More evidence and denial about how threatened our fisheries are.

Some people on the street are saying that the people representing our Fisheries Ministry don't have a clear understanding of what the words "sustainable use" mean. I don't totally agree with them as I know there are some very good people working at our Fisheries Ministry. Anyway, according to a definition I pulled from the net:

Sustainability is sometimes known as the capacity to endure. In ecology, the word describes how biological systems remain diverse and productive over time. Long-lived and healthy wetlands and forests are examples of sustainable biological systems. For humans, sustainability is the potential for long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions.

With that in mind and after you read my blog from last week (click here) you can clearly see how the there seems to be a problem with the words "sustainable use". Today we see an article published in Antigua's Daily Observer where once again our fisheries department stands firm in their stance that all is well and the fishermen, divers, snorkelers and consumers have it all wrong. Despite all of these parties agreeing that the fish stocks are extremely deminished, our government's fisheries department says there is no shortage at all. Here is the article:

Bad weather and poor catch affect fish supply

By Juliet Benjamin - Friday, July 1st, 2011.

Article Hits: 19

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One month into the Atlantic Hurricane season, some fishermen are reporting that bad weather is forcing them to remain on land and as a consequence there is a shortage of fresh fish at the market.
Seasoned fisherman Gerald Price said many of the fishermen have either been passing the time for most of the week playing games or doing repairs to their boats.
“For the first in a long time there is no fish in the market, not even a scale. Housewives are not likely to get fresh fish for the rest of the week going into next week,” Price told The Daily OBSERVER.
It would appear that it is not just the rough seas and high winds which are affecting the catch. According to Dale Henry, a veteran of more than 30 years, there is just not many fish to be caught any more.

“There’s scarcity. We are going further, deeper and the situation remains the same. Since year before the last, we have difficulty in finding fish.”

Henry said he went out this week even though there were 8 to 10-foot swells.

“Occasionally, sometimes, we have a good catch. But 90 per cent of the time we are just covering expenses. We don’t know if it’s climate change or global warming. Our fisheries is not doing so much research. They are just doing a guessing game out there right now,” Henry surmised.

A check with Antigua Fisheries, however, revealed there was no shortage of fish there. General Manager Mavis George was unable to say just how much fish is purchased on a weekly basis from local fishermen, but she indicated there was no lack of fish at the department.
“We are not out of stock, but a lot of boats are down. She said large vessels such as those operated by Andy Roberts, which bring in thousands of pounds of fish are currently not operational.
The problem, she said, is that many people prefer snappers and when they are told there is none, they automatically assume there is no fish.
The conditions for fishing are not likely to improve any time soon. In fact, Meteorologist Orvin Paige said there would be some increased wind conditions across the islands associated with a high-pressure system. This will lead to worsening sea conditions which will make it difficult for fishermen to ply their trade.
He indicated that a tropical wave east of the Windward Islands would bring showers which could move into the vicinity of the Leeward Islands, including Antigua, over the next 24 hours. This will make it difficult for persons over the open waters in terms of visibility.
(More in today’s Daily OBSERVER)

www.adventureantigua.com 

Rendezvous Bay looks like it may be developed. The conceptual plan:

As many of you who follow my blog and Adventure Antigua know, our Xtreme Circumnav makes a daily stop at Rendezvous Bay. Back in 1995 when we added this tour to our other Adventure Antigua tours, we picked this beach because it was so hard to get to that it was a perfect spot to be alone. Our guests were treated to a deserted beach where things were as natural as they were when the Arawaks fished from there back before the Europeans arrived in the Caribbean.
Here is a little video for those who have never seen the bay. I am always surprised by how few Antiguans and Barbudans have been there.

The land along this huge bay is owned by several local families. For years the property has been for sale on the net and I had no doubt that one day there would be talk of development there. In fact, we have seen real estate people on the beach while doing our tour stop there many time. One xtremely wealthy person who had private chartered our boat was one of the people interested at one time. Anyway, one of local owners are Walters family and they have teamed up with some foreign investors and developers in order to develop their property. If you are Antiguan or know your Antigua history then you will remember that one of the members of this big family, George Walter, became Premier here back in 1971. Last year I received an email that was being passed around by the some in the Environmental Awareness Group where the described a new development that was being planned at Rendezvous Bay. The author of the email said that they all had to fight to make sure the development was blocked. This was my reply:

there isn't anything in this email to sink your teeth into really. What I mean is that as #$%^ says, development has been a real possibility for as long as tourism has been around and its actually taken considerably longer than many of us expected for it to come to this. This property is by far the best one for a big tourism development in Antigua from a tourism and developmental point of view. Even half moon bay pales in comparison. Without a huge shift in the political and cultural status quo, this development will surely happen as long as there is a fraction of the money needed to get it started. The vast majority of Antiguans clearly prefer tourism development over environmental protection. This is seen on a daily basis from our point of view out on the water doing circumnavigations and is perennially echoed from every political platform. #$%^ and others are dreaming if they think that they can do anything to bar a development of this magnitude from happening. The only thing to do is to try to influence the developer in the design and construction phases. How to do this will be up for debate but relying on the government's DCA, Environment Division, Fisheries, the NPA or any other division will be a wasted effort.
Keep in mind that our country is almost bankrupt and there are thousands of former construction workers and many others out of work at the moment at a time when most people still believe in perpetual development as being the only way our economy can survive. Sustainable Development is a fancy catch phrase about as realistic at this juncture in our history as stopping the development. Ten years ago I attended a tourism conference where many gathered were saying that we needed more development and more "attractions". I asked if the government and tourism stakeholders there considered an undeveloped beach an attraction. The conference hall erupted in laughter.
The environmental implications associated with this project are fairly serious, but similar serious threats are turned into reality monthly here without much if anything being done.
I think a very good article should be written that doesn't make the average person scoff as those tourism officials did at my theory of a deserted beach as an attraction all those years ago. It should be written in a way assuming the development will go ahead, but pointing out to people (and developer) what's so special about the varied ecosystems supported in the area giving examples of how similar systems were tarnished by other developments in the past.
Sad but inevitable I'm afraid.
Let me know if there's anything you or others concerned think I could help with on this issue.
Eli

