.
The revenue alone this industry drops in the governments bank account is huge. Why does nobody recognize this!
We need a person who is educated in such matters to take the drivers seat on this, sorry but your just adding stress to an already stressed community with this nonsense, we’re not Disney world.
This is exactly what I was just talking about! They are doing this to ruin the economy and push all the ex-pats away. Great. I’ll just go back to SA then…
THIS GUY WHATLEY IS OUT OF TOUCH PEOPLE DOND’T HAVE TO COME TO THE BVI IT HAVE OTHER PLACE THEY CAN GO
BUT THEY LOVE THE BVI IT IS A UNIQUE PLACE ALL THESE PEOPLE CHARTER YACHTS AND GO ISLABD HOPPING THEY COME ON SURE TO BUY GROEIES THEY ALSO COME TO THE BARS AND RESTAURANT ALL THAT IS MONER FOR YOU COUNTRY WITH NO CUSE SHIP WHAT ARE U GOING TO DO THINK.