myTobago – your questions, review and comment about Tobago

Please take the time to read this article.

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl ... =105624149

It is somewhat disturbing.

It is disturbing reading Terence.

A cleverly written piece designed to scare people ... it is economical with the truth and generous with the theory and speculation ... journalists are experts at this.

Apart from the sewage issues near Pigeon Point that I have no idea of ... I would say that most of the 'exagerrated' damage referred to has come from Mother Nature herself (refer to the Heavy Rain Event of November 2004 in the Weather Forum which should answer most of those issues).

Regards

Come on, Paul. No sewage treatment of any of Tobago´s human waste products can´t be written to scare people. Isn´t it just what it says-a well-known cause of tourist diarrhoea and something Tobago should be less than proud of. I hope that mytobago is not a forum for whitewashing problems? I enjoy it immensely. I will also continue to enjoy swimming in Englishman´s bay. Less people means less waste, less coliforms and who wants to go to pigeon point anyway

myTobago reflects the personal views of the editors, readers and contributors of the site and has no ‘official’ policy or stance in itself.

Tobago has an uncanny ability to capture the hearts of visitors and it is true that many view the island through holiday-tinted glasses. Equally, many Tobagophiles, including myself, do have a tendency to immediately jump to the island’s defence. Having admitted that, I must stress that the site is not here to ‘whitewash’ Tobago. The contents of the forum are simply a reflection of the views and concerns of the visiting public and no posts are censored or removed simply because I am not happy with their content.

With respect, Stefan, Paul clearly excluded the sewage issue from his criticism of Mark Meredith’s article in the Trinidad & Tobago Express.

Mark Meredith is a well-respected journalist whose weekly “devil’s advocate” articles won him an ‘Overall Award for Excellence in Tourism Reporting earlier this year (and finalist last year). You need to read several of Mark’s articles to understand his style. As I say, he plays devil’s advocate and argues both sides in comprehensive investigative reports that address social, economic and environmental practises and developments affecting his adopted country of Trinidad & Tobago. His recent article, above, may not make comfortable reading because of the way he over-stresses and exaggerates the situation, but credit where credit is due, the core issues and facts are undeniable.

Mind you, given that our British beaches were amongst the filthiest in Europe until recent years and that even now we have many cases of raw sewage and pollutants being pumped into our rivers and waters, I feel little right to criticise the situation in a developing country like Tobago. Take consolation in the fact that there's a high chance that any sewage will be your own, or that of other tourists.

Dear Steve, I have noted that said tendency before. I do consider myself a champion of the emerald Isle as well. The reason I chose to highlight mr Merediths sewage issue is perhaps drawn from my profession...As stated, I will nevertheless continue to wallow in Englishman´s bay at leisure-coliforms or not. I must admit, though, that the only time I have been ill on Tobago was after a dip at Ocean point (and lunch at miss Esme´s...)
Kindest rgds and I do hope mr Tallet or You did´t take offense. Wonderful idea with Paul being the weatherman, though. How does he find the time?

Hi Stefan

No, certainly no offence taken. I just wanted to make it clear to new readers, who might read your comments above without any great knowledge of the forum, that there WILL be no whitewashing on this site, simply because the readers themselves will ensure it doesn't happen - in exactly the same way that you did above.

Stefan

No offence taken and none intended ... just seeking good healthy debate ... so please keep on arguing !!

I left out the sewage issue simply because I don't know much about it's existence and did not feel that I could agree or disagree with the journalist's comments.

I did, however, feel that the journalist was being a little unfair about the other environmental issues such as damaged coral and muddy seawater.

Yes there will always be some human abuse but I am mindful of the more apparent damage caused by last year's rain event to which I recall the journalist made little reference.

Regards

No doubt journalists have their own agendas! So we have to accept that when reading the article and decide how well balanced it is.

But I think the more these issues are discussed the better.
If the local "authorities" also read this site, then they may instigate changes for the good. Albeit in Tobago time!
Or they may be able to dispel any myths.

I have heard of people suffering infections after swimming at Pigeon Point,and this seems to be well known.
But I have not heard anything concerning Mount Irvine before, although the stream there runs onto the beach/sea, and I dont know what it contains.

Anyway I shall be back in Tobago next week and looking to snorkel at Mount Irvine, which I have done for a few years, without problems.

I have also heard that they were not too careful when building the new road and a lot of stuff got washed down to the sea.
I have not been up there myself so have not seen this .

I enjoy this site and reading peoples opinions and stories.
I also like to point out other sites and articles that I think will be of interest to Tobagophiles, I hope this is okay.

I shall be reading your weather report for next week Paul.
Any chance of sun with a cooling breeze?

regards ,

Terence.

Well we are all fine after swimming at Bucco reef, we had a swim at nylon point and spent time on the beach at bucco, I will say not near the fishing boats. We are all fine no ear infections or anything that go`s for my 7 year old son.

I will hold my hands up and say that we did go to pigeon point (didn`t know about the politics till we came back) thought the place was a total let down but we all let without any medical problems.

Hi Terence

Raw sewage around Pigeon Point has never registered with me before so if it exists ... it exists.