I never got a reply and was not included in any emails on this subject again. Quite some time before this email some friends of mine who had felt that the EAG wasn't the right environmental group for us got together and started The Antigua Conservation Society and while surfing one day down near Rendezvous I saw a local architect I knew and a bunch of other people who looked very much like developers. I went to my car and took out a business card and approached them. I introduced myself and said that i had heard that the bay was about to be developed. We had a conversation and I explained that the ACS would like to meet with them to discuss the plans. Since then we have had several productive meetings and while no development at all would be best for the environment, we feel that the proposed development isn't nearly as bad as we had feared. They are in the very earliest of stages in this proposed development and there is so much more that can be done to make sure they have the least impact possible. We will be meeting with them again this week. In the meantime, feel free to read about here www.rbrec.com
Keeping in mind that this private property sits within the National Parks it will be interesting to see what the government does. There is a meeting in Nelson's Dockyard on Thursday. Call the National Parks for more info on this meeting.

www.adventureantigua.com  

Antigua in the news again when it comes to international whaling.

While Japan continues to pump millions of dollars into our politricks and fisheries department the Fisheries ministers continue to tow the line. While fishemen all over Antigua cry for stronger fisheries management here so that our fishery can be sustainably used, our minister is in foreign lands supporting Japanese whaling and speaking about the threats against our sustainable use of our fishery. This stance is what is fed to our ministers by the real propaganda machine that is the Japanese whaling interest. I only wish the politicians knew what the words sustainable use meant and acted like we cared about that policy here. Read this article first that is a shortened online version of what was published on the daily observer yesterday:

The estimated loss of millions of dollars in fish to poachers and the lack of legislation and regulations to protect Antigua & Barbuda’s fish stock have prompted stakeholders in the industry to call on the government for protection.

The call came collectively yesterday from the Antigua & Barbuda Fishermen’s Co-operative, the Antigua & Barbuda Sport Fishing Association and environmentalist Eli Fuller.
Speaking on OBSERVER Radio’s Voice of the People, they agreed on the need for better management of fishing resources in order to protect what’s left for fisher folk to make a living.
Fuller set the tone for the discussion by outlining Antigua & Barbuda’s losses in the sector.
“I feel, and many of my colleagues feel, that fishing methods in Antigua and fisheries management are being done in a way that our resources are not being taken in a sustainable way,” he said.
“Apart from everything else, we’re seeing huge amounts, millions and millions of US dollars worth of fish caught in our waters, taken out of our waters, without anybody in Antigua having any knowledge of it. If you want the facts and figures, you have to go and ask Guadeloupe and St Barths,” Fuller added, suggesting that the illegal catches ended up in those markets.
“I think that if we’re really going to consider fishing as a sustainable thing for people to do and also to see fish on our shelves and our markets, we have to really take a serious look at what is happening in Antigua because fish are vanishing before our eyes and we’re not seeing the benefits,” he added.
Fuller, along with chairman of the sports fishing association, Phillip Shoul, as well as Gerald Price and Len Mussington of the Fishermen’s Co-operative, stressed the need for legislation to protect the industry.
Shoul noted that back in 2004, a new draft Fisheries Act was put together but lamented that it has not yet gone to Parliament.
Mussington said the co-operative would likely take up the charge to get the legislation fast-tracked. The draft law included the designation of certain areas as no-fish zones, closing and opening of seasons to help rebuild depleted grounds, as well as provisions for foreign vessels to sport fish here.
Highlighting the concerns about dwindling stock, Price noted that local fishermen have to travel as far as 30 miles out to net “good quality fish” because shallow grounds have been depleted of their stocks as a result of poor fishing methods and over fishing.



 and then this one below.

By Observer News - Thursday, June 23rd, 2011.
Fisheries Ministers from six Eastern Caribbean islands have affirmed their commitment to work to achieve a common position on the sustainable use of marine resources.
The ministers, along with chief fisheries officers from the six territories, marine biologists, OECS officials, international experts and representatives of the regional media met at the Bay Gardens Hotel in St Lucia on June 20 and 21.
The six territories represented were the host country, St Lucia, along with Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts & Nevis and St Vincent & the Grenada.
They are all members of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), and are seeking to present a harmonized position when they attend and participate in 63rd annual meeting of the IWC next month in the UK.
The regional territories continue to insist that their voting over the years for the lifting of a 1982 moratorium on commercial whaling has less to do with support for Japan and other pro-whaling nations (such as Norway and Iceland), and more an expression of their own principled stand on the issue.
The islands maintain that given their tiny land masses, the vast majority of natural resources available to them for food is contained in the huge marine spaces surrounding them, and that they have a right to harvest and utilize these resources in a controlled, well-managed and sustainable way.
The six Caribbean islands, almost all of which engage in some form of whaling as a small scale tradition, believe that if the right to sustainable use of marine resources is not defended and upheld, the attempts at prohibition could extend to other marine species on which much of their food security depends, such as conch, lobster and tuna.
Antigua & Barbuda’s Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Hilson Baptiste was blunt when he declared: “If we band ourselves together, we will have no problem. We are on the right track. Sustainable food security is what we are fighting for, and the right to do what we want to do around our own countries, in our own waters. Our 200-mile exclusive economic zone is ours to do what we like with. We don’t want anyone to come and tell us we cannot catch conch tomorrow or we cannot touch tuna the next day, or that lobsters are off limits. We are fighting that.”
In the past OECS countries have sought to maintain a harmonized position at the IWC, a point, which was noted by St Lucia’s Agriculture Minister Ezekiel Joseph.
“I want to see a full commitment by all of us with regard to sustainable use,” he said. “I am getting mixed signals with regard to the sustainable use of our resources, but where St Lucia is concerned we are fully committed and will remain committed,” he added.
Echoing the concerns of his Antigua & Barbuda colleague, Joseph continued: “Today we are dealing with whales. Tomorrow it will be the tunas and the conchs and the lobsters – which are critical and important to our food security.”
In recent years, Dominica has reviewed its sustainable use policy as it struggled to balance support for whaling with its eco-tourism marketing as the environmentally pristine “Nature Isle.”
For the past five years, Dominica has abstained from voting at the IWC, a marked change from its previously whole-hearted support for a controlled resumption of commercial whaling within the overall principle of sustainable use.
Present at this week’s meeting in St Lucia was Dominica’s Agriculture Minister, Kenneth Darroux, who sought to clarify the development of his country’s position as IWC 63 approaches. He was forthright in explaining the uphill battle that agriculture ministers like himself often face in convincing stakeholders in tourism and other areas of economic activity that sustainable use of marine resources is compatible with the country’s overall development thrust.
“Dominica still maintains that it supports sustainable use of all marine resources,” Darroux said. “However our country has taken a four- or five-year stand on what Dominica felt were or still are its needs at present. While we support the sustainable use of our marine resources, Dominica is probably a little different from the other OECS islands in terms of the nature of our touristic resources. While probably a lot of the other OECS countries can boast of certain expanses of white sand beaches, we, in Dominica, don’t have this.”
Darroux referred to the enormous PR and propaganda machinery of international anti-whaling organizations such as Greenpeace, and the damage they could do to Dominica’s tourist industry in what are already very difficult economic times.
“For the past five or six years, we’ve managed fairly successfully to market ourselves as an eco-tourism destination. How do I go back to Cabinet and appease the anxiety of my tourism minister colleague, if he is advised that Dominica would lose millions annually from whale watching should it change its position?”
Conference coordinator Daven Joseph reassured Darroux that there was no shortage of sympathy or understanding for the considerations with which Dominica had to wrestle over the sustainable use issue as it pertains to whaling.
Joseph, a marine scientist and former chief fisheries officer of Antigua & Barbuda, puts it this way: “It has never ever been proven in the Caribbean that tourism has ever been adversely affected by any propaganda coming from the anti-whaling side. As a matter of fact, tourism development in the region has shown significant improvement – and there is statistical evidence to show this – in spite of the threats and actual launching of propaganda from these groups.”
In offering possible solutions, Joseph said: “It is critical that we put in place a very strong PR programme for the sustainable use programme in the region.”



