Water taxi operators attend workshop

Counterpart Caribbean and representatives of the water taxi operators and wider community in Bequia organised a two-day workshop on “Caring for Our Coasts and Our Future” which was recently held at the Skills Training Building of the Rotary Club in Bequia.

Parliamentary Representative for the Northern Grenadines, Dr. Godwin Friday, opened the workshop with a keynote address that emphasised that the water taxi operators “have a valuable service to provide” and “they must take the bull by the horns, recognise the common interest, and organise!”.{{more}}

The workshop allowed participants to learn and interact with each other, while they designed an accreditation scheme that encourages water taxi operators to distinguish themselves by good practices in the market place. This special Caribbean Accreditation Scheme, as well as enhanced communications among water taxi operators in the Grenadines, will help businesses and the coastal environment to thrive.

The focus of the workshop was on ethical practices and laws governing the coastal areas of Bequia – especially the coral reefs — their restoration in the event of drastic damage created by bad storms and hurricanes, and user-friendly reporting procedures of other adverse conditions and activities. Participants at the workshop identified major reef species and their ecology, and discussed the effects of human interactions on these delicate ecosystems.

Participants also devoted time to reflection and to planning future activities in order to enhance their livelihoods while caring for their environment. An important collective decision was made during the workshop to officially form the “Bequia Water Taxi Association”. This organisation will be registered as a non-government organisation and will officially represent the water taxi operators of Bequia.