PRESS RELEASE – THE Management of Peter & Company Distribution (PCD) would like to provide clarification on its responsibility as it relates to the Pigeon Island beach following the 2018 Pine Hill Fun Walk (PHFW).
The route for the PHFW takes walkers from the entrance of the Pigeon Island causeway off the Massade highway to the finish line at the entrance of the Pigeon Island National Landmark (PINL).
While there is a water stop at the entrance to the Pigeon Island causeway all official activities related to the PHFW are held within the confines of the Pigeon Island National Landmark.
Inclusive in the contract with the Saint Lucia National Trust (SLNT) which governs the use of the PINL for the event, is the provision of garbage bins and bags at the PINL to facilitate the disposal of litre generated by walkers.
The contract also includes a separate amount for post event clean-up of the PINL.
PCD also contracted service providers to collect garbage which would have been generated from the six (6) water-stops along the route from the starting point at the SAB playing facility to the finish line at the entrance of PINL.
This service provider trailed the walkers to ensure that all generated litre was collected, bagged and prepared for proper disposal.
Being cognizant of the pattern of walkers taking the opportunity to use the Pigeon Island beach while at PHFW, PCD also instructed this service provider to collect all garbage which would be accumulated on the nearby Pigeon Island beach during the event’s duration.
The formal activities of the PHFW ended at 10:30a.m. on Sunday August 12th 2018 and the service provider submitted photos of the Pigeon Island beach time stamped at 11:14a.m. on Sunday August 12th 2018.
The attached photos of the Pigeon Island beach taken from several angles show the beach being free of litter.
It is rather unfortunate that following this clean-up walkers and members of the general public who continued to use the Pigeon Island beach on the afternoon of Sunday August 12th 2018 made the decision to indiscriminately dump garbage on the beach and along the Pigeon Island Causeway.
PCD in no way endorses this action and would like to make a plea to all Saint Lucians to ensure that we safeguard our natural resources by ensuring that all generated garbage is disposed in the nearest available garbage receptacle.
PCD will continue to sensitize walkers about this and will also engage the National Conservation Authority to develop a public education campaign to tackle the scourge of indiscriminate garbage disposal on our beach and parks. (Peter & Company Distribution)