Kingstown Port Modernisation Project
Fisherfolk at Calliaqua are not buying what Aecon Group’s Senior Project Manager Tam Smith is selling them—that dredging the sea coast south of the Argyle International Airport over a span of just less than two miles and at a depth of approximately 15 to 17 meters will not affect the marine life in that area.
Smith last Thursday told the fisherman at a consultation held at the Calliaqua Fisheries Center that the Physical Planning Division has approved a dredging permit for Aecon to take 1.17 million cubic meters of sand from an area 820 yards south of and 550 yards from the Argyle International Airport.
Fishermen said their lobster pots and other fishing gear were set up along that coast, and they are concerned that dredging sand for the $600 million Kingstown Port will cause fish to migrate, injure, and/or kill them.
Smith’s response was that the suction head of the equipment to be used in dredging has a small opening, and there is sonar equipment that will create sound in a 50-meter radius to keep the fish from coming in contact with the head of the vacuum.
Dr. Andrew Simmons, an environmentalist, said on Jomo Thomas’ Voices Programme on Monday, 23 January, that the government’s reliance on Aecon Construction’s “geophysical surveys” to carry out works in the area was akin to “rats guarding cheese.”
Simmons said the dredging of sand off shore will destroy the fragile ecosystems—coral reefs, mangrove swamps, and seagrass beds—that are integral for coastal defense and fishing beds, which can potentially wipe out the livelihood of fisher folk in Calliaqua.
Smith, in a pushback on destroying marine life in the area, said the following on Thursday:
“Initial investigations carried out by diving and sampling show almost no indications of marine life on the seabed.” Additional sampling carried out in July 2022 again showed the area was “devoid of plant life.”
When pressed for answers by the fishermen as to why materials were not brought in for use, Smith said there were options to get materials for use at the port, which included importing sand from St. Lucia, Barbados, or Suriname if the materials were not readily available in St. Vincent.
The dredging works will be carried out over a 10-week period if the weather is favorable, Smith said. He further told fishermen last Thursday that dredging would commence in the middle of March 2023 and should be completed by May 2023.
The Aecon Group Inc. was awarded a US$170 million contract from the government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to build a modernized cargo port.
