For the first time in the parliamentary history of Anguilla, two persons holding no membership in the House of Assembly were called upon to present addresses at the first readings of draft bills for passage into law. The occasion was on Thursday, March 19th. The unusual event was heralded by Leader of Government Business, Chief Minister Osbourne Fleming, who has responsibility for Environment.

Members of the Government side of the Anguilla House of Assembly

The two non-members were Pastor Phillip Gumbs of the Church of God of Prophecy (Holiness), council member of the Anguilla National Trust; and Karim Hodge, Director of Environment.

Pastor Gumbs, speaking at the first reading of The Anguilla National Trust Bill (2008), said that according to the Act the principal objects of the Trust are: to provide for the permanent preservation, for the benefit of Anguilla, of lands of beauty and buildings of historical or archaeological interest; to maintain and manage lands and open spaces or places of public resort and buildings, for purposes of public recreation, resort or instruction; to promote the preservation of buildings of public interest or architectural, historic or artistic interest and places of natural interest or beauty and the protection and augmentation of the amenities of such buildings and places and their surroundings; to promote preservation of archaeological and cultural artefacts, having national, historic, artistic or cultural interest; and to promote the access to any enjoyment of such lands, buildings and places, by the public.

Pastor Phillip Gumbs

He said the original National Trust Act placed significant focus on the preservation of land, culture, and cultural artefacts; and that it was written at a time when there was no Department of Environment, when Fisheries and Agriculture were managed under one director, and when the idea of sustainable development was just starting to take hold without a true understanding of how it would work on a small island. He stated that much had changed since then and that the most important change to the Act was perhaps the revision of the objectives of the Trust. “If we are to be successful, we need to be grounded in legislation that recognises our unique position and potential to act on a sustainable development mandate. Thus, the Anguilla National Trust Bill.”

Mr. Karim Hodge

The other non-member who addressed the House, Karim Hodge, spoke at the first reading of the Trade in Endangered Species Bill (2008) and the Biodiversity and Heritage Conservation Bill (2008). Mr. Hodge outlined the Biodiversity and Heritage Conservation Bill as follows: It will permit the establishment of protected areas and well managed buffer zones, on land and in the sea for a variety of purposes, including sanctuaries for endangered species, protection of wrecks, protection of landscapes and seascapes as well as parks where Anguillians and visitors alike can enjoy the nature of Anguilla’s past; it will permit and protect voluntary conservation projects by owners of private land; it will protect endangered, threatened and vulnerable species, whether in protected areas or not and whether on land or sea or other aquatic ecosystems and; it will enhance the protection of Anguilla’s past by safeguarding buildings and sites of prehistoric and historical value orsignificance.

Mr. Hodge noted that the establishment of new protected areas, and the regulation of them by law, required public consultation and in no way threatened any individual’s land ownership rights.

Opposition Members Hubert Hughes and Edison Baird

On the question of the Trade in Endangered Species Bill, he said it addressed another complementary threat to the survival of wild life species of animals and plants. He pointed out that these were not limited to Anguilla, but were shared by the world, namely, the international trade in those species and products derived from plants and animals.

Mr. Hodge continued, “It must also be emphasised that biodiversity and heritage conservation are in essence protection and effective management of the physical, cultural and historic cultural resources so integral to our development and identity.

Comprehensive School students and teacher at House of Assembly along with Farrah of National Trust

“Every Anguillian needs to understand and embrace the challenges of protecting the environment, which will be a permanent aspect of most of what we do as a country in the immediate future. Most importantly, we must rise to the challenges of the planetary emergence posed by climate change and its symptoms to ensure that all species live on.”

A number of students from the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School were present for the presentation of the three environmental bills.

| Printer-friendly page | Send this article to a friend |

World News