Friends of the Earth-Grenada (Foe-G) was present on the Zoom consultation call and at the recent site visit carded for the Levera proposed development which was organised by the Parliamentary Representative for St Patrick East, Pamela Moses, in collaboration with the developers.
Representatives of many interest groups attended, thus indicating the importance of Levera to many Grenadians. Concerns were expressed by several attendees in relation to what is happening in the National Park. The first one is the proximity of the newly built village—which is said to be housing the construction workers when they arrive in the country—to the RAMSAR protected wetlands in Levera which was ratified on 11 June 2012. This is a varied area of valuable tropical marine ecosystems on the northeast of the island. It includes seagrass beds, coral reefs, and a freshwater pond in the caldera of an ancient volcano, surrounded by mangroves. The site provides support for wildlife and turtle nesting.
The second was the artist’s impression which has been widely circulated on social media. This shows a huge hotel being built on the beach where the turtles come to nest every year.
Foe-G has other concerns too:
Why are huge swathes of land being cleared for this project when it is clear that the CBI programme has not yet found all the money required for its construction? This is obvious since the call for investors is continuing and since Mr Frederick of the PPU announced on Thursday that no plans have been submitted yet for the resort.
As stated above, the RAMSAR site is invaluable to the ecological wealth of Grenada. As climate change threatens to increase the frequency and severity of storms, mangroves provide a stout defence against storm surge. Mangrove roots also provide habitats for fish and shellfish, crucial to sustainable livelihoods for coastal communities and contribute towards food security especially in the context of the present unpredictability of future trading. In fact, there’s a case to be made that mangroves are the most useful ecosystem on earth as they store more carbon than terrestrial forests. Once destroyed, they can’t simply be replanted. Mangroves actually hold the coastline in place, giving it its shape, once they are gone, the land erodes and tides and currents reshape the coastline, making it difficult or impossible for mangroves to grow back in their former habitats, so why are we so intent on destroying another vital ecosystem in Grenada?
In defence of the proposed project, Minister Moses hinted at the creation of 1,000 jobs in the local communities to service rooms and to keep guests happy, which would avoid the long journeys into St George for work and the culminating economic drain for those employees. Of course, employment is always a major issue in rural communities in Grenada but are we sure that those communities are willing to sacrifice this valuable ecosystem for the possibility of low paid work which might ultimately not be forthcoming if the demise of the previous proposed developments is anything to go by?
Mr Edward Niles, the person in charge of the team developing the EIA, invited interested parties to be part of the process of developing the report, however we sincerely hope this would not be another case of using the public to legitimise a process for what is apparently, an unsustainable development.
Friends of the Earth-Grenada
How can you relocate the turtles nesting sites which many turtle generations have known for centuries? It’s built in their DNA to return to the nesting sites. How can one single hotel be the prosperity of Grenada? Do you not see what the Covid pandemic is still doing? What about the other hotels on the island? How are they currently doing in these pandemic times? We are in the 21st century with advancement of technology and all there is to offer Grenadians is subservient jobs that will not pay decent wages without them working 7 days a week and long shifts to upkeep their family and enhance their livity. Why is there no investment in agriculture/schools/medical facilities it can be done if so-called investors were really interested in bringing Grenada up. Economic backwardness comes from a mindset that believes that this is the only way forward for Grenadians and the prosperity of Grenada. A luxurious hotel for foreign playboys is NOT the answer.
Chad – While I agree with you on some of your observations of Grenadians and their lifestyle. I cannot agree with you on the aspect of Tourism to provide long term sustainable jobs enabling Grenadians to lift their standard of living.
As we have seen since March of this year. Covid -19 have destroyed the tourism industry worldwide, with a huge increase of unemployment within this sector. Is it therefore worth destroying or even developing large scale leisure industries in close proximity to such valuable ecosystems?
You advise that Grenadians should embrace economic and technological progress. We all agree this s the way forward. But, if the intention is to bring jobs to the rural economy (the areas where food and agricultural production is greatest), why not invest in large Aggro-processing factories, the canning of fruits, processing of nutmeg and cocoa rather than exporting raw materials overseas, why not a large scale factory producing chocolate and it’s derivatives, these surely will give long term sustainable employment to Grenadians in the rural communities. It is understandable that some degree of pollution will necessary as a result, but these production industries can be sited away from the beaches, mangroves and ecosystems.
