PROVISIONS are being put in place to stop fishermen from catching small dolphins and from using the inappropriate net to capture flying fish.

This is according to Deputy Chief Fisheries Officer at the Fisheries Division, Joyce Leslie, who was delivering remarks yesterday during a service at the People’s Cathedral Church in
observance of Fisherman’s Day and also the beginning of Fisherfolk Week 2017.

She warned the local fishing community that the practice of catching dolphins that are not sexually matured, or have not had the opportunity to reproduce, means reducing the number of fish which will be available for regeneration.

Additionally, she said the recent trend of using a “small mesh size gill net” to catch flying fish is also definitely wrong.

“Both of these practices will be addressed by regulations,” she said.

She also pointed out that in 2015 and 2012, a significant decline in flying fish catches was observed, representing a total catch 378 and 354 megaton (MT) respectively, compared to 1000-2000 MT, as accustomed.

She said these low catches were highly associated with massive incursions of Sargassum seaweed in those years, occurring two to three months before the usual end of the fishing season.

“In 2013, flying fish catches rebounded to approximately 2000 MT. Associated with the Sargassum were numerous small dolphin fish, which were easily caught by fishers,” she explained.

The Deputy Chief Fisheries Officer reminded that fishermen are also required to report their fish catch accurately. She said regulations making it compulsory to record and report data on fish catch and area fished have been approved by the Cabinet, as well as changes to improve the fisheries act and to introduce new regulations for vessel safety and construction standards.

“Biological sustainability of the wild caught fisheries resources is the overarching goal, such that all present and future stakeholders in the industry, the fisherfolk, and Barbadians as a whole can benefit in the long term.

“In order to achieve this, management measures must be put in place and implemented, in order to maintain the vitality of the industry.

“The main components of the fisheries policy objectives which contribute to resource stability are to prepare and implement fisheries management plans for the different fish stocks currently exploited, taking into account the international legal framework for fisheries,” she said.

Leslie also advised that while management should be based on the best available scientific data and research, as well as contributory knowledge, if such data is lacking, and if there is reason to believe that harm is occurring or may occur, management decisions must be made to avoid severe or irreversible damage to the fisheries.

She stressed that while the successful implementation of these plans will be dependent on the fisherfolk, these men and women must be able to access basic new knowledge about fishing technology that is available.

Leslie acknowledged that while Fisherman’s Day 2017 theme is: “Fisheries Contribution to Food Security In A Changing Climate”, Government, through its Fisheries Division, is committed to optimising the social and economic returns from the exploitation of the fisheries resources, and the island’s fish stocks, which are the foundation of the fishing industry.

“For this to occur, the fisheries resources must remain viable and not be impacted negatively by irresponsible fishing practices, overfishing, or habitat degradation . . .” she said.

To celebrate Fisherfolk week, The Barbados National Union of Fisherfolk Organisation (BARNUFO) which also attend the church service, will be hosting various activities, including a panel discussion. (AH)

WORK to improve the functioning of The Registration Department has started.
As the Department celebrates its 130th anniversary this year, its management is focused on “Repositioning [it] for World Class Excellence”, with a vision to provide citizens with an accessible judicial system that maintains a high degree of public trust and confidence, dispenses justice by resolving disputes, and conducting administrative functions in a fair, equitable, just, speedy and efficient manner, to provide world class customer service.

Yesterday, while speaking at a church service at the Abundant Life Assembly, to celebrate the milestone, Registrar of the Supreme Court Barbara Cooke-Alleyne, said evaluation of the processes and functioning of the Department is on-going, pointing out that more recently, the Office of Public Sector Reform has been carrying out a re-engineering of the processes exercise in the Records Branch.

In addition, a Customer Satisfaction survey was conducted and completed.

“The results of that survey was submitted and will be discussed in the coming weeks,” Cooke-Alleyne said.

The Department has also been enhancing and upgrading the current system for the processing of certificates with a view of having the current system integrated into a more reliable and up to date system, which will allow for an easy, fast and cost-effective way for government employees at the national, regional or local level to research the stored information.

The system will also provide data sharing, in an effort to speed up paper work and exchange of letters between different departments, a process needed for high-level government decision making.

“[There will also be the] introduction of security paper to be used for birth, death and marriage certificates and to bring them in line with international standards. Upgrade the JEMS system by introducing E-Filing and E-Litigation; provide access to court information through the World Wide Web,” she said.

The Registrar explained that the Court’s website will be the central point of access to and source of information about the judiciary, more information about the scheduling of cases will be provided, and additional information on how to file a case will also be included.

She also pointed out that provisions are also being made for data exchange with other Justice Agencies and Civil Registries.

“A number of important reforms and initiatives which are directly relevant to the administration of justice have been outlined. It is evident that serious efforts have been made and are being made to reposition the department to achieve world class excellence. Some of the reforms and initiatives are already in effect; others will come into effect in the coming years,” she said.

