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| No access towards Sab Wisha |
I make no apologies for the statement that Ferguson
John, Rufus Bousquet and Lorne Theophilus are all one of the same breed of politicians,
period. They were there for their self-aggrandizement - three visionless, mindless and incompetent mercenaries who embarked on a mission, to my mind, with no purpose and interest of the Choiseul/Saltibus
constituency at heart. Prove me otherwise if you can.
However, if we stretch it along party lines, that
may not be the cry you will hear. For the Flambeaus you will hear the Rufus has
been the best thing Choiseul has ever seen since JMD Bousquet. The Etoiles shouted
that Fergy did more for Choiseul than Rufus ever did. On both sides you will
hear that Lorne was the worst Rep this Constituency has ever seen - pas mwen
kee de e! His margin of defeat at the last general elections by a newbie attests to this.
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| Present state of the Pond |
My inspiration for writing this piece, though I had
decided to take a break (work piling on my a… like an avalanche) came from a
discussion I had with a “potential entrepreneur” whom I have time for. When he
uttered, “Boy I can solve the Choiseul Fisheries’ Pond problem.” This sent my mind into overdrive. After we had
discussed numerous political issues (I am rather cold these days) which he considers
of paramount importance, he went on to mention
that the sand mining which is done under the guise of unblocking the Fisheries’ Pond
is doing more harm than good to Choiseul. Just as soon as the cleaning is
done, it’s back to square one AGAIN. A recurring decimal? Hmmmm! He got my
attention here for sure!!!!
The state of the Fisheries Complex Pond is an outcry. Sand mining is dangerous. The mining of the pond sand is a direct cause
of erosion along the western shorelines of Choiseul. It is very damaging to the beach fauna and
flora, ruinous to beach aesthetics, and frequently causes environmental damage
to other coastal ecosystems associated with the beach.
Have you ever considered walking from the village
beach to Sab Wisha along the beach - An impossible task! Where has all the sand
gone? Ask the Fisheries Complex Management. People, we are losing our beaches day by day, bit by bit, to this indiscriminate sand mining at the complex.
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| More distress for fishers |
Problems caused by beach sand mining include:
destruction of natural beaches and the ecosystems they protect (e.g. dunes,
wetlands), habitat loss for globally important species (e.g. turtles,
shorebirds), destruction of nearshore marine ecosystems, increased shoreline
erosion rates, reduced protection from storms, tsunamis, and wave events, and
economic losses through tourist abandonment and loss of coastal aesthetics.
The threats posed by sand mining are made even
more critical given the prospect of a significant rise in global sea level over
the coming decades…….. In many cases, addressing the issue of sand mining
requires addressing the local issues that allow it to persist. This includes
poverty, corruption, and unregulated development…….”
We are in serious dodo if this sand mining of the
pond continues and the contractor going away with the sand instead of redistribution
it along the shoreline. Generations to come will have no beach.
Discussions were still going on among the locals
as how best to build this complex when Fergy in his haste to win votes allowed
to the project to go ahead. Rufus another blind mouse, instead of finding a
solution to the problem invested in an excavator and truck to get rid of the
sand in the pond. During that time the beaches were already getting lost. Lorne,
in spite of his so called love for
tourism watched the beaches further deteriorate
while all he did was encourage more frequent sand mining in the pond.
So my good friend says he can solve the problem.
He says what is needed is dredging. He believes that whatever equipment is
used it must be able to enter deep into the sea. However I forgot to ask him what guarantee he has that this will work? And what is he doing
to ensure that he gets the contract? Choiseulians, Fishers, there may be hope.
We of the Choiseul/Saltibus Constituency and
more specifically the fishers have been taken for a ride for too long with
Fergy, Rufus and Lorne who never had the vision to solve this perennial problem at the fisheries' pond - Three Blind Mice.
The ball is now in Bradley’s Court. I look forward to see this "potential enterpreneur's" ideas taken seriously to remedy this situation in the village. But it still remains of great concern to me - what theory/proof that his method will work?
