who owns Pigeon Point and the jetty?
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Jorg Kilian
who owns Pigeon Point and the jetty?
well, Pigeon Point is some kind of private property, but there is an ongoing struggle for free public access to Pigeon Point. The government considers to acquire parts of the estate to allow free access to Tobagos most famous spot after negotiations with the owners came to a breakdown. By the time the owners put a sign on the jetty saying: "reserved for paying guests only". Well, the THA (government of Tobago) just recently built this new jetty and when you jump from the jetty you are in the water. So might somebody get problems with the friendly security team from Pigeon Point for walking through the water or just swimming around the jetty? Or what can a local family with three children do to see the jetty without paying 15US (3US each)?
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Steve Wooler
- myTobago Editor & Chief Anorak
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Hi, Jorg
It’s been one of those weeks and this old dullard’s brain is full of cotton wool. Your comments seem to be in response to somebody’s question, but I can’t find the original question.
My understanding is that the problems at Pigeon Point are simply about public access to the beach, as you say. Being local, you will know the situation better than me, so please correct me if I’m wrong, but Tobago law dictates that although a beach may be privately owned, the owner cannot prevent free public access to the beach. And quite right too!
Pigeon Point and its famous jetty have been used by fishermen for generations. Then, Anthony Sabga, a Trinidadian magnate, bought the peninsula and decided that the fishermen and their associated boats and paraphernalia looked untidy, so decided to ban them from the area. He also wanted to leech the public by charging them for access to the beach, rather than by making a fair profit through the provision of good food, drink and recreational facilities. He has ever right to prevent fishermen and visitors passing through his land. However, by law, he cannot prevent them from simply walking up the beach.
Legal ownership of the jetty is, I believe, a moot point. The THA claims it belongs to them. Club Pigeon Point says it belongs to them. The whole thing has become incredibly petty and nasty and has already resulted in one death. Trees along the shoreline were chopped down and the THA bulldozed the jetty into obliteration, then thought twice about it and rebuilt it.
The big problem is that anyone accessing the jetty area by walking up the beach or coming in from sea by boat is likely to find themselves severely hassled by the guards. Not to be advised – their record shows that they have little regard for life. Visitors who have paid the fee are forced to wear ridiculous armbands.
I know Pigeon Point is still a beautiful spot and popular with visitors. I just wish, personally, that visitors would recognise the fact that by visiting Pigeon Point and paying Sabga’s toll, they are effectively endorsing his actions and preserving his right to prevent the local having free access to this beautiful spot.
It’s been one of those weeks and this old dullard’s brain is full of cotton wool. Your comments seem to be in response to somebody’s question, but I can’t find the original question.
My understanding is that the problems at Pigeon Point are simply about public access to the beach, as you say. Being local, you will know the situation better than me, so please correct me if I’m wrong, but Tobago law dictates that although a beach may be privately owned, the owner cannot prevent free public access to the beach. And quite right too!
Pigeon Point and its famous jetty have been used by fishermen for generations. Then, Anthony Sabga, a Trinidadian magnate, bought the peninsula and decided that the fishermen and their associated boats and paraphernalia looked untidy, so decided to ban them from the area. He also wanted to leech the public by charging them for access to the beach, rather than by making a fair profit through the provision of good food, drink and recreational facilities. He has ever right to prevent fishermen and visitors passing through his land. However, by law, he cannot prevent them from simply walking up the beach.
Legal ownership of the jetty is, I believe, a moot point. The THA claims it belongs to them. Club Pigeon Point says it belongs to them. The whole thing has become incredibly petty and nasty and has already resulted in one death. Trees along the shoreline were chopped down and the THA bulldozed the jetty into obliteration, then thought twice about it and rebuilt it.
The big problem is that anyone accessing the jetty area by walking up the beach or coming in from sea by boat is likely to find themselves severely hassled by the guards. Not to be advised – their record shows that they have little regard for life. Visitors who have paid the fee are forced to wear ridiculous armbands.
I know Pigeon Point is still a beautiful spot and popular with visitors. I just wish, personally, that visitors would recognise the fact that by visiting Pigeon Point and paying Sabga’s toll, they are effectively endorsing his actions and preserving his right to prevent the local having free access to this beautiful spot.
Steve Wooler
myTobago.info - the definitive Visitor Guide to Tobago
myTobago.info - the definitive Visitor Guide to Tobago
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Steve Wooler
- myTobago Editor & Chief Anorak
- Posts: 4856
- Joined: Sun Apr 21, 2002 11:00 pm
- Location: Suffolk, England
- Contact:
The Trinidad Guardian recently reported that the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) will begin to initiate “compulsory acquisition” of the entire Pigeon Point estate to resolve the problem of public access. This is obviously good news for the population of Tobago. It is totally unacceptable that free and public access to this famous landmark has been restricted. I think most people would agree that payment for use of facilities is acceptable, but charging or restricting people to walk up a public beach is not.
Recent reports indicate that the guard patrols at Pigeon Point have been reduced considerably and are now much lower key. However, we must not become complacent and personally, I would ask visitors to show their support for the local population by not visiting Pigeon Point until this matter has been fully resolved. £2 per head admission may not seem much to a tourist, but in a country where the minimum (and therefore average) wage is TT$8 (80p) per hour, this charge effectively precludes use of the beach by the vast majority of the local population, as highlighted above by Jorg.
Full details of the Tobago Guardian article can be read at http://guardian.co.tt/archives/2003-05-14/news1.html
Recent reports indicate that the guard patrols at Pigeon Point have been reduced considerably and are now much lower key. However, we must not become complacent and personally, I would ask visitors to show their support for the local population by not visiting Pigeon Point until this matter has been fully resolved. £2 per head admission may not seem much to a tourist, but in a country where the minimum (and therefore average) wage is TT$8 (80p) per hour, this charge effectively precludes use of the beach by the vast majority of the local population, as highlighted above by Jorg.
Full details of the Tobago Guardian article can be read at http://guardian.co.tt/archives/2003-05-14/news1.html
Last edited by Steve Wooler on Sat May 27, 2006 1:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Steve Wooler
myTobago.info - the definitive Visitor Guide to Tobago
myTobago.info - the definitive Visitor Guide to Tobago
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Ann E
Steve -I had serious doubts about visiting Pigeon Point whilst recently on Tobago and heartily agree with your comments about visiting, but I had heard so much about this local beauty spot I felt I should like to see it for myself, particularly as I may never visit the island again. Let's hope that this matter is resolved speedily and everyone can enjoy this beautiful area. 
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Karen Roberts
It's a shame to see how Pigeon Point is being spoiled by people or the locals not being able to go there.
Pigeon Point was once a tourist attraction and a place where us locals had loved to go but now it's being restricted from by whom someone who i think didn't even deserve to own it.
Ok, you buy the land you didn't buy the sea if you want to charge people for being there do it at a level meaning that you can charge people for food or drinks or whatever else you may want to sell but not the use of the beach.
I think it's ridiculous
Pigeon Point was once a tourist attraction and a place where us locals had loved to go but now it's being restricted from by whom someone who i think didn't even deserve to own it.
Ok, you buy the land you didn't buy the sea if you want to charge people for being there do it at a level meaning that you can charge people for food or drinks or whatever else you may want to sell but not the use of the beach.
I think it's ridiculous