Gov’t Addressing Alligator Pond Fishing Beach Erosion

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Dr. Christopher Tufton, has announced that the new design work to curb the erosion of the Alligator Pond Fishing Beach, in Manchester, will be in place within another 30 days.
Addressing fisherfolk and farmers at a town hall meeting on Thursday (June 3) at the Little Ochi Conference Room in the community, Dr. Tufton told the gathering that much of the original plan had to be shelved because of the erosion of the shoreline.
“The Government has taken a position that this area requires infrastructure. We did the design, started the work but could not have predicted that the water would have come so close to land, as it did, and undermine the structure that is there,” the Minister admitted.
He said that some $8 million has been spent on the project, and it is having the full attention of his ministry.
“We have to now reassess the programme, with the technical people, to determine the best course of action to restore the infrastructure,” Dr. Tufton stated.
He also pointed out that corrective work will be done, so that the over 100 persons involved in fishing there will not have any major disruption of their livelihood.
“The engineers are looking at putting in some buffer between the water, and the structure. They believe that it can be done, they are redesigning the area and will provide me with the cost, and how it can be done,” he assured the audience.