A fight that occurred due to a misunderstanding or rumour has initiated a boycott of No Man’s Land and subsequently, all the caterers who depend on the tourist destination for their income. Whilst the fight initiated the action, there appears to be some consensus among stakeholders that the real reason for the boycott has more to do with the general managing of the changing environment, whereby No Man’s Land has been evolved from an area that was frequented by only a few persons on a daily basis, to a high population density area of domestic and international tourist activity.
Long-term solutions are on the horizon and there are still many opportunities to visit the beautiful peninsula in a manner that is safe, cheap and enjoyable, but a sober reflection on the unfortunate violent event must be had to reduce the likelihood of a recurrence.
Josiah Gloud is no stranger to the writer of this article. He generally has an extremely pleasant disposition and has been helpful to a wide variety of businesspersons at many of the major tourist destinations on the western end of Tobago.
In an interview for this article, Gloud stated that on the day in question he had facilitated a transaction between a jet ski operator and a Nylon Pool visitor who wanted to drive a jet ski for a short period. As is the norm, Gloud expected to be compensated for his services but the jet ski operator did not agree that in this particular case, payment of commission was in order.
A short-lived physical altercation resulted. The fight, in part, has been published on social media. Most of the people who were in the Nylon Pool boarded various glass-bottom boats after a while and headed to the No Man’s Land area for what had recently become the third leg of the public glass-bottom boat tours, which typically begin at 11 am and 2 pm on a daily basis.
On the unfortunate day at No Man’s Land, a rumour took root on the beach that Mr Gloud had a confrontation with another young man by the name of Captain Shiyeem Ramkissun. Like Gloud, Ramkissun was also interviewed for the purpose of this article and both young men agree that there was no altercation between them.
Ramkissun is not just a favourite among No Man’s Land businesspersons because of his positive attitude towards life, but also his reliability as a boat captain for several tourist vessels over the years. He is also well respected because his family played a central role in making No Man’s Land as popular as it is today. Ramkissun’s father was one of the first boat captains to take caterers to the peninsula on a daily basis to serve the hundreds of tourists who had already begun to visit regularly. Ramkissun’s stepmother (Jennifer Sherwood) was one of the first caterers to regularly serve the tourists who visit No Man’s Land.
Understandably, the rumour about the altercation between Shiyeem and Josiah (that never actually happened) sparked much indignation. A series of morbid altercations then escalated on the beach, unlike anything that had ever been seen before in remembered history. All this happened in the full view of many tourists whose vacation experience was ruined in part, if not whole, as a result.
Michael Frank is one of the most popular and celebrated glass-bottom boat owners in Tobago. He is very annoyed that the glass-bottom boat industry has to deal with negative public relations stemming from an incident that did not directly involve glass-bottom boats in general, or any of his vessels in particular.
As a result of the situation, however, Frank and several other glass-bottom boat owners made a decision to revert to the days when visiting No Man’s Land was an exception and not the norm for those going on public tours. The intent of the boycott is to regain a greater amount of control over the environment that visitors are exposed to during public tours.
Green Tobago Tours now generates over 80 per cent of its revenue through boat charters for both the Buccoo Reef, Nylon Pool, and No Man’s Land daytime tours, and the light show that is the late-night bioluminescence tours which are available on most nights in the Bon Accord Lagoon which is separated from the Nylon Pool area by the No Man’s Land Peninsula.
A group of visitors chartering one of dozens of glass-bottom boats available through Green Tobago Tours is an affordable solution to tourists who want to be able to have maximum control over the music being played, time spent at each location, and even the number of other visitors who will be present at each location. For those who may be a part of too small a group, or may just not be able to afford making chartering a feasible option, sustainable solutions must be identified if regularly visiting No Man’s Land during public tours is to be revisited.
Frank identified the upkeep of the Bon Accord Lagoon jetty (which is only a stone’s throw from No Man’s Land) as another area of concern, since most caterers who operate on the peninsula use that jetty to get to the otherwise difficult-to-reach beach area via small pirogues.
Jennifer Sherwood also stated that No Man’s Land caterers recognise the need to ensure that this beautiful area is kept clean, and stakeholders are looking into setting aside a day or two on a regular basis to a general clean-up of the area to ensure that this beautiful mangrove area stays clean, green and serene, helping to facilitate an atmosphere that would ensure that your next visit will be your safest and best experience ever.
