Readers will recall a few months back when I visited the Turks and Caicos Islands and learned about a rather shady, government-endorsed development plan that involved dredging a Dubai-style, artificial island smack in the middle of a marine protected area there. The Star Island project was perhaps the most visible part of a more massive development plan consisting of luxury homes, high-end marina, cruise ship dredging, and other coastal modifications all within protected waters and near healthy coral reef systems.Word from the Islands this weekend, however, is that permission to continue dredging activity on Star Island has been revoked. In fact, it was found that the developers hadn't even followed correct procedure in the first place. I'd like to think that putting the spotlight on the government through a petition campaign by the Coral Reef Alliance as well as startling images of the project from the air posted by yours truly contributed to this decision. And of course the day-to-day efforts of conservationists and concerned TCI citizens also needs to be recognized.
However, don't pop the champagne cork quite yet. While activity on Star Island has halted, I suspect it just means there are lawyers charging lots of overtime and no doubt plenty of closed-door meetings with the Premier underway. Projects of this type don't often go gently into the good night. But at least the developers got a sense that TCI residents refuse to behave like sheep and that profit can't simply trump environmental common sense.
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