Most people and government of this earth are trying to save this planet. The majority of humans see the damage that is caused by slowly and at times rapidly destroying our planet. Most of us realize all the mistakes we made by helping to destroy the ecosystem. There are reason why plants, forest, birds exist. Nautal/nature gives of clean, unpollutrd air. Why do we insists on continuing to destroy for the same of greed. Foreigners are visiting to look at nature and the beautiful scene. As a Grenadian I would like to see the island preserve. Grenada need to help the young people by finding other means to get work for them. There is canning, (so much fruits and vegetables wasting) engineering, computers. We could CREATE AND MAKE LOTS OF THING FROM MANY RESOUCES. Why do we need to destroy and build to (think) it will bring more investments. MORE CRIMES IT WILL BRING AND I WILL NOT BE VISITING. I come to unwind from stress. USE ALL THE NATURAL RESOURCES YOU HAVE ON ISLAND TO BETTER GRENADA.
Not true.
I cannot speak for government planners, but what they probably are trying to do is balance the need to lift living standards for Grenadians (by providing a substantial number of additional hotel industry jobs) against the need to preserve undisturbed habitats for fish and turtles.
While the fish and the turtles are important, people are even more important. Do you want thousands of Grenadians to continue to live in squalour, dilapidation and disease? Or do you want them to have washing machines, modern toilets and showers, TVs, cell phones and plenty of tasty food and drink? You decide
Grenadians need to abandon their backward habits and tendencies — speaking broken English, being late for appointments (“Grenadian time”), and wasting their lives drinking, celebrating, and doing nothing (“liming”).
You should instead embrace economic and technological progress, which means giving a higher priority to tourism projects that bring more jobs and the money to build better lives and better homes, rather than fewer jobs and persistent poverty.
Small is not beautiful. Ecolodges and ecotourism seldom offer the jobs, tax revenues and international connections of conventional hotels. Save the turtles, the mangrove swamps and the coral reefs if you can, but the needs of ordinary people seeking higher incomes and a better life must come first.
Chad Chen I feel you’re disrespecting Grenadians. All the caribbean islands have their language albeit patios, local dilect as well as English. ALL countries have their language. The Chinese have different languages and dilects they also like to gamble and smoke – so you’re point being? Small is beautiful that’s why persons who do come to Grenada appreciate Grenadian culture and our beautiful island. Money gained from the selling of passports and international monetary funds need to be injected into Grenada giving Grenadians upgraded medical and educational institutions, well thought out skilled educational programmes. You talk as if you can guarantee jobs for the people of Grenada. This so-called complex will not be built by the hands of Grenadians but by many foreigners. How many Grenadians will get these jobs hmm? The only jobs you can speak of is jobs persons already do in their homes which is cleaning, change their bedding, washing, cooking and clear/plant their garden/yard. Give Grenada/Grenada a proper project that can uplift the children of the future.
You’ll come back again after failing you all attempts to stop the lagoon Road project
Why you hate our country and its people so ?
It’s time for our government to find more creative solutions to unemployment and diversify the base of economic investors. 1000 jobs at a project too large to succeed where Grenadians serve tourists or 100 sustainable jobs that work to ensure food security of our country? It’s time to change the approach and vision and work in harmony with our natural environment.
A development for by the Chinese for the Chinese. Yes some locals will get work but for how long and it most likely be the low skills positions. The China is filled with people ready to head to Grenada to live and work. It is a crying shame that our precious ecosystems are being destroyed, these people weren’t blessed to have what Grenada does, so they don’t respect it’s value and beauty, all they see is space for concrete monsters and the Yen that they will make from their people who will come in as visitors.
Why is the Government allowing Grenada to be destroyed? It heartbreaking to see what’s happening.
None of the previously proposed projects for Levera involved a 500 room hotel – hence I am 100% sure no appropriate environmental impact assessment has been done.
In my opinion, no further works should be done at all until such a study has been completed and its recommendations fully embraced.
I pray something can be done before the complete destruction of our vital eco system begins. I often wonder why it is the government ask to decrease use of plastics and plastic product to save ,& protect the environment but are hell bent on destroy the very environment they ask us to protect.
There is no reason the precious, fragile ecosystem you talk about has to be destroyed. It is possible to build a modern hotel without uprooting mangroves or disturbing turtles. Or perhaps the turtle nesting sites can be relocated. Certainly, the coral reef can be protected.
Kneejerk environmental extremism is a recipe for economic backwardness and the perpetuation of hardship and misery. Wake up to the possibilities and opportunities of the modern world and try to build a future of prosperity for Grenada
Chad, what do you suggest be done to backward people?