The one contribution I can make to this is theoretical and as follows:-


If raw sewage is allowed to enter the sea anywhere from the Mount Irvine area through Buccoo and around Pigeon Point then this is the worst possible area of Tobago in which to do it.

The area is, as many of us know, surrounded by a protecting (Buccoo) Reef and as tides rise and fall the Lagoon inside fills slightly and empties slightly ... I guess I could describe it best as sinking a bowl into a larger bowl of water ... but each time the smaller bowl is lowered back into the larger bowl, not all of the old water is filtered out.

So if raw sewage is released into this area then it will take much longer for the sewage to dissipate into the open sea ... in fact the sewage is typically heavier than sea water and is likely to sink and build up within the boundaries of the reef.

Quite right ... if raw sewage is released here then it could be a serious problem building up over many years.

I was unaware that raw sewage was being released around this area ... somewhere in this forum is a post indicating that the former owners of Pigeon Point had installed sewage treatment facilities but I cannot find it ... can anyone clarify this?

Great debate this ... I love learning more about Tobago even if we are talking about the bad end of the food chain !!

Terence ... I will do my best for the weather next week ... but at this stage it is looking a little unsettled ... I hope to have better news over the weekend in Liquid Sunshine as developments unfold.

Regards

Cheers Paul.

Your theory makes sense.
We will just have to await further info.
I wonder if they test sea water quality on a regular basis and whether the results are published.

Anyway I will look out for your weather forcast.

many thanks.

Terence

check eith the people of the buccoo reef trust. they are already doing things above the surface, putting up signs that tell only authorised boats to enter the reef area (don't know how much checking comes after that) and the normal "guy on the street" would not hear about the sewige problems. just so much: they are arware of problems that the reef has... let's see what they can do....

what is send to the sea all over the island is "grey water" from showers, kitchen sinks and washing machines, and that is bad already. I think it is a matter of education. most people don't know (care) what their powder soap and dishwashing liquid is doing to nature....
some people here wash theur cars EVERY day.... they just don't know better. kids should learn more about it in school to better the situation....

I must admit I could have stood up and clapped when I read this article from Mark. It's been so long ignored, that eventually someone had to stand up and be counted. What I believe Mark is trying to say, is that when you want to promote Tobago as an eco destination, surely you have to do something to support it! Eco does not mean that you have a nice rain forest, blue water and palm trees. Where are your sewage works, recycling of plastics, glass, metals and banning of all detergents.

I know Owen Day is doing an amazing job or trying to educate people on the island. He was videoing in Arnos Vale bay a few days ago for local TV. There are some problems that are not the responsibility of Tobago, ie Coral Bleaching, due to high temeperature of the water, this is a global phenomenon. But the run off from the land is appauling, and its destroying the coastline!

Tobago, is becoming more popular year on year, and will continue to do so, with more flights scheduled every year. With more tourists, comes more waste, and it must be dealt with. This process of dumping sewage from private houses into pits in the back garden must stop. When the heavy rains come, it is lifted and carried to the only natural lowest area, the sea! Hence his statement regarding sewage at Pigeon Point. Don't run away with the idea that the heavy rainfall last year is causing the brown water either. Every day we have very heavy rainfall on Tobago, there is a quarter mile of brown water that surround most of the island, due to run off from the land. A combination of heavy construction, lumber cutting, and other factors, as stated by Mark.

I did a underwater photo survey for the government last week on two reefs in Speyside, Lav's Reef and Bateau Reef, which are the two inshore coastal reefs. These pictures were taken to compare with pictures from five years ago, and the goverment officials were shocked. Parts of the reefs are decimated! I could put my hand in what should have been sand, and instead it was at least six inches of mud! Now i know that a lot of this did come from last years landslides and rains, but it still keeps coming!

I talk to people on the island about Buccoo reef, and most of the older generation tell me that Buccoo Reef was the most beautiful reef that they have ever seen. It now is nothing more than bleached coral and rock in the shallow areas where people have been walking. This could have been stopped with education, and rules, but its too late now. It will take decades for it to come back, if ever. Do not make this the case for the rest of the coral reefs in Tobago. More people like Mark should be standing up and being counted, and maybe we can get this changed now.

I love Tobago, which is why I live here, but these factors cannot be ignored, and things have to be done now.

Welcome aboard Mark

Well said! I couldn't agree more. The biggest problem is that as "shocked" as the government officials may have been at your footage, they appear to continue to do sod all about these issues. Even to this very day people are being taken out to the reefs and provided with reef shoes. It should be the easiest thing in the world to make Buccoo and similar areas 'proper' protected marine parks and ban everyone from the waters other than in approved vessels. Why is it not happening. Owen Day and his colleagues work their backsides off trying to educate and improve things, but until the government, national and local, wake up to the way they are allowing their country's resources to be decimated, what hope is there?

Having been visiting the island since 1957, I can confirm that Buccoo Reef was once a true wonder. My family returned to the UK in 1962 and I didn't visit Tobago until the mid-80s. When I saw the devastation to the reef in that time, I literally wept. I have not returned to the reef since that day.

