New Sandbar Regulations Welcome but Overdue
The recent announcement by Government of new regulations concerning the commercial and recreational visitation of the North Sound Sandbar is a welcome development for several important reasons.
The Special Management Area that will be created around the Sandbar and the surrounding patch reefs will not only help preserve a popular destination for both tourists and residents alike, it will also help prevent a potential serious accident that was just waiting to happen in the minds of many watersports operators.
Once the Department of Environment demarcates the Management Area with orange cone buoys that will roughly follow the four-foot depth contour of the site, commercial vessels will be required to anchor outside the buoyed areas at all times.
Watersports operators have become increasingly frustrated with the general lack of order on the Sandbar. Some days see as many as 30 boats simultaneously at the location, with hundreds of people in the water and boats manoeuvring through crowd.
Boats are in constant danger of getting hit by other boats, as are the swimmers. At least one watersports operator thinks it is nothing short of miraculous that a serious or fatal accident hasn't occurred amongst the chaotic scene.
While some say these measures are long overdue,
it is important to acknowledge this vital step in protecting the
Sandbar and our tourists. What's more, it is impressive to note
the successful cooperation between the public and private sector
in formulating a plan that will be fair and effective.
Members of the Department of Environment, the Marine Conservation
Board, the Land and Sea Cooperative, the Cayman Islands Tourism
Associations and individual watersports operators all met to develop
the comprehensive regulations for the management of the area.
Although no one plan will make everyone
happy, by giving all the concerned parties a voice in the process,
the Government afforded the adopted measures with the greatest
chance for success.
The other important aspect of the new regulations concerns the
special restrictions of the Sandbar on weekend afternoons. A long-time
favourite recreational spot of residents on weekends, the location
has become so congested in recent years that many residents could
no longer enjoy going there.
Under the new guidelines, commercial vessels will not be permitted to utilize the Sand Bar after 1:00 pm on Saturdays and Sundays. On those afternoons, residents will have exclusive use of the Sandbar as well as the right to enter the Management Area in order to anchor.
Some watersports operators will no doubt complain about losing revenue from this regulation, but the Government has acted commendably to protect an asset that enhances the quality of its resident's lives, something that is all too often ignored in the business-minded times in which we live.
Of course, regulating the Sandbar and policing it are two separate matters. It's all well and good to issue these new edicts, but there will be difficulties in enforcing the measures if the public relies on the Government alone.
Most watersports operators will admit that there is a serious shortage of Marine Patrol vessels in light of the amount of boat traffic in the North Sound. As a result, violations of a number of environmental laws with respect to boaters are common, including the improper disposal of sewage and bilge contents.
It is therefore incumbent on responsible, law-abiding residents and watersports operators to ensure that the newly enacted regulations are adhered to by reporting infractions to the proper authorities. In this way, the Sandbar, and the whole North Sound, can be preserved as a place that both tourists and residents can enjoy for years to come.