The Spirit of SXM Sculpture Park is scheduled to open on December 15 (see Tuesday newspaper), despite initial concerns about the environmental impact when first announced. Mention of Great Bay as proposed location also sparked some debate, due primarily to the proximity of shipping activities.
Little Bay seems like a better choice, away from Philipsburg and the harbour, yet still close to the cruise terminal. While the facility caters to visitors and will be accessible mainly by boat, plans were announced for a series of free sessions for the local community.
The same area is already used for water-based activities and current operators are known to take good care of the surroundings, which – after all – provides for their livelihood. The latter inspires some level of confidence, along with the claim that these man-made objects will ultimately serve as artificial reefs for coral growth.
In any case, at this point it obviously makes little sense to argue against the project. Talks were reportedly held with relevant local stakeholders, so their input was at least sought.
And let’s face it, the addition of a tourist attraction is no excess luxury either. Many would agree that the island can well do with “something exiting and new” as its dominant hospitality industry continues to recover from the COVID-19 crisis.
Although preventing any negative effect of such a business on nature, especially if successful – and thus busy, seems practically impossible, reducing such to an absolute minimum should certainly remain a top priority at all times.
