Town Hall Meeting on New Port Project Raises Stakeholder Issues

A safe space for fishermen, possible pollution, and the size of the new port were some of the concerns highlighted at a town hall meeting last Thursday.

The meeting was organized by the Port Project team to update residents on the project that is about to get on the way.

During the standing-room-only event at the Cultural Centre Meridian Project Manager Peter Wattenhofer, Government of Montserrat Project Manager Rawlson Patterson and Stantec Engineer Robert Bodarge gave updates on the status of the project.

Patterson told the audience that the 130meter pier would have expansion capabilities by another 40 feet if required in the future to accommodate larger vessels.

He also announced that the Government of Montserrat is moving ahead with plans to supply fishermen with brand new boat trailers to help them relocate once dredging of the habour has commenced.

Wattenhofer reported that two colonies of corals will be relocated for their protection before the dredging is scheduled to start, deepening the channels around the present pier and the new one.

He said the port will be a closed structure that will offer some shelter for vessels on the inside or southern side, and a bouy 40 meters out to accommodate ships longer than the length of the pier.

It was pointed out with some degree of concern that some of the cruise ships that have visited Montserrat this year measure up to 187 meters in length.

Head of the Programme Management Office Martin Parlette sought to allay those fears, by disclosing that the cruise ship companies were consulted and were comfortable with the length of the new pier.

The fishermen, who were well represented at the meeting raised concerns about the absence of a safe space for them to operate at the new structure and made useful recommendations on how this can bead dressed with an adjustment to the design.

A dynamic discussion was also generated, in relation to concerns about the social and economic impact of the project on the community, as Little Bay is regarded as a social and entertainment area where several small businesses operate.

It was pointed out that there is a grievance and redress mechanism built into the project, while funds will be available as compensation for anyone who is affected.

Concerns were also raised about the quality of the water in the harbour post-construction period, given that the new port will be a closed structure which may lend itself to being polluted

Meridian and the Government of Montserrat announced that similar meetings will be held each month in different communities across the island.

This is to ensure that the views of members of the public will be taken on board as the construction of the new port progresses.