What is the RPF’s basic stance on the proposed Marriot development on Rocky Point & ‘Back Bay’?
The RPF is in full agreement that Tobago needs a brand such as Marriot and commends the developers for garnering their interest, however, for the reasons outlined in the subsequent sections below, the RPF believes that the lands at Rocky Point are not suited to this type of development, and the development could ironically destroy the same unique beauty, that made the site attractive for the development in the first place. This unsuitability is precisely why all developments of this type that had considered the Rocky Point area in the past, decided against it. Summary Concerns of Development of the Area:
1. Environmental Concerns
1.1 Turtle Nesting: Back Bay is a sea turtle nesting site for Environmental Sensitive Species (ESS) such as Leather Back & Hawksbill turtles; both of which are listed on the ICUN’s Red List of Threatened Species as ‘Vulnerable’ and ‘Critically Endangered’ respectively. There are two (2) major features that make Back Bay a successful nesting site for these turtles, one is its large deposits of deep soft sand and the other is the fact that it is one of the few beaches left that have no development near it that is visible, making the area naturally dark, thereby eliminating the common confusion of hatchlings mistaking ‘man-made’ lighting for the moon and never making it to the sea.
1.2 Back Bay Beach and Back Shore Vegetation: The ‘Back Shore’ is the area of coastline beyond the reaches of the regular tides and is stable enough to support vegetation; this vegetation, including large trees along the shore as well as the cliffs and slopes up from the beach, play a critically important role in stabilizing the sand on the beach and mitigating the energy of waves and currents that affect the shoreline. The waves during northern hemisphere winters often run up the beach all the way to the cliffs. If this vegetation is removed, it is highly probable that the coast will lose its sand altogether, permanently.
1.3 Mt. Irvine Beach and coastline: The shoreline in this area is receding significantly; however, the rate of recession is presently being slowed by the vegetation north of the beach facility, so any removal of this vegetation will also remove the natural protection to the ongoing erosion. This particular coastline is quite unique, in that it has an extensive ‘near shore’ reef system which is the only other natural defense against erosion. In this ‘near shore’ reef the system physically disrupts the wave energy that attacks this coastline, however, the reef system is also presently under pressure from the pollution of the reef by the non-functioning sewage treatment plant thus hampering the reef from flourishing. Any removal of the vegetation on the bluff and point overlooking the reef will significantly increase the runoff from the land, which will likely inundate the already pressured reef system, with soil and dirt contaminants that can stifle the system.
1.4 Manchineel Vegetation: Both the Back Bay and Mt. Irvine coastlines have significant Manchineel trees as well as other salt and dry tolerant vegetative species. This natural ecosystem has defined the physical environment for centuries. Removal, alteration, and/or replacement of these species could alter the physical environment such that the coastline could be more susceptible to erosion. The alteration of groundwater flows could affect the marine environment, especially the coral and reef structure of the surrounding near-shore area.
2. Historical and Heritage Concerns:
2.1 Fort Monk ruins: From all accounts, this particular fort, Fort Monk, is one of the oldest structures in Tobago; being first used by the Courlanders in the 1680s and then again by the British in the 1780s. The ruins of the for are located toward the top of the headland overlooking Mt. Irvine Bay to its left and Back Bay to its right. Sadly, this fort has not enjoyed the preservation and beautification as has been done with other forts around Tobago and as a result has been subject to vandalism and theft. Nonetheless, the RPF believes that this piece of history should be preserved and that the people of Tobago and visiting tourists should be able to enjoy the breathtaking views that the site offers.
2.2 First peoples Archeology & Heritage: It is a widely known fact that the lands around Rocky Point were heavily occupied by the indigenous Amerindian people. Particularly the Mt. Irvine area, where one of the largest middens has been discovered. Middens are an archive of ancient coastal lifeways and environments; archaeologically, middens preserve a record of thousands of years of coastal occupation. The Mt. Irvine site is so prolific, that it is not uncommon to find artifacts just simply lying on the beach exposed to the wave action on the coastline. Any development in this area would completely erase this heritage.
3. Safety Concerns: The coastline at Back Bay is regularly subject to extremely significant swell events, which make the shore break on the beach not just dangerous, but life-threatening. Sad evidence of this is the death of Mr. Lorenzo London who drowned at Back Bay in Feb 2022. These ‘swell events’ occur anytime during the period from September to April when the coastline is subject to a large period of Northerly ‘ground swells’ that originate in the North Atlantic and travel thousands of miles gathering strength as they travel; the resulting shore break can be anywhere from 8 to 15 feet rendering the coastline deadly for bathing. During those months, it is not uncommon to see at least one of these ‘swell events’ each month, with each one lasting an average 3-5 days. The RPF closely monitors these ‘swell events’ and has deployed its own scientific buoy about 1 mile off of Rocky Point, which provides accurate real-time data on these events. The data from this buoy indicates that for the period Oct 2021 to March 2022, there were five(5) such events, three(3) of which would be classified ‘dangerous’ and two(2) of which were ‘life-threatening. Placing a hotel at this location would not just be inappropriate, but would also be extremely irresponsible.
Alternative Use of the lands at Rocky Point & Back Bay:
Tobago is one of the last relatively untouched islands in the Caribbean and is known for its incredible ecosystems, both on land and in the ocean, as well as its unique history & heritage. ‘HER’ accolades are countless and varied, ranging from having the oldest protected rainforest in the Western Hemisphere, the largest brain coral ever discovered, and the site of the largest naval battle in history. As a result, Tobago’s tourism product is unlike many other islands and has stayed away from the traditional ‘all inclusive’ beachfront developments, which have proven to be quite destructive to the ecosystems around them and also restrict access to the local people to enjoy the beaches and environment. It is from this perspective, that in an effort to enhance the Tobago tourism product, the Rocky Point Foundation has come up with an incredibly unique and groundbreaking proposal for the use of lands at Rocky Point & Back Bay, which if adopted by the THA, would be a ‘first of its kind’ attraction in the Caribbean: