Funds allocated to remove derelict boats from Sea Cow’s Bay Harbour

Third District representative Julian Fraser has revealed that the government has finally allocated funds to clear over 30 derelicts from the Sea Cows Bay Harbour, some eight years after the 2017 hurricanes destroyed them.

For years, residents in that district have protested about the unsavoury state of the Sea Cows Bay Harbour, forcing Fraser to make repeated calls for the government to remove derelicts to restore civic pride to the community.

At a recent community meeting, Fraser commended the Dr Natalio Wheatley administration, saying it has approved funds for the Recovery and Development Agency (RDA) to manage the project, which will involve the removal and disposal of the vessels.

“I must commend the Premier because it’s not like I threatened him and told him he had to take them out. He knew he had to do something, so he made the funds available,” Fraser said.

RDA’s Director of Program Delivery, Shaina Archer Smith, said a contractor will be employed to remove the vessels and make them safe by removing fuel or any hazardous gas that they may have. The contractor will also be tasked with scrapping the vessels and preparing parts for disposal or recycling locally or abroad.

“As part of our environment management requirements, we’ve also mandated that we clean debris up to 50 feet around each vessel. Each vessel is in different conditions — some are fully submerged, some are partially submerged. But it won’t just be about pulling out the boats, but we want to ensure we leave the environment in a much better condition,” Archer-Smith explained.

Though the boats are derelict, Archer-Smith said owners will be notified of the government’s intention to remove them from the harbour. A legal process will then follow, which will allow the government to assume ownership of the vessels so they can be legally disposed of.

In the meantime, Third District political aspirant Aaron Parillon, who was present at the community meeting, asked government officials whether the removal project would involve derelict cars that are currently in the harbour and on the dock.

In response, Archer-Smith confirmed that the project only covers the removal of the derelict boats, adding that there are no instructions to dredge the harbour after the boats are removed.