Soualiga United members, from left: Jean Hodge, Emile Lake, Agnès Alexander and Jules Charville. Missing from photo is Paines Alum. (Photo: Robert Luckock)
MARIGOT–The Collective Soualiga United announced Friday it has closed the channel at Le Galion between the pond and the bay which it said has been polluting the sea water, eroding the beach and preventing swimming since Hurricane Irma.
The closure came about following negotiations between Soualiga United, Conservatoire du Littoral and Réserve Naturelle. According to the Collective, it was not clear if the channel had opened as a result of the hurricane, or if it had been opened on purpose. It added closing the channel apparently conflicted with the Réserve’s plan to erect a bridge over the channel.
Jules Charville said the Collectivité’s fourth Vice-President Steven Patrick had for the past nine months attempted to get the channel closed unsuccessfully and passed the matter on to Soualiga United which organised a meeting at the beach to inform the population of the situation and get its support.
“We had two meetings with Conservatoire and Réserve Naturelle, one on the November 8 and the second on November 23,” explained Charville. “After some tough negotiations they agreed to close it but then financing was needed and that led to more negotiations with all the parties. Finally, on Wednesday we got the final agreement on the terms and who pays for what.
“There had also been a bidding process to choose a contractor to do the work. That went to Julien Brooks from French Quarter and the excavating work started Wednesday and finished on Friday. The Collectivité is paying Brooks for the work.”
Added Emile Lake: “We want the population from both sides of the island and French Quarter to know that the channel is closed and that they can come to the beach to enjoy the Christmas holidays. This is a gift. And we will shortly be having a clean-up campaign here.”
As part of the agreement, access over the closed area is by foot only. Rocks have been placed to prevent cars crossing onto the other side.
Soualiga United hailed the outcome as a victory. Member Agnès Alexander said the channel issue only added to frustrations for French Quarter residents whose traditional activities are prohibited in the Réserve.
“This is the only beach where French Quarter people have unrestricted access to,” she said. “If the Réserve wants to revive the pond, okay, but the locals can’t swim because of the pollution, they can’t fish, no shrimp fishing, no drones, no jet skis. All of that is banned, except surfing and we don’t do that in our culture. We understand the Conservatoire and the Réserve are promoting nature and protecting the environment and we are not against projects, but they have to work in harmony with the local population, respect us and our culture.”
Charville said arguments put forward by Soualiga United during negotiations may lead to the Réserve easing some of the restrictions.
Director of Réserve Naturelle Nicolas Maslach who agreed to the closure said the pollution problem had been caused by green algae, a product of insufficient treatment by the former French Quarter waste water plant. And mangroves that would normally have created a natural barrier in the pond were destroyed during Irma.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/83729-soualiga-united-closes-channel-at-le-galion
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