There has never been a single noticeable effort at marine management here in Antigua or Barbuda that puts some sort of control on fishermen either locally or foreign (who by the way catch 100 times more fish in our waters than our own fishermen fo) to try to uphold the principal of sustainable use. Just recently the fisheries minister went before our Cabinet and pushed an executive order through that gave direction to the fisheries department and other relevant authorities to ignore the law on spear fishing ultimately making it unpunishable even in Marine Protected Areas. Does is sounds like the minister and politicians are simply towing the line or really caring about our fishery and the sustainable use of it? You decide.

Eli Fuller
Antigua Conservation Society Inc.

Huge pod of playful dolphins check us out

Last weekend while out fishing we came to a spot where a huge pod of over 50 dolphins were fishing. As soon as we got close to them they started jumping and playing in the boat wake. One of them jumped pretty high and a bit too close to the front of Xtreme. The boat was doing about 10 mph going into the wind and waves and the dolphin was in the air for so long that when he came back down he landed very very close to the boat and me. I got wet! On this day we also saw a large pod of pilot whales. The next day we saw a Blainvilles Beaked Whale which was something that none of us had done before. All fun!



www.adventureantigua.com

St James's Club Antigua Resort Video 2011.mov

My friends at The St. James's Club Antigua Resort shared this video with me and shows some great footage of their family resort as well as some nice stuff from Antigua. Their guest services and tour desk is next to the reception and they won't usually push our tour as there are many sold from there. Make sure you ask them about Adventure Antigua's tours.

A big used fishing gear sale this weekend at Tournament.

Taken from a press release about the fishing tournament:

Also new for 2011, on Friday June 10, a secondhand Fishing Gear Flea Market will be held. It is hoped that fishermen from around the island, whether they are entering the tournament or not, will come to Nelson’s Dockyard and see what bargains they can pick up. Competing fishermen are bringing their used gear and tackle and will be selling them from 4 pm-7 pm.

Read more: http://www.caribarena.com/antigua/sport/more-sports/97444-fishing-tournie-attracting-increased-numbers.html#ixzz1OmBa3xD6

Lord knows we have plenty of old gear and line and we will be there trying to get rid of it. If you would like to get into fishing but can't afford new gear please come and check out the action tomorrow afternoon in Nelson's Dockyard.
Team Xtreme is going out for a warm up session with some new additional crew tomorrow. See you there later. 

www.adventureantigua.com

Antigua Sportfishing Tournament this weekend want to come?

I started Aventure Antigua for many reasons, and one of the main ones was that with my boats I would always be able to go fishing on my days off if I wanted to. Adventure Antigua has put more boats in Antigua's fishing tournaments than any other individual or company and we will continue that trend this coming weekend when we will have at least one boat fishing.

Xtreme will be the boat that I am on with one or two of our old Team Xtreme crew. This year the rest of the crew happens to be off island and for a change we are going to be taking paying guests who want a chance at catching a Blue Marlin.
As some of you may know, we have finished in the top three of the Marlin Division several times and each year we are are among the main contenders for the top prize. We are extremely serious about the equipment we use and prepare it going over every aspect each year weeks before the competition starts.

Fishing for marlin is unlike fishing for most other fish as the fish are just so big and powerful. Its not like catching a mahi mahi where once the fish is hooked well you will bring it to the boat. Blue Marlin are capable of stripping all the line (900 meters) from a reel that has a nearly 30 lbs of drag on the reel. We have fought marlin for over two hours several times following the fish sometimes at speeds of up to 14 knots. Many people say marlin fishing is boring as the hookup rate is slower than it is for many of the other smaller fish, but when you do get a fish on the line the level of excitement is higher than you can imagine. The raw power of the fish is something to behold and if you are the one who's suited up in the harness and holding the rod, you better be ready for the fight of your life.

Our boat is rigged for stand up tackle and we don't have a fighting chair. This means you need to be fit and your fitness will be tested without a doubt.

Even though we use the boat to chase the fish the fight is never easy when you have a large marlin on the line. Antigua has never had a "grander" come back to the scales but many of us have seen or fought them. We have had two fish over the past 6 years come and take one of our lures that could have been over a thousand pounds, but each time they "spat the hook". We have released over thirty marlin and brought two back to the scales. One was 589 lbs and the other was just under the minimum weight of 300lbs.

