A scene during the event.

POND ISLAND--Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication Grisha Heyliger-Marten is seeking ministerial dialogue with Anguilla over proposed cruising permits and immigration procedures that St. Maarten’s boat tour and charter operators say could affect their businesses.

A casino in St Maarten.

PHILIPSBURG--Casinos in St Maarten could be required to identify players showing signs of excessive gambling, intervene when there are reasonable grounds to suspect gambling-related harm, and deny access to people considered at risk under a proposed National Ordinance on Gambling.

The FADs in the water.

PHILIPSBURG--St. Maarten has launched its first two fish aggregating devices (FADs) in the waters surrounding the island, in an initiative intended to improve offshore fishing opportunities, support local fishermen and strengthen the fisheries industry.

PHILIPSBURG--The Joint Court of Justice has granted the Public Prosecutor's Office permission to proceed to trial with its case against former Minister of Justice and sitting Member of Parliament (MP) Lyndon Lewis.

The Police Force of St. Maarten(KPSM) and the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee (KMar) seized a firearm during a joint control on October 26.