Pigeon Point fishermen happy over court decision

Fishermen and other operators in the Pigeon Point area have hailed Thursday’s High Court decision to throw out the constitutional motion that had been filed by Robinson Crusoe Ltd, owners of Club Pigeon Point, in a bid to block Government’s compulsory acquisition of the Pigeon Point Estate on behalf of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA).

In the same vein, THA Chief Secretary Orville London said on Saturday that he felt “very heartened” by this latest development in the long-standing impasse over the prime beachfront property. “I hope that we can now proceed or resume the process to ensure that the major objectives are realised,” London told Sunday Newsday. He said the major objective was to ensure that all sectors were able to have full access and make use of the property. “Very good, of course! This is where we born and grow; you can’t screen off the natives,” Nubian “Blacker” Williams told this newspaper on location at Pigeon Point Saturday. “But it is not only for the fishermen, but for everybody,” the young fisherman added. He pointed to make-shift facilities where several of his counterparts were at the time cleaning fish, emphasising the glaring need for modern facilities in the area. Williams was of the view that this would be realised if and when the THA takes control of the property.

“That (ownership of Pigeon Point by Government/THA) should have been years ago!” declared another fisherman Daniel Archer. “They were getting it for free (years ago) from Gordon Grant; they didn’t accept it, now they have to go to court to get it. That (the High Court decision) is an act of God. People should have been using Pigeon Point long time,” Archer told Sunday Newsday. He stressed this was the consensus of the public, including foreign visitors to the island who he claimed have stopped going to Pigeon Point. Said Archer: “This is the general feeling of not only the fishermen, but the public, not only Tobagonians but foreigners; because tourists have been telling me they are glad,” Archer alleged. Told that attorneys for Robinson Crusoe Ltd — a subsidiary of the Ansa McAl Group of Companies — had indicated their intention to appeal the decision, Archer, who is referred to in the area as “the CIA man,” said: “What they appealing to do? If they appeal and any ‘bad’ decision is taken, then Tobagonians will have to stand up and fight; we might have to do like South Africa!” he declared. Archer, like Williams, however declined to have his photograph taken. Meanwhile, Newsday was shown an area in the mangrove/ swamp east of the roadway close to the gate at Pigeon Point which, it was alleged, was being filled in by the property owners.