We made a mistake on that one and until our tournament is a catch and release tournament similar mistakes will be made when no fish has been brought back to the scales. This year we have more methods at our disposal to make sure our fish are over the 300 lb minimum and if we are not sure they will be released like the majority of the others.
Someone was saying that most marlin released end up perishing because of exhaustion, but we know that not to be true now after many recent tagging studies have shown. As you will read on this site (click here), almost all blue marlin tagged with satellite transmitters after being caught on rod and reel survived after being released. This makes us feel way better about fishing for them and we spend extra time and effort making sure they are released with as little stress as possible and with reviving if colour is missing from them. This video

was taken two weekends ago and is of our only marlin warm up this year. Notice how the second marlin took more than half of the line off the reel. We will go out one more time to warm up this friday and come in to Nelson's Dockyard for the registration. The official tournament is on Saturday and Sunday and then on Monday there is an optional day of fishing for Marlin only. That's up to three days of Marlin Fishing, but there are costs associated with all of this and this year we are looking at taking paid guests on each day. If you are interested or know of someone that could be interested in being a guest and getting a chance to fight a Blue Marlin please contact me ASAP. We will take a maximum of two guests per day. The cost will be reasonable compared to regular full day marlin charters on other boats. My mobile number is +1 268 725 7263.
Call soon as spots are limited. The weather forecast is looking great too so I am very excited about this coming weekend! If you are on island pick up a copy of the latest issue of Enjoy magazine as there is a cool article in there about marlin fishing.

www.adventureantigua.com 

Same crew, same tour, same boat and very different reviews.

They are both of our Xtreme Tour and both parties went to our website where there is a description of the boat, a description of the tour, photos and this video:


Anyway, this one (the better one) came from Tripadvisor. Don't forget if you have been on one of our tours then you too can post a review on tripadvisor by clicking this link. Here is the review:

The next review came from Cruise Critic and was also posted by a guest that booked on our website. They say they enjoyed the tour, but felt that other people wouldn't have. They say we put an unreasonable number of people on the boat, but we have seats for 23 on our 45 foot boat and NEVER have anyone standing. When we are full we have 23 people on the boat but rarely are that full. Anyway, same tour, same crew, same boat, same general review and tour date.

moowlisci... North Linolnshire


8 reviews “Extreme Circumnav-AMAZING!”

Reviewed May 28, 2011 - We went on Adventure Antigua's Eco Tour last year when in Antigua and were really impressed with the entire set up so this year decided to do the Extreme Circumnav with them.

We were collected from the beach at the Hawksbill resort, the resort next door to Galley Bay where we were staying.

The crew, Chris, JD and Trevor were all friendly, Chris took us on the Eco Tour last year so we knew we had a knowledgable guide.

It is very clear these guys all really care about the things they are showing you on these trips, when we stopped off on the beach at Rendezvous bay Chris was seen digging on the beach, when asked what he was doing JD replied, 'oh he's re planting coconut palms which have been washed out by the rain!'

The boat was amazing, fast and thrilling ! Especially when you go around the Atlantic side of the island (if you sit at the back on the left watch out for the spray ) the bigger the swell the better the ride!

We recommended the Eco tour to our parents who had travelled to Antigua with us (we were there to be married) my Mother DOES NOT do boat trips but she was convinced it was a must to do.

They came back from the day on the tour thrilled with it, again Chris, Nichola and crew had made sure they had a really good day .

We really cant sing the praises of Adventure Antigua highly enough, whichever tour you do with them.

The crew are awesome, the boats comfrotable, clean and safe and the food was SO good.

Not a booze cruise, if you want a cramped patrty boat, dancing, loud music and alcohol this is not the trip for you.

If you want to know about the facinating nature and history of this wonderful place in a relaxed, comfortable environment with a great crew making sure you enjoy yourself then this is the trip for you. They do serve a mean rum punch but not until you're cruising home in the afternoon as a leisurely end to the day.

May 31st, 2011, 08:49 PM


gunnercade


Cool Cruiser Join Date: Apr 2010


Posts: 13
We did the Extreme Tour with Adventure Antigua last week. It was basically a tour around the island on a speedboat. It's not for people without full mobility-getting in and out of the boat can be tricky.


The good: it was fun, and the stops were at great beaches (we loved swimming with the stingrays!). You get full snorkeling equipment, included in the price. You also get a nice lunch and rum punch (not the best we have had), and all the water you need. Bring your own towel and sunscreen (in fact, I suggest a surf shirt to swim in).


The just OK: the crew wasn't the friendliest, although they were competent and polite. Being on a speedboat after a while can be stressful because of the noise and the 'pummeling'. What is worse, they squeezed an unreasonable number of people on the boat. My husband and I had comfortable seats, but the late comers had to 'straddle' the front seats-not that comfortable if you have to be in that position for a while.


Overall we had fun, but I suspect there may be better outfits out there.

I am discussing this review with my crew to see if there was a problem that we can solve, but the seats up front are favorites for many of our Xtreme Tour return guests. I think the third sentence is possibly a clue as to why the guests didn't think the tour was as awesome as the first reviewers. Both of my powerboat tours have themes of Adventure and people who don't want to move around may be better off on one of the other trips that we do. That being said, we have taken people on this tour who wouldn't take no for an answer and asked the crew to put their wheel chairs in the cabin while they enjoyed the tour around Antigua.

www.adventureantigua.com



The third sister - Redonda (an interesting look at the island and it's history)

This is taken from my column in Enjoy Magazine which comes out every two weeks here in Antigua. Look for your new issue coming out soon! 

At 16 56' North and 62 21' West there is a mysterious rock reaching out of the dark ocean around it that looks as though it may have been the inspiration for King Kong or some other adventure story. This is the island of Redonda. It is less than a mile square, rises to a height of just under a thousand feet, and for now is uninhabited. Antigua and Barbuda claim the rocky island just 30 miles to the South-West as part of their country and helps give the nation one of the largest economic and territorial zones in the region.

