SAVE ST. THOMAS BAY BEACH-VIRGIN GORDA

St. Thomas Bay Beach is one of the most popular beaches on Virgin Gorda because of its clear blue waters, white clean sand and central location.  This is such a naturally attractive beach that it is common to see cruise ship visitors that disembark onto the ferry dock who choose to just  spend their day right at this beach.   Virgin Islands Search and Rescue (VISAR) uses this beach for their swimming program that teaches kids to swim during the summer time and exercise enthusiast enjoy walking/running from one end of the beach to the other. We feel that this project will disturb the natural structure of this beach and some of these activities will no longer be possible.

St. Thomas Bay Beach is one of the most popular beaches on Virgin Gorda because of its clear blue waters, white clean sand and central location.  This is such a naturally attractive beach that it is common to see cruise ship visitors that disembark onto the ferry dock who choose to just  spend their day right at this beach.   Virgin Islands Search and Rescue (VISAR) uses this beach for their swimming program that teaches kids to swim during the summer time and exercise enthusiast enjoy walking/running from one end of the beach to the other. We feel that this project will disturb the natural structure of this beach and some of these activities will no longer be possible.

Dear Sir,

We the undersigned are against the construction of a fisherman%u2019s ramp on St. Thomas Bay Beach in The Valley, Virgin Gorda and we are requesting that the following issues be addressed:

1. BEAUTIFICATION: St. Thomas Bay Beach is one of the first impressions of Virgin Gorda for visitors arriving via boat, therefore any development made to this beach should be for the purpose of beautification and enhancement purposes only, including:  paving of the road leading to the beach, providing adequate parking, designating a local craft stall area, planting of trees, and upkeep of thatched beach bohios.   

2. INSTALLATION OF GATE:  Absolutely no vehicles should be allowed access onto the beach. Presently vehicles are driving on the sandy area of the beach for parking and pulling boats out of the water.  These activities are particularly destructive because it causes disturbance (rutting) of the beach by the vehicle tracks.  These tracks eventually destroy the natural beauty of the sand since they cannot be easily renewed by tide and wind action.  The installation of a locked gate with an access path for pedestrians will help to eliminate this problem.

3. ABSOLUTELY NO RAMP:  St. Thomas Bay Beach is one of the most popular beaches on Virgin Gorda because of its beautiful white sand, clear blue water and close proximity to residents.  This is such a naturally attractive beach that cruise ship visitors and day trippers often choose to spend their time on Virgin Gorda enjoying this beach.   Virgin Islands Search and Rescue (VISAR) utilizes  this beach for their swimming program that teaches kids to swim during the summer time and exercise enthusiast enjoy walking/running from one end of the beach to the other. The fisherman%u2019s ramp and any other similar infrastructure will disturb the natural structure of this beach and some of these activities will no longer be possible.

4. RESEARCH AN ALTERNATE LOCATION:  The fishing industry is vital and important to the British Virgin Islands therefore, immediate research should be conducted on finding an alternate and appropriate location for the fisherman%u2019s ramp to enable the fishermen to pull their boats up as needed.