The Registrar also noted that the Department achieving its vision will require involving many people and interpreting many new technologies. She said, it will require numerous independent projects, some sequential and some simultaneously, and it will require new resources.

“With this assistance of Government, we are positioning the Department on a new and progressive path.”

“We must now acquire the resources, and manage the process so that all affected groups are involved and the vision becomes a reality,” she said.

Attorney General and Minister of Home Affairs Adriel Brathwaite, Chief Justice Sir Marston Gibson, Chief Magistrate Christopher Birch, Justice of Appeal Sandra Mason, and Minister of State, Prime Minister’s Office, Senator Patrick Todd, were among the dignitaries who attended yesterday’s service. (AH)

The Oistins Fish Festival Committee sees the Oistins Fish Festival which is held every year around the Easter period as a major tourist attraction and as such, has plans to keep the festival fresh and exciting.

Deputy Chairman of the Oistins Fish Festival Committee, Dr. Dan Carter acknowledged the above, as he spoke with The Barbados Advocate following the presentation of prizes to students who emerged as winners in the Oistins Fish Festival Art and Essay Competition, hosted by the Committee. The students were all drawn from public and private schools within the Christ Church community.

“This year, we again were pleased with the outcome of the festival. Most of the main events came off, especially the Gospel (event held) the Sunday night. That was excellent. The dolphin skinning and fish boning competitions are always top of the line.

They get a tremendous lot of attention from the audience. But every year, we try to include something new, because we hear that persons come and see the same thing all the time. So we try to include something new every year and this is part of our attempt at renewal,” Dr. Carter stated.

“Tourists are drawn to the festival as well. The tourists, they enjoy it because they can walk the streets freely and engage themselves and they have a variety of goodies to participate in. So they really enjoy it, together with the Barbadians. And when I speak to them one to one, they are amazed that we have a street fair like this, such a massive event, with no particular violence. So they feel happy when they are here,” Dr. Carter further commented.

Plans are already in the works to make the 2018 Oistins Fish Festival bigger and better and to attract more tourists as well as locals to the festival, around the Easter period. (RSM)

Come join the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) of Barbados and be part of a team that has been changing lives and communities.

Yesterday, President, Tamita Griffith, took the opportunity to issue this call as the organisation is on the hunt for young blood to join its membership.

She was at the time addressing a Thanksgiving Service at Goodland New Testament Church of God, to kick off the YWCA’s Week of Activities, as it celebrates 67 years of service to Barbados.

She revealed that one such activity a Karaoke Lime will be held on Thursday, June 29 @ 8 pm at The Pub, Carlton, Desmond Haynes Oval, Black Rock, St. Michael, aimed at reaching out to younger persons.

“For us to increase our members, we can’t rely on persons coming to the YWCA, so we have to reach out and try to convince persons – kind of promote the YWCA as an organisation – that they can join and give back to the community”.

“The majority of our members now, are older persons; therefore, we are looking to attract more younger people who will help – in terms of our presents programmes, as well as new ones. We would have those persons to keep the movement alive,” she said.

The YWCA of Barbados, promotes the empowerment and development of women and girls through advocacy and through the management and support of programmes, and remains “United in Love and Service”.

Reflecting on the past 67 years, Griffith expressed to the congregation that the YWCA has many reasons to celebrate.

She highlighted that their success stories include – the first hostel in Barbados, introduction of the School Traffic Warden Scheme, delivery of Red Cross Meals on Wheels, and for the past ten years – “The Breakfast Club” Programme, catering to over 1 300 school children at 15 schools, both primary and secondary – across the island. The YWCA also carries out its Reading Club, and Griffith disclosed the organisation’s desire to reintroduce programmes and classes such as, “Square Foot Gardening”, “Early Childhood Education”, and the “Sewing Project” to refresh school uniforms instead of throwing them away.

During the service, Pastors H. Meredith and Ruth Hinds presented the YWCA with a generous donation towards The Breakfast Club. Griffith not only thanked them for their kind assistance, but revealed that the funds will go towards assisting children who remain in the programme during the summer holiday.

“We only do the Breakfast Club programme to coincide with the school terms. However, during the summer vacation some parents have expressed interest in having breakfast provided… because of funds we were only focusing on schools within the environs of the YWCA, but this donation has come in very handy as we can reach out to other schools – so more children can benefit from the “Summer Breakfast Takeaway Package”,” she said.

After the service, activities continued with a ‘Women Do Fabulous’ Brunch held at the YWCA Headquarters, FarmRoad, Deacons, St Michael.

Celebrating with the organisation were its corporate sponsors, persons who benefit from the programmes as well as several entertainers who continuously support the YWCA’s efforts.

