Gov’t not doing things to get rid of marine industry — Premier
The government’s intention has never been to do things to get rid of the marine industry, Premier Andrew Fahie has said.
The Premier expressed that the marine industry has recently been rebounding, with cruise ships and bare boats coming back to the territory in great numbers.
The territory’s leader said this is despite what naysayers had been saying at the height of the pandemic.
“You can take a picture of any harbour now and it is littered with yachts the very yachts they told us would not come back,” the Premier said.
He reiterated that there will be an upcoming forum to address concerns held by members of the marine industry.
Part of the reason for this, he said, was to ensure persons doing commercial sailing are properly registered in addition to being licensed and insured.
He said this was one of the concerns that arose when the industry was audited recently.
“We cannot look at these things lightly, we are not doing them to try to get rid of the marine industry like some persons are out there permeating in the atmosphere,” Premier Fahie said.
He added that measures are being taken to assist with safety concerns and said the government is working with industry stakeholders to do so in a timely manner.
Copyright 2024 BVI News, Media Expressions Limited. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.
It’s not what you do or say but how you do it or say it. Get off your high horse and stop being a bul@$*
We with you premier
“littered with yachts”? Kinda shows how he feels about them, doesn’t it? Boats can, will, and have been leaving the territory due to the BS. I suspect this will only get things going faster.
All of the yachts have left for better shores. Regulations, fees, guns and dogs raids have all made them leave
They are here in the USVI and we thank you for it
I read that in 2019 the BVI was to become a major technology hub. Hahahahahaha
Consider placing all license , safety ,fishing license in one central convenient location. Create 1 page form , enter all information into the computers and avoid filling out a new form every year. Issue 2 year adhesive sticker to show boat is in good standing. Smile and be courteous.
So he just says the opposite of the truth? Like how the BVI isn’t a laundromat and is a tourist haven first?
Fahie has scared away foreign boaters. And kept them away. They are not coming back. We have lost them for good
Remember what he said – it’s all about money that he thinks the marine industry magically creates. How absurd.
That sector has suffered enough
Dear Mr.Fahie, Never ever,ever confuse Cruise Ships with the Marine industry
Mr Premier I invite you to come to [the marinas] one day and speak to the owners of the marine industry businesses in person. Ask them to show you their accounting records for the season. Ask them to speak to you about what has changed as a result of your administration. Ask the business owners to share with you the written testimonials from customers who have specifically stated their reasons for NEVER returning to the BVI. I know every business here has these emails from their clients. Ask them to tell you the result of your task force waking up their guests at dawn with machine guns and dogs to ask for their “Papers”. YOU SIR ARE OUT OF TOUCH.
He doesn’t want to get rid of the marine sector, he just wants to get rid of the people who run it. Too bad one can’t exist without the other.
This is a bold faced lie. When is the last time the Premier met with the industry? It doesn’t take a genius to look around and see what is going on.
Intention doesn’t matter anyway. He IS getting rid of the industry. Speak to any of the briefings crew or the international broker community and see what their opinions of the BVI are. They are not coming back. New investors won’t even consider the BVI and old ones are accepting huge losses just because they want their money out.
The goose can’t breathe.
@USVI, You don’t have much in sailing destinations so once we get rid of this government it won’t be long before they are back in the BVI so enjoy it while you have it.
The premier doesn’t realize that the majority of the owners of charter companies are voters, citizens of this territory; make that disgusted voters. A lot of the employees of these companies, which depend on them for paychecks, are also voters. Ignore the needs of the this pillar of the economy at your peril!!
