by Karin Dear

Government is looking at leasing five acres of land near the Flour Mill on Spring Garden as a "safe haven" for charter and fishing boats threatened by stormy seas.

At a recent meeting at Sherbourne Conference Centre attended by Minister of Tourism Noel Lynch, representatives of Barbados Port Inc., the newly-formed Charter Boat Association and other boat industry stakeholders, a proposal to lease the land for 25 years to veteran boat operator Willie Hassell was listed among several considerations for safety measures to be implemented by next year's hurricane season.

In an interview with the MIDWEEK NATION, Hassell, Shallow Draught co-operator, said the company would need to invest "at least $1.5 million" for a travel lift that could hoist very large vessels, wide catamarans, glass bottom boats and other craft rapidly out of the water should a dangerous storm threaten.

"Such an investment calls for at least a 25-year lease, and we could provide shelter for about 150 boats," he said.

The Shallow Draught could only hold 30 boats and was full, he pointed out.

A letter to Lynch written several weeks ago by concerned boat owner Martyn Melhuish, who heads the Charter Boat Association, warned that the entire "water-related tourism sector" stood at risk due to an islandwide lack of safe berthing facilities.

Prompted by investigations by this newspaper last August which indicated an additional 900 fishing boats were at risk with only one tractor at the time in operation and Port St Charles Marina in St Peter no longer available to fishermen, and coupled with Melhuish's correspondence, a meeting was called at Lynch's Sherbourne office.

Representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture's Fisheries Division were also there, a fisheries spokesman said.

"The minister also assured us that work would begin in time for the next hurricane season on an outer breakwater at the end of the Careenage mouth," Melhuish said in a separate interview.

Spared rough seas so far this season, the charter boats berthed just feet apart in the Careenage would be reduced "to matchsticks" in the event of a storm, Melhuish warned.

"We are now anxiously awaiting another meeting to be called by minister Lynch to confirm that the matters discussed will be implemented," he added.

Lynch is overseas on Government business and could not be reached for a comment.