It was also an opportunity to meet the Miss World Barbados 2017 delegates. Griffith revealed that the YWCA’s relationship with Miss World Barbados come out of the recently held YWCA Fun Fest, which aimed at raising funds to reintroduce its Summer Take Away Breakfast Package and sustaining the other programmes during the school year. (TL)

Some residents of the St. Michael North West Constituency have been made more aware of how to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes and to how to rid their premises of rodents.

This is as a result of efforts by the St. Michael North West Constituency Council. Last Saturday this organisation teamed up with Environmental Health Officers from the Branford Taitt Polyclinic, personnel from the St. Michael North West District Emergency Organisation and the Zika Project of the Barbados Red Cross Society.

Members of the team walked through the Deacons Farm community distributing literature which provided tips of how to prevent mosquito breeding grounds and mosquito bites. It also dealt with what is leptospirosis, chikungunya and dengue fever.

Rodent bait and insect repellent were additionally distributed and individuals were educated on the correct use of both of these.

Chairperson of the St. Michael North Constituency Council, Ricky “Laker” Williams told The Barbados Advocate that the day’s activity formed part of the Council’s ongoing work. He further said that Deacons is just one of the areas to be visited. Over the coming weeks, they will be in districts such as Brandons, Goodland and Free Hill.

“It is one of the initiatives that we as a Council intend to do in the constituency. Our aim today and in the following weeks is to make sure that all of the people in the houses that we visit in the area not only get the bait, but understand how to use it and how to keep their houses free from rodents.”

While the team interacted with residents, many of them highlighted the environmental health challenges that they face. Included in what was shared was the problem with rats as well as the problem of manholes and wells not being properly covered or sealed. It was pointed out that cockroaches emerged from these unsealed wells.

It was a packed church on Sunday evening as more than three hundred people gathered for a service to mark the retirement of Governor General, Sir Elliott Belgrave.

The special service held at the St. Michael’s Cathedral brought together persons from all walks of life, who together with Prime Minister Freundel Stuart, Chief Justice Sir Marston Gibson, members of Cabinet and other dignitaries, paid tribute to Sir Elliott, who after five years in office will retire at the end of this week. Also in attendance were students from several primary schools, including his alma mater, Boscobel Primary School.

The service was indeed one befitting a man who has given so much to his country, and who did not allow his humble beginnings to define his future. The latter was certainly a message that Sir Elliott used as his mantra, and which he communicated to the students at the many primary schools he visited during his tenure, and also conveyed at the fundraising gala for the recently formed Elliott and Loretta Belgrave Scholarship Trust.

During his sermon, Dean of St. Michael’s Cathedral, Reverend Dr. Jeffrey Gibson, spoke of Sir Elliott’s passion for justice and love for the Church and noted that his appointment as Governor General saw the profile of that office enhanced, even as it was brought closer to the people. Sir Elliott, the Reverend contended, has been a sterling example for all to follow.

“It [his tenure] has been an excellent example of servant leadership at a time when the country has had some major economic and social challenges. As you have served our nation; visiting and caring for the elderly – especially the centenarians – and reaching out to the children in our primary schools, you have constantly reminded us all that anyone in this country can aspire with God’s help, and attain the goals that one wants to achieve,” Dean Gibson said.

He added that as a firm believer in discipline, Sir Elliott exhorted the children and the wider public, to do their best, study hard, develop good manners and habits and to treasure the educational opportunities which are available.

“It is not surprising that among your legacies will be the Elliott and Loretta Belgrave Scholarship Trust to assist financially disadvantaged Barbadians with university tuition. The importance of education to the development of the individual and to the nation as a whole has been your passion. Through this facility it is hoped that the vulnerable will be able to pursue their dreams and realise their full potential.”

Addressing the congregation, Sir Elliott offered thanks to all of those in attendance and to those who organised and performed during the service. The outgoing Governor General, who many say is a true people person, also expressed gratitude to Barbadians for the love, affection and kindness they showed him during his time in office.

“I came to this high office with the intention of serving only three years, I have been here since 2012, and of my own free will and volition I have decided to demit office at this time; please know I have tried my very best to serve the State and all the people of Barbados. I hope that I have not let anyone down. If I have somehow disappointed anyone, I tender my sincerest apologies for so doing. With these few remarks I seek your leave to retire with Loretta, my wife of over 54 years,” he said.

Sir Elliott is the seventh Governor General of Barbados and the sixth Barbadian national to hold the office. No announcement has been made to date on his replacement. (JRT)

“If we raise our children in dysfunctional homes, we cannot be so naive as to believe they will behave like angels.”

Making this telling statement was Chairman of the Christ Church Foundation School’s Board of Management, Orlando Scott, as he addressed the sixth formers’ Graduation Ceremony over the weekend.

At the time, he was expressing concern over the level of deviance among some of the nation's youth, and insisted that adults must look to themselves as to why this is happening across the island.

