Marker buoys placed at North Coast beaches

Tourism Minister Chandresh Sharma took off his shoes, rolled up his dress pants and splashed into the shallow waters of Las Cuevas Bay on Wednesday to help lifeguards carry a new marker buoy out to sea. The Ministry of Tourism has commissioned marker buoys for the North Coast for the first time ever. Between Tuesday and Wednesday, three were installed at Maracas, two at Tyrico and three at Las Cuevas. This initiative was formally launched at Las Cuevas Bay on Wednesday.

The initiative aims at improving water safety for beachgoers. The buoys will help distinguish between areas designated for sea bathing and areas designated for sea vessels which will address possible incidents in the water involving pleasure craft, fishing vessels and sea bathers. 

Sharma felt confident that the project would be successful, saying his ministry had collaborated in planning the project with the Maritime Services Division, the Fisheries Division, the Coast Guard, the Tourism Development Company, the San Juan/Laventille  Regional Corporation and villagers from the respective communities. Seven other buoys will be placed at other beaches in Mayaro, Los Iros, Salybia and Quinam.

Delivering the feature address before heading into the water, Sharma boasted that T&T has one of the best safety records in the world on the beaches. He also confirmed that there were no reported incidents for the entire period of the wind surge which the Met Office said started last Saturday morning. The wind surge has been the cause of rough seas and waves sometimes in excess of ten feet along the north and east coasts.

The Met Office has warned people to remain alert as strong winds continue to agitate surfaces of the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. Sharma also reiterated the ministry’s commitment to create a more family-oriented environment on  beaches. “Sometimes you go on a beach and there are persons coming with huge DJ trucks and parking it up and disturbing others. We will be attending to that,”  he said. 

“We want to make sure when the family comes to the beach, they are in a family environment, that safety and concerns of a similar kind are treated with.”