Letter to the Editor

The Editor
The Anguillian

Dear Sir

I had the pleasure on Tuesday night of attending the very informative and well attended meeting concerning the relocation of the dolphin pool to Sandy Point.

I think both LDCC and Dolphin Discovery should be commended for a professional presentation and doing an excellent job of keeping the public informed. But I’m confused. Much time was spent discussing why the dolphins should remain in Anguilla (tourist dollars, transportation fees, etc.), but I heard no one object to having the dolphins in Anguilla - or even Blowing Point. Yes, questions were asked about the health and safety of the dolphins at Sandy Point, but these questions need to be asked. No one said the dolphins need to be removed from Anguilla.

The only objections I heard were the fact that the dolphins were going to be relocated into the sea on one of the irreplaceable beaches of Anguilla. Dolphin Discovery should be required to purchase land and build a pool just like was done with the original pool. The developers make a case that the dolphins are best kept in the sea, but let’s be honest - the construction costs of a sea pen are probably less than 10% of the cost of buying land and building a pool. Add to this the fact that Viceroy/Kor paid Dolphin Discovery a very large sum of money for the purchase of the present facility. Why can’t these funds be put back into the Anguillian economy in the form of another pool rather than the pockets of the developer? On the West End, developers are slowly taking over all the beaches. Do we now allow these foreign investors to start privatizing the sea?

I deeply care about Anguilla both today and in the future - Anguilla has been my only home for 7 years, and I serve on the Boards of the Anguilla National Trust, the Wallblake House and the Archeological Society because I truly care about the future of this island. But please, let’s not get sidetracked about the pros and cons of the dolphins in Anguilla - I think the figure of 97% in favor of a Dolphin Discovery in Anguilla is correct. What needs to be addressed is the privatization of the sea by developers, and the further curtailment of free access to the beaches of Anguilla

Thank you,
Steve Donahue
West End