“We the adults, while we rarely seem to admit to our own blemishes, we rush to demonise the youth and blame them for every misdemeanour or felony they commit, even though we may be the worst influences.

“Added to that, why should we pour all the blame on our youth when they do not possess the power to govern; they do not own or manage businesses that manufacture guns; own or manage organisations that produce and promote obscene movies and songs; they do not manage television stations, radio stations or the Internet that promote the baser side of the flesh; neither do they own boats and planes that bring guns and drugs into the country,” a frank Scott stated.

He continued, “The point I am making is that it is we the adult who set the evil agenda, it is the youth who are influenced by our agenda, and it is our communities which suffer the consequences.”

The veteran trade unionist therefore stressed that those with the authority to govern – government, private sector, church, school or the family – must set Christian standards and wholesome values that will seep into the organisations and institutions that will therefore influence the youth to become better citizens.

“If we cuss like pirates, engage in dubious habits in our homes, wuk up half naked at Grand Kadooment, do we expect our children to behave like Joseph of the Old Testament or the Blessed Virgin Mary? It will not happen,” he emphasised.
(JMB)

COME JULY 7 the Kensington Oval will be bursting at the seams with entertainment as three consecutive competitions will take place for Phenomenal Friday, now in its second year.

On Sunday evening National Cultural Foundation’s Corporate Communications Specialist Simone Codrington announced the 32 semi-finalists and the reserves of the much-anticipated Soca Royale competitions at the NCF’s headquarters.

Seeking to dethrone 2016 Sweet Soca king Edwin Yearwood are: Damian Marvay – Antidote; Fadda Fox – Good Ole Days; Faith – Refill; Kirk Brown – Incredible Girl; Lil Rick – Blessing; Marzville – Give it to Ya; Mistah Dale – De Ting Start; Mr. Blood – Look Fuh Meh; Natahlee – Neva Let Ugo; Nikita – Carry festival; RPB – Boat Ride; Sanctuary– Pick Me UP; Shaquille – Collateral; Shirley Stewart – I cant Help It; Statement –We Nah Leavin’; and TC with Paradise. The reserve is Mikey with Level Up.

The semi-finalists for the Party Monarch competition who will come up against reigning king Lil Rick are: Faith – Run It; Gorg- If Ah Drunk Ah Drunk; Holla Bak- Hold De Key; Jahm-r – Make a Wave; Kirk Brown – Shake; Mikey – Feting and Brass; Mistah Dale – Soca Famaleez; Mr. Blood – Leggo; Nik-Man- Whinning Tusty; Peter Ram – Upside Down; Queen T – Enchanted; Rameses – Fowl Cock; Ras Iley & Grynner – D 2 ah We; Saffiyah – Tun Up; Scribz – Waistline Tekova; and Sim Simma with Professional Gals. The reserve was named as Leadpipe & Saddis with their contribution called Hose it, but the duo will concede their reserve spot.

The winner-takes-all Yello-Bashment Soca finals will see Coopa Dan & Rhea, Hardware, Lady Essence, Marzville, Scrilla and Snap Brandy come up against reigning Bashment King Stiffy for the grand prize of
$50 000.

Education Minister Ronald Jones is reminding teachers that words can cause harm.

He is therefore encouraging them to think before they speak as they interact with their charges.

The former educator passed on this advice as he addressed the latest batch of teachers who will be commencing studies at Erdiston Teachers’ Training College from September.

“As teachers, we have to be so careful what words come out of our mouth, because when they come out don’t care how much we apologise, we can’t pull them back. It has already penetrated the being of a delicate child. Don’t care if the child is 16, 10 or 3 years old,” he stressed.

“Those words have already decimated the confidence of that learner. I am saying that because I recognise in our humanity there are many problems that we carry on our own shoulders. There are many pains we carry in our own beings. But, as a professional we have to think before we speak”.

“Knowing that the damage is done now, [it] is a damage that could possibly last forever. I would like a conversation with many of our criminals or those who are on the borderline and ask them about their educational experiences. Which teacher gave them hope, which teacher gave them a sense of wholeness, or which teacher completely devastated them,” the Minister said.

Jones went on to explain that the self -reflective teacher consistently thinks about how he or she impacts upon his or her charges.

“If you don’t care, you do not reflect. But if you truly and genuinely care you must reflect all of the time,” he pointed out.

“Teaching has never been about Maths, English, Literature, IT… those (subjects) are only by-products of a transformation that the teacher or tutor or instructor encourages”. (TL)

THE Regional Police Training Centre (RPTC), from June 2016 to present, conducted 29 courses and workshops in different disciplines, training law enforcement officers and civilians from 12 police forces and four Non-Governmental Organisations across the region.

A total of 563 persons were trained at the centre.

