Tourism expansion v turtle nests: the dispute dividing communities in one Tobago resort

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A proposed 200-room resort at Rocky Point in Tobago has sparked a dispute between developers seeking large-scale tourism growth and conservationists concerned about turtle nesting and local habitat. Opponents favor smaller, community-owned projects to limit the environmental impact on the relatively undeveloped beach.

Plans for a 200-room project on an unspoiled beach have pitted developers against the conservationists fighting for smaller-scale schemes to protect the island’s habitat Visitors to Rocky Point in south-west Tobago are drawn to its sandy beach, fringed by coral reefs and dark rock formations and carpeted with the fruit-bearing trees found on Caribbean coastlines – almonds, sea grapes, coconuts, and the poisonous manchineel. The beach is part of Back Bay, a 500-metre swathe of land, and trekking through its undulating terrain, thickly covered in bush and shrubs, feels akin to walking through a rainforest. But this still relatively unspoiled location is at the centre of a struggle between two opposing interests – those who see large-scale development as the most profitable path and those who believe smaller, incremental developments owned by the community would be best. Continue reading...