Dear Sir,

Allow me space to publish this letter of concern about our promotional beaches which are rapidly being destroyed. “Our beaches are and will continue to be the life blood of the Anguillian Economy for the foreseeable future. All our economic engines lie on the cost. Our beach assets stand foremost in our tourism promotions, yet we sit back and allow them to be destroyed.”

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All Anguillians at some time in our lives take pride in describing the thirty-five square mile rock on which we were born and are surviving. In promoting our country we describe its people, surroundings, service in the tourism industry, the list goes on and on and of course we brag and boast of its thirty-three white sandy beaches, which are now compromised due to, agencies charged with the responsibility continuously failing to serve public interest.

QUESTIONS: If we are so proud of the thirty-three beaches that God has given us to enjoy, why do we sit back, relax and let some be destroyed? Is it because of their location? Is it because we don’t care, or don’t want to be at the forefront of stopping this criminal behaviour?

Come on! It is high time that something be done about the Windward Point Beach that is so rapidly becoming a long stretch of grey, pointy and sharp rocky, used to be beach.

Before the passage of Hurricane Omar this beach was badly sand-mined. Walking or doing anything was a problem as there was barely any sand on the beach.

Nature took its course and the sand was replaced. Now, we are back to square one. The “beach – takers” are off to making this beach a rocky piece of land. And for those of you who care to know, there was once a little pond a few yards away from the beach. It is no longer there. The sea has already taken it. It is my prayer that nature doesn’t shorten the length of Anguilla due to negligence of letting Windward Point be destroyed by man.
QUESTIONS: Are those in authority allowing this to happen because of the location of this beach? Do we need hotels or frequent tourist at Windward Point for this to halt?

If the seas were to ever get any higher than they usually are then we will see the danger of allowing the “beach-takers” to do what they are illegally doing. The sand is supposedly being removed from the beach at night, taken in land and during the day transported to buyers.
When this sand is used to build anything, those persons using it will see the results in years to come.

In writing this letter I was made aware of the fact that Windward Point Beach is protected under the Beach Protection Act and the Beach Protection Regulations along with seventeen other beaches. Government and its agencies and those in authority are in breach of law in allowing this to occur and more so continue. I would recommend that the government be aware of similar issues in the British Virgin Islands, our sister territory, where Government was taken to court by a group of concerned citizens and won.

I am appealing to ALL persons in authority to come together, make this issue a priority and cease the sand mining in Anguilla with immediate effect as there is danger in sand mining.

Respectfully
Born, Concerned Anguillian

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