RPTC’s Commandant Sylvester Louis boasted about this accomplishment last week, as he delivered remarks at the 140th Passing Out Parade for recruits from the Royal Barbados Police Force.

Louis said the focus has been on building the region’s crime management capacity; hence, the last detective school which took shape last year is being fully utilized.

In fact, he said the number of admissions had to be reduced from around the region due to the demand.

“I am of the view that continuous training and retraining of crime fighters from across the Caribbean will reap great benefits to its citizenry.”

“... The networking and linkages broached would allow officers to circumvent the dreaded bureaucracy that sometimes negatively affects the investigation of national transitional or borderless crime.”

“In addition, to help fortify our porous borders and make our enforcement capacity more elastic, we provided training for immigration officers, court marshals and custom officers,” he said.

The Commandant also stated that the RPTC has been carrying out its social responsibility as a community-oriented institution, noting that many organisations and persons benefitted from the free usage of the Centre’s shooting range, gym, playing field and other facilities.

“My utterances suggest that we have had some successes and whereas I fully accept full responsibility for all our failures, I wish to publicly thank all those persons and organisations who contributed to our success,” he said. (AH)

Globalization and an increase in the technologies that people across the world are using provides even more avenues for persons involved in terrorism and other criminal activities to carry out their schemes.

This is coming from the Minister of Tourism and International Transport, Richard Sealy who spoke at the organization of American States (OAS) Tourism Security Training Seminar that was held in conjunction with the Barbados Tourism Product Authority, the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) and the Government of Canada at the Barbados Defence Force (BDF) headquarters yesterday.

He said that these security threats are not only those that would occur in the air, but also on land and on the internet and the recent attacks in London and Paris should show the citizens of the Caribbean that they cannot become complacent when it comes to these attacks and assume that they could never occur here.

“Globalization and modern technologies mean that it is not only about security at all levels in the air, but on the ground, at the hotel plants, but also cyber security – what is going on in cyberspace in the era of the terrorist attacks, most recently in both Paris and London. Not suffice to say that the world is a bit less safe than we would have liked it to (be) and gone are the days when we in the Caribbean could simply say that those attacks could never happen in the region and more particularly, that they could never happen in Barbados. But you know if you cast your mind back a few years, you would have heard that nothing like that could ever have happened in the USA and of course they had to confront the whole 9/11 and we are all still feeling the effects of that very unfortunate day.”

The Minister of Tourism stated that this is why it is imperative that Governments in the region and other stakeholders provide training to those persons who are charged with the responsibility of protecting the nation – the BDF and the Royal Barbados Police Force (RBPF).

He said, “Nevertheless, we are all obligated to put protective measures in place starting with security training. The world has certainly changed as these terrorist attacks are happening in countries away from ours, but it now ranks high on our list of pressing concerns and Barbados and the Caribbean must be in a position to deal with such threats. Barbados of course is peculiar as tourism destinations go in the region and beyond. Our nation state and our destination are one in the same...and that is why it is important that all of our security personnel – and it is very heartening to see that not only the Royal Barbados Police Force; the Defence Force are represented here today – but providers of security in the private sector as well – are all here in order to form an alliance, a national alliance to deal with these issues. That is why the training of security personnel is essential in order for all concerned to meet international standards and to be able to deal effectively with what is confronting us.”

In stating that, Sealy also urged the participants to utilise this opportunity.

“I am sure that the participants would have the opportunity to benefit from the experiences with the other delegates and bring a cross representation of ideas, scenario plans. The information I expect of course would be passed on to your colleagues and indeed to society at large. By providing information, all of that could lead to a more stable environment and therefore those elements in selling Barbados or selling the region can be very strong. So to all of the participants, I just urge you to take advantage of this opportunity...I am sure that it would resound to your own professional benefit but of course to the benefit of your country. I implore you to make the most of the opportunity and embrace the important role that you are playing in maintaining the region as a destination of excellence.”

FORMER Governor of the Central Bank of Barbados (CBB), Dr. DeLisle Worrell, believes that Barbados needs investments to increase productive capacity.

Dr. Worrell made the comments yesterday while participating in a panel discussion on Risk Management at a Cave Hill School of Business conference at the Hilton Barbados.

He said that the country has the recipe for economic success. It involves things that must be done in the short-run, but with potential rewards in the long-run.

Dr. Worrell mentioned the development of renewable energy and cultural industries which have potential. However, the former Governor remarked that in order to build these sectors out to make them powerhouses, requires fiscal incentives and finance. He maintained that the way Barbados and other Caribbean countries grow their economies is by providing goods and services at internationally competitive prices. As a result of that, the foreign exchange earned goes to meet the demands in the economy.

Tourism, he further noted, is one of the main drivers of the region’s international competitiveness, along with natural resources, world-class cultural services, music, and the enormous potential there is in renewable energy, which for Barbados can provide 100 per cent of the energy required in this country.