The marine industry is so much bigger than you think and if anyone in this administration would stop to try and understand how important the marine industry is to this territory, they wouldn’t come up with legislation that is self sabotaging. Beyond the bareboat charter companies and cruise ships there are small boat rentals, ferries, water taxi’s, fishing charters, dive companies, marina’s, boatyards,private cruisers, tour excursions are just to name a few. The ancillary benefits from the marine industry to super markets,sister island restaurants and business,laundromats,sail repair,chandleries,boat repair businesses, brokers, agents…etc is immeasurable. I don’t want to be exhaustive but hopefully you are getting the picture. We need to make legislation that will help the industry WHILE maintaining international standards of compliance.The BVI is unique but there are other places with better airports, easier access and governments who are doing whatever they can to get the business that we are FORCING out. If you kill the goose how many of us can feed of that dead bird?
Some one in the BVI Govt with an allergy to white people has decided that the marine industry needs more space for BVI people. Here is the the thing – there has always been space for BVI people to own companies and operate boats and there are some very successful power boat rental and day charter companies owned by BVIslanders BUT the Governments have never done anything to encourage children into hospitality or tourism. Do they teach them to swim? Do they support marine sports?
Nope, they have always been happy for the marine industry to be run by others and tax it thinking that it was beneath them.
Now someone has woken up and realized that there is not enough money for lifetime jobs in Govt so they need to find a way to make the second-largest income provider to the Govt be a major job provider. In the meantime F, W and S have approached the revenue & legislation changes in the biggest big-headed way possible. There may be boats ‘littering’ the bays but this is from companies and people that over 20 – 40 years of time and money invested in the BVI. Those who aren’t as tied in have left or started alternative operations in the USVI.
Many of these same people are ‘brothers’ in the same lodges as our Govt brothers – which makes you wonder how long this resentment has been brewing before they decided to stab their ‘brothers’ in the back
Upon reading the following, you will be hating even more.
The marine industry should be owned and operated by by Black local people. It is their lands, seas and sand.
Are you fuming yet?
Our local marine industry is sending all its unemployed sailors to the BVI now because there is no work here.
There is no deterrent to BVIslanders being in the marine industry and many are – the only one they aren’t so much is the Bareboat industry but there is nothing stopping them starting a company. As for jobs – there are many BVIslanders but more from other Carribbean Islands and UK, SA, USA.
The problem is kids growing up aren’t encouraged to be part of the industry. How many dress as a charter boat captain for career day???
The local Marine sector has ALWAYS been open to black and local ownership. Anyone can invest and be an owner. For me to be a part the Sector, it took a Trade License, work permits, vessel compliance, etc, not all of which are required of BVIslanders. It took experience, training, and licenses, all of which are available to BVIslanders, some of whom have made the effort, and possess the same.
And then it took investment, about $500,000, to buy and equip the boat and get into the business. It did not take me being white, or an ex-pat, which are simply incidental.
There are any number of BVIslanders who have equal or greater resources. You have only to look at houses, cars, and businesses to know this is so! Take some of that cash, and get into the Marine sector. Bring lots of commitment and dedication, because it’s hard work!
But DO NOT scream that blacks and BVIslanders are excluded, because it is only a reluctance to do the homework and make the investment that keeps anyone out. And don’t expect anyone to do all that is required to start and be a part of the Marine sector, and then hand it over to a local who refuses to do the same! That is not how life works, and to believe that it is would be the height of entitlement, with a good dash of racism thrown in.
Mr Fahie may not want to drive the Marine sector out, but his actions are accomplishing that.
Following the BVI Tourism presentation at December‘s superyacht show in St. Thomas, and overwhelming majority of yacht captains pledged never to go back to the BVI due to the government’s lack of knowledge and transparency about their own requirements for commercial vessels entering the territory. To give precedence to credit card captains renting bare boats over professionally crewed vessels is laughable. The path to running in BVI is not even fully understood by those enforcing it. BVI is shooting itself and its foot for not getting organized and encouraging inter-departmental communication within the government. They see it as a cash grab and would rather not deal with the incompetence of the GVI.
Audit the BVI commercial vessels. I bet 100 percent of the vessels are NOT licensed for international travel from the BVI government and they make up their own rules. Full double standards period!