Historically the island was left alone and used only as a stopping point until it was discovered that minerals produced by thousands of years of bird droppings could be mined and exported. Mining phosphates on the island took place between 1860 and the early 1900s and during its peak the island exported 7000 tons a year. Back in the summer of 1894 an American writer from Popular Science Monthly spent a few days on the island and wrote about his adventure in the November issue (read that here). He beautifully described the island with its interesting geography and biology as well as Redonda’s small community of miners. There were one hundred and one people living on the island when he wrote about it and that number generally stayed at about that level peaking at 120 one year. Most of the calcium phosphate and later, aluminum phosphate were ultimately exported to Germany and when The First World War began the demand dwindled. Also during the war new technology was found which further decreased demand for Redonda’s minerals. A small number of people stayed on the island to maintain the equipment until 1929 when a hurricane damaged the houses. Since then nobody has lived there, but many of us have visited the adventure filled island to spend a day or two exploring. The bird life there is absolutely fantastic as is the snorkeling and diving. The hike to the top along the gorge where the cable trolley used to carry workers up and down is exhilarating and exciting.

While I am no climber, I have been to the top twice, but I would describe it as quite dangerous though doable if you are very careful.

It’s funny because my experience after getting to the top was very similar to that of Fred Morse as seen in the Nov 1894 issue of Popular Science. The incredibly fresh air at the top is wonderfully cool after the hot hike and the majestic views over to Montserrat, Redonda, St. Kitts and Nevis are truly magical. The view of the sea and tiny boat below didn’t look real either.

The buildings left behind sit in ruins but you can easily imagine how life and work must have been a hundred years ago on the island.

While the natural environment on the island remains the most interesting aspect of Redonda, it is perpetually threatened by several alien species including goats and rats both brought by the miners. The Environmental Awareness Group has been trying to get funding to do a similar rat eradication program there as was successfully done on Great Bird Island but the program hasn’t started yet. At this moment there are no scheduled trips to Redonda and very few people ever get the opportunity to visit the island. For many the island remains an intriguing bump on the horizon at sunset still waiting to be rediscovered some day.

After habitat destruction comes a press release. Want to laugh?

After writing this blog (click here), lawyers for the developer sent this my way.


STATEMENT

FROM: Hill & Hill, Attorneys for Queens Bay Limited
DATE: 26th May, 2011


QUEENS BEACH CLUB

Clearing of the site for the proposed construction of Antigua’s newest exclusive condominium development consisting of 27 villas and hotel has been completed at Mosquito Cove. The proposed development to be named Queens Beach Club is being undertaken by Queens Bay Limited whose shareholders are from Holland.

Upon the completion of the layout of the plans of the site the application for the approval of the construction will be submitted to the Environmental Division. The proposal intends to satisfy the full range of demands and environmental concerns made by the Environmental Division in relation to the density of the project, the capability of the waste water management and disposal systems and the construction of a retaining wall.

The Developer is fully committed to the development of a project which is environmentally friendly and satisfies all of the concerns and requirements of the Environmental Division.

Coastal Habitat getting Destroyed in Antigua

Over the past two weeks I have seen several fairly natural areas around Antigua get clear cut or otherwise destroyed. Habitat destruction is one of the best ways to diminish your biodiversity and here in Antigua is looks as if the powers that be care very little about the problems associated with it. Below is a video done by the Antigua Conservation Society which is a small environmental group which we will hear much more about over the next few months. It shows a property that was owned by some of the Dutch Jolly Harbour (CDAL) share holders. Also shareholders of La Perla which has already been in big trouble for digging up mangroves in Nonsuch Bay. Anyway, I don't think they are the problem here. The problem is the government and their lack of proper management. The point is that apart from being totally wrong to clear coastal habitat with all of the normal environmental implications, it is against the law. You need permits from the Forestry Division, and you shouldn't be able to clear land if the proposed project has been turned down by the Environmental Division and the DCA. I am not sure if they have changed their mind, but sources within the government agencies say that no approval has been granted. It's time for this kind of thing to have some form of punishment. Anyway, have a look at the video and think about what you can do. I think we need some change in environmental policy here in Antigua.



EDIT: Since writing this originally, I have been contacted by some of the LA Perla and CDAL group who say that although the transfer hasn't been finished the land in question has been sold to an "unrelated" person. As you will read in the comments on this blog, another name has been given for the owners. Anyway, the problem is the government here and their lack of supervision or enforcement of the regulations.

A cool little video of light tackle fishing through the mangroves in Antigua.

As most of our promotional material will explain, our Eco Tour is based on adventures we would get up as kids. Long before we were old enough to take the boat out by ourselves, my Dad and our uncles would take us exploring in the North Sound Islands as well as around Barbuda.

This photo is a shot of me, my brother Ali and sister Nell out fishing with Dad. When my dad was a kid he did the same thing out there with his dad and with friends growing up. As soon as I was old enough to use the boat sometime around my eleventh birthday, my cousins David and Nick and I would lead our own adventures. Anyway, you can imagine how easy it was to start www.adventureantigua.com when I finally decided to make a business out of our adventures. Every now and then I spend a day in the North Sound fishing just as I did when I was a kid. Last week I was invited out fishing by Stevie and David Mendes who both have worked with Adventure Antigua as crew and as captains.
As you will see in this video, it was just some simple light tackle fishing fun on a 13 foot boston whaler with a 15 hp engine. I hope to one day take my kids up into these islands and do the same things. How could anyone get tired of doing this stuff?



To see what we would get up to as kids and even now as adults please visit
http://www.adventureantigua.com/
and book a day trip with us on this amazing tour.

