His Excellency the Governor August Jaspert is currently away from the Territory on duty travel to the Joint Ministerial Council Meeting in United Kingdom. He left the Territory yesterday.

Public Officers from the several departments including Conservation and Fisheries, Survey, Town and Country Planning, and Disaster Management are engaged in a week long workshop on 'Mapping for Evidence-Based Policy, Recovery and Environmental Resilience’ from December 3 to 7.

The Government of the Virgin Islands has entered into a Development Agreement with Audubon Holdings to develop Norman Island as an environmentally conscious, luxury residential and tourist destination.

Officials from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Labour continue to investigate the cause of a fish kill that occurred at Josiah’s Bay Pond.

Residents and visitors are being warned against eating ‘double dead’ fish following a major fish kill in Josiah's Bay, Tortola.

Acting Deputy Chief Conservation and Fisheries officer Mr. Mervin Hastings is urging residents to utilise the Sargassum seaweed that is being washed up along the Territory’s shorelines.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Natural Resources and Labour, Dr. the Honourable Kedrick Pickering attended the first Ocean Risk Summit held in Bermuda from May 8 to 10.

The seabed surrounding Norman Island is the property of the Crown. The Willy T has been moored at the Bight under an annual seabed licence which expired in February, 2018. 

Madame Speaker, I address this Honourable House to report on the progress made in the massive job of cleaning up our beaches and clearing the same of any marine debris which accumulated along our shores.  

The public is reminded that sand mining in the Territory is illegal according to the Beach Protection Ordinance CAP 233.