Hi Paul

There has been an effluent problem in the Pigeon Point area for many years now. The culprit is a sewage outlet within the Bon Accord lagoon itself - which is madness as the lagoon is a desgnated marine reserve.

Take a look at the aerial photo of Buccoo reef and No Man's Land at
http://www.mytobago.info/photos/aerial/IMG_4567.htm
If that link doesn't work then look at photo 2 in the first set of Steve's aerial photos in the 'miscellaneous' link at the top of this page

You can make out the sewage outfall to the right hand side of the picture by following the line of mangroves from the direction of Pigeon Point (out of shot to right) and look for the light brown patch of rocks and a break in the mangroves.

I became aware of this even before I first visited Tobago in 2000.
My 1998 version of the Rough Guide to T&T (now falling apart due to over-use) informs us that Bon Accord Lagoon was-
''a sweeping oval of mangrove swamp and reef-sheltered, shallow water which forms one of the most important fish nurseries on the island - though the marine life has been adversely affected by run-off from a nearby sewage plant (out of action for the past twelve years, but now being repaired) the lagoon remains a sanctuary for conch, snails, oyster,shrimp, crab, urchins and sponges - as well as fish which spawn amidst the protective roots of the mangrove trees and provide rich pickings for the birdlife''.

We stubbled upon this area by chance, when looking for an access point to the lagoon in 2000. It was apparent then that the repair work to the sewage plant was way behind schedule, as the stream, which was then an open sewer, was leeching effluent into the lagoon, causing a dark grey slick for a hundred metres either side of the outfall and a stench that soon made us beat a hasty retreat.

I haven't been back there (for obvious reasons) but wouldn't be surprised to find that improvements are still not finished. Even if the sewage treatment works has been repaired, the treated / partly treated effluent will still be finding its way into the lagoon for sure.

I also agree with Brian, that the amount of 'grey water' from households entering the rivers, streams and directly into the sea is worsening year on year.

Whilst I wholeheartedly support the THA for purchasing Pigeon point for the peoples of Tobago, I can't help but feel that the millions of dollars invested, would have been better spent on upgrading and improving the waste water treatment services around the main areas of urbanisation, to ensure that in a few years time, there will still be a few pristine beaches and vibrant reefs for us to visit, or we'll all be sat on Pigeon Point, next to the 'High Risk! Do not swim in this water' signs.

As Steve says, most of the damage has already been done and compared to 30 years ago, Tobago's natural wonders are now only a shadow.

The THA are doing their best by importing experts on sustainable tourism and ecologists from the USA and GB, but it all comes down to funding at the end of the day.

Isn't it about time that we all started doing our bit, by acting in a more responsible way?

Do we have to shower twice a day? Wash our clothes with detergent and fabric softeners? (catastrophic to most marine life) and shouldn't we be charged an environmental levy when we enter or leave?
How many of us take our rubbish home with us - yet it has to be disposed of somehow, by someone on Tobago, either at a cost to the community or the environment.

We are all part of the problem, so we have to share some ( if not most) of the responsibility. If we visit Tobago it's because we can afford to - Tobago can't afford to subsidise our fortnights in the sun at the expense of her natural beauty.

Steve

Good Points Steve

I confess to being most concerned about the proximity of the sewage problem (in the photo) to No Man's Land where many an enjoyable barbecue and wallow in the waters has been had.

Your best point is the possibility of an Environmental levy or perhaps some type of surcharge/tax directly levied on the tourist.

In reality, few tourists are keen to give up their comforts on holiday and perhaps pressure should be put on the larger hotel establishments which, of course, could be seen as bad for their businesses !!

There is already a departure tax to pay at the airport ... if we assume that 100,000 tourists have to pay that each year at about £10, that's £1 million ... maybe an increase on that tax may be easier than introducing new taxes ... but what would it cost and have the THA given some thought to it?

Regards

I must confess this sewage issue is quite scary.!!!
Do I need to be overly concerned about swimming in the sea at coco reef next week during my first visit to Tobago?

Hi Lindsay

Welcome aboard

No, you have nothing to fear. The Coco Reef is round the other side of Pigeon Point - some 3 miles away by the shortest sea route. Quite honestly the children staying at the hotel and using the hotel's lagoon pose a risk hundreds of times greater, I would have thoughts.

Many thanks Steve.That's a relief.So looking forward to the 27th Oct!
Thanks for the interesting website.
Regards
Lindsay

Paul

As I said, I can't vouch for the current efficiency of the sewage treatment at the Bon Accord lagoon outfall. You've obviously wallowed in the immediate vicinity without contracting any water-bourne illnesses.

I think that an enviromental surcharge is the easiest route to fund the treatment of our by-products. The departure tax of TT$100 could be doubled and this would still represent a tiny fraction of the overall cost of a holiday or business trip.

As you point out, it could raise a substantial sum, which might not solve all the problems immediately, but would be an ongoing and proportional level of funding for ongoing environmental and waste management.

I'm sure that several other 'eco' destinations already employ such levies and the resulting funds are ring-fenced for tourism damage limitation schemes (that's to limit the damage done BY tourists, not TO tourists)

Without wishing to appear condecending - I hope that someone in the THA accepts that there is a problem, before it's too late.

Steve