youtube videos and facebook photos

There are many people shooting videos and taking photos while they are on our tours and we often never see the results. If you are one of these people and happen to be reading this, please post the youtube or vimeo video or photos on our facebook page http://www.facebook.com/AdventureAntigua
If they are good then I may ask permission to post them on this blog, and if they are really good then we may ask if we can put them on our website. For that we would trade a few trip for two on one of our tours.
Shoot away and please let me know. You can tag me in the photo as well as tagging Adventure Antigua or just post them on our facebook page. Remember if you use twitter and post a photo or video all you have to do is put @antigua in your tweet and I will see it. If you use Flickr or Picasa then all you have to do is paste the link of a photo into our facebook page. Get involved and comment on the posts there too if you like.Don't be shy. Thanks so much! Eli

www.adventureantigua.com

a bit of kayak fishing

After the Eco Tour returned back to Jolly Harbour, I decided to do a little fly fishing from my kayak. I took my nine weight rod and a good tarpon fly and paddled slowly out of the harbour. It had been a fairly cloudy day without any rain despite some of the weather forecasts which as usual were wrong. Anyway, I saw some fish splashing but they turned out to all be mullet. I paddled out of the harbour and across the bay towards the little inlet and swamp near Hermitage Hotel. I had one strike from what looked like a decent snapper and apart from that the only action I had was a few bites from a common laughing gull that kept following me.
At least the sunset as seen above from the kayak was nice. Just after I took this photo I had a good bite as I was just about to enter the harbour again. This time it was a little tarpon and I got it to the kayak in short time. When releasing fish you want to try to touch them as little as possible as taking the mucus off their scales can cause them harm. When I fly fish with my uncle we use something called a booger grip which helps you get the hook out without you having to touch the fish. I didn't have one but as I got the fish alongside the kayak, it spat the hook and swam off. A good ending to the day for both of us.......

www.adventureantigua.com

A basic snorkeling lesson for those who don't know how.

As some of my readers may know, I write a column in the Enjoy which is an Antiguan magazine that comes out every two weeks. This last issue had a "staycation" theme and I figured I would write something that locals who were considering having a vacation in Antigua could enjoy. Of course the topic isn't just for locals and some of our recent tripadvisor reviews showed just how many people coming here on holiday don't know how to snorkel either. Snorkeling is easy but many people would benefit from a lesson and that's what my article was all about. Enjoy!

There is a great song by someone called Baz Luhrmann that was a high school graduation speech. It’s called “Everybody is free (to wear sunscreen)”. He gives the new graduates all kinds of fantastic advice that I actually never get tired of hearing. One of the things he tells the students is to do something each day that scares you.

The reason he gave this advice was because too many people live their lives staying away from things that appear scary but that would probably make them happier if they gave them a shot.
I thought I would write about something that scares some people here and hope that they take up Baz Luhrmann’s advice and give it a try.
SNORKELING is what I am speaking about, and it just doesn’t have to be scary. Since growing up around The Lord Nelson Beach Hotel I have been teaching people how to snorkel, and now that I run a snorkeling tour company we use these techniques everyday. The biggest problem that people have when giving snorkeling a try is that they often are not using the equipment properly and have the mask on incorrectly. If you can’t swim then you need to wear a life jacket, or wear a buoyancy vest if you are a weak swimmer. Before you get in the water, put the mask on with the strap fairly high up the back of your head. Put it just above where your pony tail would be tied if you had or have one.There is no need to have the strap tight at all and only need it tight enough to hold the mask in place. If it’s too tight you will get a headache. Make sure your nose is inside the mask and that there are no folds or hair in the edge of the mask as it goes around your face.

You are now only breathing through your mouth as your nose is sealed inside the mask. If you inhale though your nose and the mask sticks to your face then it’s sealed well.

Next is the snorkel. Put the entire mouth piece in your mouth and try to breath in and out of your mouth while keeping your lips tightly sealed around that mouth piece. Don’t try to breath out of the sides of your mouth as that will only let water in.
Once you are suited up, have someone else with you, and are ready to give it a try, walk out into a calm area of water until it’s just below your knees. DO NOT VENTURE DEEPER UNTIL YOU ARE A PROFICIENT SWIMMER AND ARE COMFORTABLE WITH SNORKELING! The next step is to kneel down and put your hands in front of you on the sand as if you were about to do a push up. Remember you are in less than knee deep water and your head is out of the water at this point. When you feel comfortable enough to go to the next step you will need to bend your elbows in order to lower your shoulders and head into the water. Look at the horizon but NOT DOWN, and put your mask slowly into the water low enough so that your eyes are just below the surface. Breath regularly though the mouth piece as you were doing before you put your face into the water. You can easily straighten your elbows and lift your head out of the water at any point if you don’t feel comfortable. Stay in the shallow knee deep water with your palms on the sand until you have relaxed enough to keep your eyes below the surface for a few minutes. If you try all of this you should be able to remove your hands from the sand, try a little breast stroke to move around, and see more within a short while. Keep the top of your mask just below the surface and give a sharp blow through your mouth if you get water in the snorkel. Always remember that you can lift your head out of the water, take your mask off, and breath as normal though you mouth and nose at any time. If this all works then Baz Luhrmann’s advice will have worked well for you. Good luck and have fun!

www.adventureantigua.com

The most dangerous thing in the Caribbean

Yesterday one of my firends posted the video below on their facebook wall and I was curious to see what it was about. It reminded me about a blog post i wrote back in the summer of 2007 which received a huge amount of interest and hits. Since this info is so important I figured I would re-post it which is something i rarely do on my blog. The video below is good enough that it inspired me to share it and my most popular blog post from the summer of 07. Sharks are not the most dangerous things you will find here.

Ever since I can remember, our visitors have been asking questions about dangerous things that you may meet while out on the water. I started competing in regional windsurfing events when I was twelve and that was after years already spent out fishing and messing about on small boats. So many people would worry about sharks and other “nasties” out there in the unknown.

When I started my tour company Adventure Antigua the questions or worries were even more common about “nasties” in the sea. People would ask about sharks and jellyfish, stingrays, moray eels, barracuda, fire coral, urchins, currents, waves, pirates, poisonous plants…and the list keeps going on an on. You name the worry and I have heard of it or been asked about it. The Italian guests that visit Antigua seem to be the biggest worriers with “squalo?” and “medusa?” being words that I learned very quickly through constant repetition. When working in this business you sometimes are challenged to reply to common questions in different ways just to keep it interesting and not annoying. I know that if you had to answer the same squalo question every week in the same way, you would get tired pretty quick. I mean how would you answer the question; “Do you have sharks in Antigua?”

I have at least 10 versions of answers to that one just so the crew doesn’t get annoyed with the same answer each day. One of them may be silly like “there are loads of sharks, but they are all walking around on two legs in St. Johns.” The answer could be more serious like… “Yes, but there has never been a shark attack in Antigua’s recorded history.”
Most of the time if someone is asking about unknown nasties that may attack them and ruin their eco tour or xtreme tour…I tell them that the most dangerous thing that they will encounter today is the sunshine.

