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An investigation has been launched to determine whether operators of a popular reef tour boat in Tobago broke the Buccoo Marine Park rules before sinking at No Man's Land over the weekend.
Buccoo Reef Management Committee chairman Allan Stewart said an emergency meeting was convened on October 6 between his team and officials at the THA Division of Food Security, Natural Resources, the Environment and Sustainable Development.
On October 5, a video of a sunken reef boat began circulating online showing passengers dressed for what appeared to be a party. In the short video, filmed at night, a voice could be heard appealing to passengers to "balance the boat.”
Later, another voice was heard saying, “Fellas upstairs, allyuh start to move off of the boat fast. People allyuh move faster than this please, we have a serious situation. Move faster, faster. Move like allyuh have life in allyuh body.”
Stewart said his team received a report that a vessel had sank. He said the area it happened was shallow so there was no harm to anyone.
“There was an emergency meeting that was held to get a sense of what took place and how we would proceed. There is an investigation that is on its way to determine whether there were any breaches of the guidelines, the regulations and the law.”
He added: “One of the salient points is that the time that the vessel was in No Man's Land, the park is supposed to be closed at 6 pm, so that vessel would have broken certain rules and regulations concerning the movement of vessels in and out of the park.”
[caption id="attachment_1182850" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Buccoo Reef management committee head Allan Stewart -[/caption]
The division’s Assistant Secretary Nigel Taitt told Newsday he was still awaiting a report on the incident. Taitt said he preferred not to comment until he got the report.
THA Minority Leader Kelvon Morris said he is deeply concerned about the growing number of adverse incidents occurring at the Buccoo Marine Park. The Buccoo Reef, he said, is one of Tobago’s most precious assets, a symbol of the natural beauty and the lifeblood of many Tobagonians.
In the last year, there have been reports of a number of fights among reef tour operators and even a bloody brawl at No Man's Land in July aboard a reef boat.
Morris said, “Unfortunately, under the current Farley Augustine administration, the Buccoo Reef Marine Park Bill has been neglected and left behind. The People’s National Movement intends to change that, since the two current TPP MPs are a complete waste of time.”
​The vision, he said, is to make that bill the cornerstone of a modern, structured, and sustainable system for managing the Buccoo Reef Marine Park.
“This vision is about putting Tobagonians first by ensuring that everyone, from reef tour operators and vendors to fisherfolk and visitors, can benefit in a safe, fair, and sustainable way.”
The approach, he said, will strike a balance between life and livelihoods by protecting the life of the reef while preserving the livelihoods of the people who depend on it.
“Even now, there are simple steps we can take to improve order and public confidence at the reef. We can introduce uniforms for all operators and vendors, create proper certification systems, and provide customer service and safety training for everyone who works there.
"These quick wins will immediately lift the image of the Buccoo Reef and show that Tobago takes pride in its people and its product.”
He said, “We want the Buccoo Reef Marine Park to stand as a model of responsible development that shows the best of Tobago: order, opportunity, and respect for the environment.”
He said it is time for “government, community, and stakeholders to improve the visitor experience, strengthen supervision, and put systems in place that promote safety, structure, and pride. By doing so, we will protect this national treasure for future generations of Tobagonians to enjoy.”
 
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