Salt Cay, First Green Island in the Caribbean(??)
April 30th, 2008 by Barbara SoldiA few weeks ago I read on Travelmole Newswire about the Turks and Caicos islands (an archipelago of 40 islands and cayes located 914 kilometres from Miami southeast of the Bahamas), giving the Caribbean region its “first green island” as part of the government’s sustainable tourism program. Premier Michael Misick told journalists that “Any new development will be consistent with that philosophy (of sustainable development)”
The future green island is Salt Cay, once the center of the Bermudan salt industry. It is recommended as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and occupies a surface of 2.5 mile, which makes it one of the smallest of the 9 inhabited islands. I was curious about knowing more about the whole archipelago, so here follows a brief overview of the development on the main islands, according to the Turks and Caicos tourism website (with some personal considerations):
1 - Providenciales (38 square miles) is the most developed island and the international flights hub. It offers superb beaches and all modern conveniences, including luxurious hotels, villas and condos, numerous restaurants, spas and shopping facilities, and a championship caliber golf course (please note that the islands have limited natural fresh water resources and private cisterns collect rainwater for drinking, which makes you wonder about the sustainability of such a golf course).
2 - Grand Turk (6 square miles) is the capital island of the Turks and Caicos, its historical heartbeat, and home to a state of the art luxury cruise ship center (about the sustainability of the cruise ship industry I would recommend reading Chapter 8 of Leo Hickman, The Final Call)
3 - North Caicos (41 square miles) has undergone a development transformation, with several luxury resort properties underway. It is evolving as a ‘getaway’ from the more developed Providenciales and boasts the largest flock of Pink Flamingos in the islands (they surely must be thrilled about the island’s transformation!)
4 - South Caicos (8.5 square miles) is the fishing capital of the islands and attracts visitors for its fishing, birdlife, history, fresh seafood dishes and diving. (we can only hope that there are some fishing and diving regulations…)
5 - The largest of the islands, Middle Caicos is 48 square miles of natural beauty. Frigate Bird colony resides on south side of the island and you will also find Flamingos, Egrets, Sand Pipers. A large blue hole just offshore in shallow water features an abundant variety of marine life. The island’s Northwest Point is a combination of beautiful inlets, marshes, mangroves and in land ponds, which serve as a haven for bird life. (This sounds to me like a perfect green island! Any sustainable development plan for this one?)
6 - Parrot Cay is a thousand acre island hosting the ultra luxurious and very private vacation hideaway Parrot Cay Resort and Spa, called by some the world’s most exclusive resort. Movie stars enjoy the solitude and anonymity (bless them!)
7 - Pine Cay had no permanent population until The Meridan Club was built here in the 1970s. It is a privately owned island and the club presents itself as ‘an environmentally sensitive resort. From their website: ‘Barefoot informality, sensitivity to the natural environment and a commitment to strictly regulate development compliment an alluring tropical setting’.
8 - Ambergris Cay was uninhabited for nearly five centuries. Now approximately 100 estate sites from one to ten acres are offered through the Turks and Caicos Sporting Club development. Also here, they say an environmentally sensitive and sustainable development plan is being strictly adhered to. Amenities will include a small five-star hotel and spa, yacht club, comprehensive concierge services and extensive security. Access is limited to a deep water marina and a runway suitable for corporate jets.
There are also two cayes once inhabited which are now under development: West Caicos will become the future home of the most exclusive Ritz Carlton community in the world, and Dellis Cay is currently under contract to the O Property Collection for the development of a multi-use property which will be run by the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group.
With this broader picture in mind, I feel the government should show a more serious commitment in the preservation of this environmentally sensitive archipelago, a part of which was designated a Ramsar site in 1990 (the Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, vital for the preservation of the coasts from hurricanes and of the aquatic and bird life), and yet it seems that nothing can stop development, with international hotel groups buying whole cayes and making them off-limits by the locals but accessible to corporate jets.
The islands are presently a British overseas territory and their economy is based on tourism, fishing, and (suprise!) offshore financial services. By a nation that is so proud in lining up amongst the world leading countries in the fight against environmental exploitation and for a more equitable distribution of the wealth you would expect some more radical initiatives than ‘the dedication of a wee island to sustainable development’.
Resources:
Article on Travelmole Newswire
Turks and Caicos islands on Wikipedia
Turks and Caicos tourism website
May 2nd, 2008 at 12:38 am
The only “green” the Premier has in mind for Salt Cay’s future is the money that will line his and his Russian and Czech buddies. For someone who had nothing when he came to power, he is a multi-millionaire who has sold islands such as Salt Cay to unscrupulous developers.
Find out about the marina for gigaboats and megayachts they want to build on Salt Cay…it will cut the island in half; the salinas will be lost forever and drain into the ocean; habitats will be lost and it will be totally against the will of the people who live there.
The TCI need help to prevent the rape of the country.
June 5th, 2008 at 10:56 pm
Salt Cay is currently in the sights of a Slovakian funded company based in Provo. The island that time forgot is under seige. Proposed development of this small island includes a 120-room hotel, an 18-hole golf course, a several acre spa, numerous high end residences, condos, touristo-type shops, and a marina to accomodate megs-yachts that will effectively cut the island in two. According to the developers, they already control up to 80% of the island and, undoubtably, have their sights set on the remaining 20%.
You are invited to discuss and plan for the proposed development by visiting Friends of Salt Cay, a Yahoo! group, that was formed by Salt Cay property owners and other interested parties. Our address is groups.yahoo.com/group/friendsofsaltcay. We invite you to become a member of the group if you have an interest in perserving Salt Cay as the unique island that it is, or to help control development.