It’s not a joke at all and is the core of today’s blog. Each year in the USA over one million people get skin cancer with over eight thousand deaths a year because of the disease. This crazy statistic is something that worrys me more than any thoughts of the other "nasties" that i may encounter while out on the boat. In the USA there are on average 60 shark attacks a year with 4 being fatal. Antigua gets none. In fact most of the Caribbean is shark attack free. With over 8000 dead with skin cancer and 4 from shark attacks you can see what the main “nasty” is.
This past week the USA has finally followed Europe’s lead when it comes to sunscreen regulations. Apparently the actual new classification and labeling of sunscreens which is the same that they have in England and in Europe will not come into effect until 2009. I don’t know why it’s going to take so long to show people that their sunscreen isn’t protecting them against possible skin cancer death, but at least the new labels will come in 2009. Europe and Canada has been using it since 1993. If you live in the USA now I guess you can always just remember a few things spoken about on this blog when buying sunscreen.
For a long time it was mistakenly thought that UVB rays were the harmful rays radiated from our sun which is why the SPF classification came into being. The FDA used the SPF as a measure to show how well you were being protected against these harmful UVB rays which undoubtedly can cause skin cancer. Anyway, long after many studies proved that the other UVA rays are also dangerous and can cause skin cancer the FDA has decided that they should let the general public know. The new classification will have the SPF rating as well as the UVA rating which will be a 5 star rating system like Europe’s system. A great article on it all is: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/24/health/24sunscreen.html?ref=health
I think if you really want to be a geek (aka “smart”) you could check the chemicals that are in your sunscreen. In order to block both UVA and UVB sun rays there are certain ingredients that you should look for in your high SPF factor sunscreen keeping in mind that the SPF by itself is just blocking the UVB rays. These UVA blocking chemicals are avobenzone (also called Parsol 1789), titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, or Mexoryl SX (or Tinosorb outside the U.S.).

Now I am no scientist so I don’t know which of these chemicals are better for you than the other, but there are loads of articles on the net that you can research the topic more. I know that many people think that some of these chemicals may do more harm than good. A good start explaining the benefits is found on this link where i took the quote below from: http://www.consumersearch.com/www/family/sunscreen/index.html#intro :
"Dermatologists say that Mexoryl SX is the most effective UVA-blocking ingredient currently available. It has been used in Canada and Europe since 1993, but was just approved by the FDA for use in the U.S. in July 2006. However, sunscreen products containing Mexoryl SX (a trademark of L'Oreal) have been slow to enter the U.S. market. Right now, only a handful of products are available containing Mexoryl in the U.S. LaRoche-Posay Anthelios SX (*est. $30 for 3.4 ounces) is a facial moisturizer that contains Mexoryl SX. More widely available is Lancôme UV Expert 20 (*est. $35 for 3.4 ounces), a face and body lotion with Mexoryl SX. If you want the best possible protection, Lancôme UV Expert 20 an ideal mix of ingredients, but it's very expensive.
Helioplex is another advance in sun protection. Developed by Neutrogena, Helioplex boosts the UVA-blocking power of avobenzone, which otherwise begins to degrade after a couple of hours. (Mexoryl SX doesn't degrade in sunlight -- another reason why reviews say it's such a good ingredient.) There are actually two kinds of UVA rays -- short and long waves. Avobenzone protects against long-wave rays. Several ingredients, including the commonly used oxybenzone, can protect against short-wave UVA rays. Many sunscreens contain oxybenzone, but don't contain anything to protect against long-wave UVA. By including oxybenzone, companies are allowed to say their product protects against UVA, but unless it also contains avobenzone, zinc oxide, titanium dioxide or Mexoryl SX, you are not protected against long-wave UVA rays. That's why skin-care experts say you should look for "broad spectrum" UVA and UVB protection. "

I went and looked at all my sunscreens and was happy to find that they all had chemicals which blocked both types of rays. I have had quite a few skin cancers burnt off and a few cut off all of which I am sure came as a result of burns I got as a kid. Back then the sunscreens were not that strong and none were waterproof which is another thing that I think is essential when you are coming on holiday. This is even more important for kids too since they are always in the water and never reapply on their own.

You want to find high factor, broad spectrum UVA and UVB sunscreens that say something like “all day waterproof” or even “6 hour waterproof”. This is where I think the USA does a better job that the UK. Most of the UK stuff washes off as soon as you get in the sea and unless you are always putting the stuff back on you will get burnt.

My sunscreen of choice for years has been Bullfrog since I can put it on once in the morning as I am leaving the harbour and that’s it for the day. The stuff stays on after loads of snorkeling too. Epicurean in Jolly Harbour has it for sale.

There are more and more waterproof sunscreens on the market and recently someone left us some Coppertone kids 50 waterproof spray which is so good that I think you only need to apply it once a holiday!! My mom and brother have had more serious skin cancers than I have had and it’s no joke at all. Buy the right stuff and put it on. Even the people with nice dark skin can get skin cancer so be prepared. It’s a lovely place to be and it can be safe with the right preparations. I think that good education about sharks, stingrays and the same sunshine that many ancient civilizations (who are no longer with us) have worshiped is key to a happy trip to Antigua and the Caribbean. I hope you enjoyed the words or at least my photos. c ya!

www.adventureantigua.com

The Traditions of wooden boat building in the Caribbean

This article was published in the Enjoy Magazine here that comes out every two weeks and is published by the Observer Group. I write something to do with the sea in every issue. As you will read, it came out just before the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta which our Caribbean boat Zemi ended up winning.


I am woken by the sound of water rushing along the side of the wooden
hull. Dawn is showing its colours above the stern, and as I am taking
in the lovely sounds and colours that I miss so much when I am on land
for too long, I see the day's first flying fish zoom by. For hundreds
of years people in the West Indies have been experiencing mornings
like this out at see while fishing, smuggling, and transporting cargo.
The feeling is similar while out on newer fiberglass yachts, but there
is much more to it when you are on a traditionally built wooden vessel
and I don't think I will ever get tired of it.

Up until the late 1960s and early 1970s most islands in the West
Indies had shipwrights who used the incredible skills that had been
passed down from generation to generation to design and construct
wonderful majestic vessels.

