I note with appreciation that the Tourism Development Company has published advisories setting out the terms and conditions that campers must observe if they are camping on certain beaches over the long Easter weekend. These advisories apply only to popular and easily-accessible beaches, and serve to protect the campers, other persons and the beaches themselves. Unfortunately, there are no rules or advisories to protect remote beaches, or the wildlife thereon, from campers andwhat campers may bring to these pristine places.
Last Easter, campers at Paria Bay on the North Coast, arrived by boat and brought in portable generators, floodlighting, and huge DJ systems. The noise from the DJ systems could be heard in the forest almost a mile away! The lighting affects the leatherback turtles that nest on Paria Beach.
The campers left loads of garbage all over the beach, including plastic sheeting which is eaten by the turtles. All of this was reported to representatives of the Environmental ManagementAuthority at a meeting held in Brasso Seco in September last year.
I am calling upon the EMA to issues advisories to campers who propose to camp on our remote beaches, instructing them that no generators, lighting or sound systems will be permitted. The EMA must also, now that they are advised of these activities, get out to the beaches and educate our people.
Why would anyone want to take all of that noise and lighting into pristine places like Paria?
Peter O'Connor
Cascade