OMG Digital Magazine Issue 253 6th April 2017 COMPLETE | Page 45

OMG Digital Magazine | 253 | Thursday 6th April 2017 • PAGE 45
MORE RELIABLE
FERRY SERVICE NEEDED
Inter-island travel in recent weeks has been challenging
for passengers. The issue has also grabbed the
attention of the Tobago House of Assembly. Nadine
Stewart-Phillips, the Secretary of Tourism, Culture and
Transportation, said the Port Authority is currently
without a board of directors.
Stewart-Phillips said the Division is awaiting the
announcement of the new board, so that she can meet
with them to discuss solutions. “We’re cognisant of the
issues being faced and we will continue to aggressively
pursue and lobby for greater efficiency and reliability
of our transportation system,” she said during the post
Executive Council media briefing on March 22.
Stewart-Phillips said her understanding of the challenges
with the sea bridge allows for a more aggressive
approach to tackling the problem.
SPARRING: Instructors of the
Purple Dragon International
dojo demonstrate self-
defence techniques to
guests during the “Be Bold
For Change” discussion at
the Scarborough General
Hospital on Wednesday
(March 23, 2017), which
highlighted the issue of
violence against women.
THA SAYS
‘NO’ TO
STYROFOAM
The Tobago House of
Assembly has signaled its
intent to ensure Tobago
lives up to its motto: “Clean,
Green, Safe, and Serene”. The
Assembly last week (March
23) passed a motion to phase
out the use of polystyrene
(styrofoam), and to convene
a committee to source a more
environmentally-friendly
alternative for food packaging
in Tobago.
Secretary of Infrastructure,
Quarries and the Environment
Kwesi DesVignes said waste
management
and
the
preservation of Tobago’s
environment is a major
concern to the Assembly. “We
cannot take the environment
for granted,” he stated.
Styrofoam contributes to
waste on land, as well as
marine litter on beaches, and
harms marine life. DesVignes
indicated fish could become
toxic due to waste in the
ocean, which causes increased
mercury levels.
Secretary of Tourism, Culture,
and Transportation Nadine
Stewart-Phillips
supported
the motion, saying that the
Assembly recognises that “the
quality of our environment
greatly
influences
the
competitiveness
of
the
island’s tourism product”. She
added: “One can therefore
conclude that polystyrene has
implications for the livelihood
of our fisher folk, (and for) our
beaches, inland waterways,
and communities,” she said.
Stewart-Phillips noted that
Guyana has already banned
the use and importation of
Styrofoam products, while
island’s such as St. Vincent,
Dominica, and Antigua and
Barbuda are seeking to impose
restrictions on polystyrene
use in order to control waste
management.