However, the Economist said that every year since 2010 the Government has been spending more revenue to finance its operations than it has collected in taxes.

According to him, there has been too much demand sustained over the years which meant that the CBB has had to finance an overly large Government deficit and that the growth in debt is as a consequence of the failure by the Government to close the fiscal gap.

He pointed out that the Central Bank has had to finance Government’s large fiscal deficit and has to do so with Barbados dollars.

According to him, when those Barbados dollars are spent, the supermarkets, gas stations and wherever, the suppliers when they go to restock are going to require foreign exchange. “That foreign exchange is brought out of Central Bank’s reserves,” said Dr. Worrell.

As such, he went on, this situation signals a need for fiscal consolidation which the Government has not been achieving.

The Risk Management conference continues today. (JB)

Protecting visitors from all forms of criminal activity is one of the top priorities of the Ministry of Tourism.

This is according to Minister of Tourism and International Transport, Richard Sealy, who spoke at the Organisation of American States (OAS) Tourism Security Training Seminar, which was held in conjunction with the Barbados Tourism Product Authority (BTPA), the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) and the Government of Canada, yesterday at the Barbados Defence Force (BDF) headquarters.

He stated that last year, this island would have welcomed a little under 1.3 million visitors to these shores. Therefore, the focus must be first and foremost on protecting these visitors, but also on how to help them afterwards, should they fall victim to criminal activity.

“The truth is that if you include both cruise and long-stay, we had about just under 1.3 million visitors to Barbados in 2016. That is significantly larger than our population and we want to avoid, as much as possible, crimes occurring among our visitor community, but we also want to ensure comfort in the aftermath of such important incidences and our team of course is well aware that we cannot be complacent about this. We must embrace opportunities like this workshop to enhance the skills, the expertise and even to introduce technology to our security personnel to equip them to respond to the challenges.”

The Minister of Tourism said that the region has always been viewed as one of the safer destinations for travel and tourism. As such, it is something that they have incorporated into their branding. However, incidents occurring in recent times have shown them that they need to be alert for the possibility of criminal activity.

“For a long time, our Caribbean region has been considered to be a safe zone and a secure haven, far away from the threats of other destinations. In fact, we have adopted it as one of our brand elements – safety and security ... and we all know that that brand element – safety and security has become a major concern for all travellers and we are constantly reminded of it every time we are at the airport and you have to take off your shoes or you have to pass through a body scanner, we are reminded again of the importance of the effort of being vigilant. So the success of our destination very much depends on our ability to provide safety and security. We have tended to focus on some of the upscale brand elements with a lot more attention than this one but it just as important.”

In fact, crime against visitors has become a topic for discussion and it is an area that must be addressed, especially in a country like Barbados that is primarily dependent on tourism.

“Crime of course is quite topical in the region in the context of its occurrence against visitors and our perception as a region, where crime is taking place. We are a tourism- dependent region – virtually, totally tourism dependent. As a matter of fact, in terms of percentages – GDP and the region, we are the most tourism- dependent region in the world and therefore, this threat to the development of our industry, it can frustrate our efforts at maintaining a quality of life for all of our citizens and therefore the Government must be in a position – and the citizens – to make sure that we don’t have to deal with these unfortunate attacks and so this collaboration would greatly assist us in implementing measures as well to reduce crime across the island.”

St. George Secondary School copped first place for the three major categories in the secondary school division of the “Grow Well, Eat Well” School Gardening and Recipe Competition.

The male competitors collected their first place prizes in the “Open Field” category, “Cultivation Under Protected Structures” and “Container Gardening” category at the Competition Awards Ceremony that was held at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre yesterday morning.

Meanwhile, in the Primary School Division, All Saints Primary School received first prize in the Container Gardening Category, as well as the Salads and Snacks categories. Roland Edwards Primary School received first place in the Cultivation Under Protected Structures and St. Jude’s Primary School received first place in the Open Field Category and “Beverages” Category. All Saints Primary and Boscobel Primary both received an award for “Most Creative Gardening” and Hillaby Turner Hall Primary school received an award for “Most Creative Dish”.

Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and Water Resource Management, Andrew Gittens, noted that the objective behind the competition was to introduce young people to various ways in which they could participate in agriculture. Additionally, he said that they also intended to shine a light on ways for them to engage in healthier eating habits through creating dishes from crops that they produced.

“The Ministry is heartened that the teachers were able to use the competition as a teaching exercise. This is clearly a critical step in the effort to garner a renewed interest in the local agriculture sector,” he said. In this regard, Gittens revealed that the Ministry would be attempting to expand the initiative; particularly to those schools which did not have an agriculture programme.

The Permanent Secretary also assured that the Ministry will also be a source of technical support in establishing the schools’ agriculture programmes and added that they plan to equip teachers and parents with the necessary skills to ensure that the programme is sustainable in order to attract more people to the sector.

Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and Water Resource Management, Andrew Gittens, is of the view that we need to look inwardly for answers to our economic issues.

His comments came during an awards ceremony, which took place at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre yesterday morning.

“Currently, Barbados is experiencing challenging economic times, which could create some measure of uncertainty regarding what lies ahead of us. Therefore, we need to look inwardly to see how best we can deal with the challenges before us,” he said.

He noted that one such challenge we face is providing an adequate amount of food for the citizens in our community, in order to maintain the quality of life that they are accustomed to. However, he pointed out that given our current financial constraints, he believes that we should be using finances wisely, through investing in resources that will be better for the long-run.

Hundreds of young people seeking employment flocked to the ‘Youth Career Extravaganza’ held at Kensington Oval, yesterday.

They received career and interviewing tips, information on continuing education choices, curriculum vitae (CV) preparation, business etiquette and career counselling. There were also opportunities for individuals to gain summer work experience.

The initiative which targeted persons aged 16-30, as well as retrenched workers, was part of the “Strengthening Human and Social Development” project in Barbados, executed by the Ministry of Social Care, Constituency Empowerment and Community Development.

This Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) funded project is geared at contributing to the reduction of extreme poverty in Barbados through the execution of a number of components, a key one being the reduction of unemployment through improved employment services and demand-driven technical training.

Project Coordinator, Maureen Pollard described the response as ‘overwhelming’. “We are focusing a lot on youth in this our first event, so we decided that at this period when schools are releasing hundreds of students into the job market that it would be an opportune time for us to arm them with the information they need to enter the current job market successfully.”

“They have taken great interest in the training courses and that has been one of the concerns… We are doing things like ‘Preparing CVs’, ‘Dressing for the World of Work’ and ‘Interpersonal Communication,’” she said.

Pollard also assured that efforts to assist persons seeking employment will go beyond the Youth Career Extravaganza, revealing “It doesn’t end here today. We have hired a team of vocational counsellors who will continue to work with the persons who registered at this event – to try to match them with jobs and try to put them into training that is being offered.”

A number of agencies and organisations came together to facilitate the event such as the National Employment Bureau, the University of the West Indies, Barbados Community College, The Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic, The Barbados Association of Guidance Counsellors and Corporate Barbados. (TL)

Corporal punishment should be appropriately applied as a penalty, in cases where students display unacceptable behaviour and speech.

Principal of the Reynold Weekes Primary School, Anderson Bishop, made his stance on the issue of corporal punishment clear, as he delivered the Principal’s Report during the graduation ceremony held for students making up the Class of 2017, who will be making the transition from primary to secondary school, following this year’s Common Entrance Exam. The ceremony was held yesterday at the Barbados Workers’ Union Labour College in Mangrove, St. Philip.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we are aware at Reynold Weekes Primary School that children must be disciplined to achieve excellence in education. They must be disciplined in the way they work in the classroom. They must be disciplined in conduct, attitudes and behaviour,” Bishop told those gathered.

“The School Positive Behaviour Management programme is practised at the school. Strategies such as counselling, conferences and suspensions are good strategies. However, I believe that corporal punishment as a penalty for unacceptable behaviour and speech, should be appropriately applied. It provides an immediate response to bad behaviour and when it is applied, students do not lose valuable time away from school, as occurs when they are suspended,” he further commented.

Stressing that he is aware of the “anti-corporal punishment” views put forward by some professionals based overseas and that several countries in Europe and some states in the USA have banned corporal punishment, Bishop however suggested that local education officials need to be careful in following international trends.

“The question I ask is, ‘Has the behaviour of students in those countries improved because corporal punishment has not been administered?’

We have to be careful of how readily we are to suggest or make decisions, having attended international workshops and conferences,” he said.

The principal later added, “My research tells me that some of those countries which banned corporal punishment are debating the benefits of reintroducing corporal punishment in schools and homes, in order to restore discipline in children.”

Lending his voice to the issue, guest speaker Keith Simmons QC, also placed on record his view that the use of corporal punishment should not be abandoned in Barbados.

“If students behave badly and there is no reasonable explanation for that behaviour … a lash or two will suffice. In fact, it will send a message to others who would want to follow that bad behaviour at school,” Simmons suggested.

Noting that some anti-corporal punishment advocates are suggesting that you simply talk to children who display high levels of indiscipline, he however maintained that while talking is good, after a time you have to stop talking and do something. (RSM)

ONE member of the Barbados Association of Reading is encouraging individuals to give children more opportunities to develop their reading skills.

She gave this advice while speaking on the sidelines of the Annual Reading Competition – Juniors at the Rock Christian School on Monday.

Sharon Warner, Executive Member of the Interim Committee of the Barbados Association of Reading, commended the school for staging the competition.