Usually they were built on a beach where
there was a tradition of boat building in the village nearby, but as
islands became more wealthy and "developed" the tradition's slowly
began to fade away.

Instead of learning the age old skills of boat
building, people sought work in the hotel industry or in some related
service. The demand for wooden boats also diminished as steel hulls
and fiberglass vessels were imported and purchased by fishermen and
cargo boat owners. The last wooden boat build for commercial purposes
here in Antigua was finished in 1986, and Antigua isn't alone with
this trend.

In fact one of the only places in the Caribbean between
Puerto Rico and Trinidad where wooden "work boats" are still being
built traditionally is in the Grenadines. The islands of Carriacou,
Bequai and Petit Martinique are still building these fabulous sailing
vessels, but even there the traditions and techniques were in danger
of being lost.

This all changed with a rebirth of interest thanks to a
few passionate sailors who are using these boats for racing and just
pure pleasure. Famous Antiguan photographer, Alexis Andrews, is
leading the fight to keep traditional West Indian boat building alive.

He spent over 10 years visiting Carriacou collecting images for a book
that he published back in 2008 entitles Carracou Sloops.I was
encouraged and helped by him to become one of the growing group of
boat owners, and together we join up to 12 others racing each year in
the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta where we now have a class just for
our boats.

This year the regatta starts on April 14th and will be held from The
Antigua Yacht Club. Please come by and see what it's all about. The
West Indian work boats will all be alongside the dock together and we
will welcome you on board if you would like to see more and hear
stories about how they were built. For more photos of our Carriacou
Sloop that we use for day tours and charters visit

www.adventureantigua.com
http://www.sailing-antigua.com/  

Sailing week finishes and I am lucky to sail the last two days on an amazing yacht.

There is so much to say about this years sailing week. I think I will leave that for another blog post. There will be dramatic changes I hope to the way it planned and organized. There were many brilliant ideas and for the most part it was well run, but wow!.... some of the ideas were so dramatically wrong that there is no wonder the event gets less and less interest each year. Look out for my blog about all of that soon.

Anyway, as the title of this blog post suggests, I managed to sail a few days with an amazing yacht. It was a custom made 60 foot beast of pre-preg carbon fiber made in France for an Italian owner. He and his wife wanted to have one of the fastest luxury cruising yachts in the world and they indeed got what they paid for. Wow that thing was fast!
On day one of race week I managed to snap a few images of the regular cruising yachts racing outside of Curtain Bluff resort. My wife and I then drove up to Shirley Heights and The Lookout to take a few photos of the racing yachts outside of Indian Creek and the St. James Resort. Here are a selection of those images.

On Monday I took out my Eco Tour boat with my wife, my sister Fran and a few friends and we followed the racing class as they zoomed down past Rendezvous Bay passing Carlisle Bay and Curtain Bluff.

Seeing the two fastest yachts in the regatta, Titan and Genuine Risk battling down wind was quite amazing. We couldn't even keep up with them. Driving the boat and trying to shoot a few photos was not too easy. Here are a few I managed:

We then chilled out for a swim in Carlisle Bay which was lovely. You can't swim and watch the yachts racing past during the internationally famous Cows Week in the UK. Antigua's sailing is hard to beat.

Later that day one of the fastest boats in the regatta that was being sailed by a team of paid professionals was so badly damaged by a fire that she had to retire from the regatta. Titan Powerplay possibly will never race again, so these images are some of the last of her racing. She's the large sloop with the red bow and dark stern.

One of my Zemi crew from our Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta was racing on the black 60 footer I mentioned at the start of this post (shown above with white spinnaker and crew wearing green shirts) and when I heard they lost one of their crew in a accident on board, I asked if I could join them for one of the races. As it happened it was blowing 25 to 30 knots on the day that i joined them and it was a very exciting day of racing indeed. This video done by close friend Roddy Grimes-Graeme of http://www.acquafilms.com/ shows some of the action and if you look carefully from 2:27 into the youtube video you will see yours truly trimming the spinnaker at 22 knots. I have spent most of my life windsurfing at speeds well above 20 knots but doing it on a 60 foot yacht was quite amazing.



See all the sailing week videos that were quickly edited after each race and uploaded for everyone to see on this link

Anyway, the boat I was on is called Ourson Rapide and the owner and his wife just wanted to have a good time racing their amazing machine in Antigua Sailing Week. There was an equipment malfunction the day before I joined them and one of their crew was badly hurt taking him out of the competition. They probably could have done with about four more experienced crew. The first mate on board was a extremely experienced French racer and probably would do very well on one of those single handed races. He wasn't the best at communication and I think the main reason he was on board was to help the owner and his wife learn how to race the vessel. The hot shot racer was down below doing who knows what when we were sailing back upwind towards some rocks when the owner decided we should tack. Naturally this was the only decision that could have been made. Anyway, the hot shot came back up after the tack arguing about why we tacked. Needless to say and argument ensued that resulted in him leaving the boat after the race. The boat was now short of two experienced crew. The hot shot was the man who usually did the starts and sailed upwind leaving the downwind sailing to the owner. Anyway, you know where this is going..... I was asked to come the next day and when I arrived I was asked to do the start and the upwind legs. I was then asked to do the down wind legs too. I had come on board to be used as what I like to call on my boat "intelligent ballast" and next thing you know I am on the helm of a multi million dollar racing machine in Antigua Sailing Week. Sometimes you just have to laugh at how things pan out. Anyway, we were doing very well until we had another equipment malfunction which prevented us from using our spinnaker on our second and third down wind legs. It was ultra enjoyable for me anyway and an honor to be given the helm on this beautiful boat. Here are a few images I took from their site:

And these shots were taken by Jame Miller using the wide angle gopro camera. He's friend of mine back home in Antigua between terms from Med school: As you can tell, I was ultra happy to be on the wheel for this race. In fact, I would be ultra happy sailing that boat anytime!!!

This year I ended up staying for Antigua Sailing Week instead of going to the West Indies Regatta because for many reasons I just couldn't go. I was very upset about not being able to race in St. Barth on my boat Zemi especially after we just won the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta. Anyway, after sailing with Ourson Rapide for those last two days of Sailing Week I didn't feel so bad.

www.adventureantigua.com