“We laud efforts like these ones put on by the Rock Christian School that target reading and the assessment of reading for young children at the elementary level.”

She added, “As an Association ... we know that there is still a lot of work to be done with respect to reading. Reading is more than being able to call words; reading is being able to read and to understand to get meaning from text. So having young children practise these skills and being so confident, it really is a good sign for Barbados. We want to encourage more persons to do just what I saw here, have the young children engage in reading so that they can stand on a stage and be confident.”

During Monday’s contest, the finalists from the Junior school read given texts and answered questions about the texts, which were asked by the judges. The competition not only allowed their parents and other members of the audience a chance to hear them read out loud, but it was also intended to teach them to be brave and to hone their public speaking skills.

The eventual awardees from KG3 were Khaden Thompson, who placed first; Atarah Martelly, who was second and John David Greene was third. For KG4, Kaydi Morris was first, Zane Kirton was second and third was Kavion Walker.

Meanwhile for KG5, Dimitri Kirton was first, Haeli Daniel was second and Zane-Andrew Clarke was in third position. For Prep, in first position was Uri Phillips, while Zachary Lowe and Kiersten Weekes came second.

There is a new state-of-the-art surgical facility in Barbados which is promising to not only provide top-notch medical services to persons residing here, but to create added value for Barbados in the area of tourism.

Speaking on Monday evening at the official launch of Premiere Surgical Centre, the new ambulatory care facility located at 3rd Avenue Belleville, St. Michael, Giles Carmichael, one of the directors of the Centre, indicated that the new medical facility is well poised to help Barbados build out its medical tourism capacity and to become a leader in that field. He explained that the medical centre will allow persons outside of Barbados to access medical services here which are “excellent, efficient and steeped in best practice”. That’s because, Carmichael said, the facility has been outfitted to international standards.

“In due course, Premiere will therefore contribute nationally by reducing loads on our public medical facilities, combined with attracting needed foreign currency to the national economy… We’ve come a long way from our humble beginnings when George Washington visited our shores to our present state-of-the-art facility here at Premiere Surgical. We shall continue to relentlessly strive to traverse even longer distances in our ongoing pursuit of excellence,” he said.

Adding to his comments, Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr. Joy St. John noted that the inclusion of this type of facility to Barbados’ health care system, the first of its kind, offers new scope in the quality and high standards of health care choices within the country for locals and visitors alike.

While touching on the topic of medical tourism, she noted that the World Health Organisation has predicted that health and travel will be one of the largest industries in the world by the year 2022. To that end, referring to the medical tourism potential of the centre, the CMO maintained that now is an opportune time for Premiere Surgical Centre to establish an excellent reputation for Barbados in the area of medical tourism, thereby branding this nation as a healthy tourism destination of choice.

“Indeed, combining the two sectors tourism and health will provide a more diversified tourism base. This would definitely boost Barbados’ economic development and increase the amount of higher skilled and better paying jobs,” she stated. (JRT)

THE perennial call for the winning festival bandleader to receive a grand prize of a new vehicle has become a reality.

Yesterday it was announced that the Festival Designer of the Year, having participated in both the Junior and Grand Kadooment competitions, will drive off with a brand new 1600 cc Mazda 2 with a value of $68 000.

One of the sponsors of the vehicle from Consolidated Finance, Vice President of Credit Frances Parravicino recalled that it was a dream of her niece the late Rene Ratcliffe, who made a case for greater incentive for bandleaders, given their continued commitment to the festival and recognising that without costume design there would be no splendour of masquerade. She noted that her niece, who tragically passed away last year on Grand Kadooment Day, would have been happy to see her dream come true, but mused that she would have been also upset that she is no longer here to compete for the grand prize.

Sales & Marketing Manager McEnearney Quality Inc (MQI) Margaret Hoyte said MQI is pleased to join with Consolidated Finance to offer the fully loaded, fuel efficient vehicle with the new SkyActiv engine body. She assured that the vehicle will be on display at Junior and Grand Kadooment.

Culture Minister Stephen Lashley noted that this year the masqueraders will have an even greater reason to smile as he thanked the sponsors for what he described as a signal tribute to the artistry and commitment of band leaders who consistently bring colour and pomp to the national festival.

“Our festival remains one of the major attractions for persons all over the world, between the months of June and August. Crop Over remains perhaps one of the longest celebrations of its kind in the world. It has brought significant injection of economic activity to Barbados.”

However he stressed that this gesture is an opportunity to say to masqueraders that their efforts, including long hours spent designing the most excellent costumes, is appreciated.

Minister Lashley also recognised the efforts of Ratcliffe, whom he described as a great stalwart of the festival. “She would have dedicated quite a bit of her time and energy over the years towards excelling in our festival. And I hope that the rich tradition of masquerade to reach the highest height of excellence continues to be a part of our festival,” he said. (JH)