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Statement For World Environment Day 2023 from the Prime Minister

Every year, we join people across the planet in commemorating World Environment Day on June 5. This is a day where we especially highlight the need for transformative changes to policies and choices that enable cleaner, greener, and more sustainable living. We need to make transformative changes that help us live in harmony with nature, and shift to a more conscious approach to our economic and trade policies.

Yes, we celebrate this day and amplify its important message. But as Barbadians, the truth is that each day serves as an environment day for us. With the rising sea levels impacting our island, from Six Men’s to Silver Sands, worsening quantities of Sargassum Seaweed blanketing our shores, and the days and nights getting warmer, we know and feel the effects of the Climate Crisis in our nation.

On April 9, 2021, La Soufriere, which had been dormant since 1979, erupted in St Vincent and the Grenadines. In Barbados, we were impacted by the thick clouds of smoke and ash. Mere weeks later, on June 17, we were impacted by a freak storm and three months later, Hurricane Elsa became the first major hurricane to hit the country since 1955, impacting homes, destroying crops, damaging livestock in the hundreds of thousands and resulting in damage in excess of US $35 million.

In just three months, we all saw first-hand the way the world had changed, and the need to respond in a comprehensive manner. Under our Roofs to Reefs Programme, we started the Home Ownership Providing Energy (H.O.P.E) initiative, providing affordable and climate resilient homes for our citizens, harnessing solar energy to power homes, reducing the dependence on immediate power restoration after a power outage, and reducing overall electricity costs.

With hurricane straps being made available to low-middle income earners, the Government intends to make the housing stock of Barbados resilient to the impending threat of natural disasters. The Barbados Water Authority has initiated the Water Sector Resilience Nexus for Sustainability Programme to help tackle the challenges faced by lower water reserves and longer periods without rainfall.

Meanwhile, Mission 1 of Declaration of Mission Barbados asserts that by 2030, Barbados will be a clean and beautiful large-ocean state, championing sustainable development locally and globally – with the goal of all domestic activities becoming 100 per cent sustainable by 2035.

This social compact establishes consensus that we cannot do it alone and must work together, foster commitment, distribute leadership and share responsibility for achieving the missions. In 1972, when the motto for the Stockholm Conference was “Only One Earth”, our earth was a very different place.

More than 50 years on, however, this statement is as important as ever. This planet is our only home. This year’s campaign for World Environment Day 2023, “Beat Plastic Pollution”, calls on all parties in the distribution and supply chain to support the reduction of plastic waste in our oceans.

The good news is, we have already started this journey to beat plastic pollution. In January 2020, the Control of Disposable Plastics Act came into effect. Barbados banned the importation, distribution, sale and use of single-use plastic containers, cutlery, straws and the importation, manufacture, distribution, sale and use of plastic bags made with a petroleum-based resin. This was only a small step in the fight to beat plastic pollution.

Unfortunately, the Sustainable Development Goal dedicated to our oceans SDG 14 – Life Below Water, is the least funded of all the goals. UNCTAD’s latest Trade and Environment Review 2023 revealed that only 1.6 per cent of development funding has been allocated to the ocean economy between 2013 and 2018, “far below the amount required to address the ocean crisis.

What’s required is a global “Blue Deal” to invest in safeguarding marine resources and building a resilient ocean economy that benefits all”. If the global community seeks to seriously address issues of plastic pollution, environmentally hazardous materials and climate change, equitable access to finance is the only solution to achieve this.

More must be done and can be done through the execution of the Bridgetown Initiative 2.0 and implementation of debt-for-nature projects. The Caribbean islands are not net producers of carbon emissions, yet we are asked to contribute to the global reduction of greenhouse gases on par with advanced countries with robust economies.

Small economies simply cannot maintain the levels of sustainable socioeconomic development required by international organisations whilst increasing resilience to exogenous challenges, natural disasters, and climate change, without the appropriate funding.

For Barbadians, World Environment Day means more than an annual theme to raise awareness. It is a daily reality of the need to protect our planet through responsible consumption and production practices and creating an even playing field for sustainable economic development to occur.

Happy World Environment Day! Together, let us “Beat Plastic Pollution”, but more importantly, let us continue to champion the Sustainable Development Goals, continue the path to Mission Barbados, and create the best environment for all calling Barbados home.(PR/GIS)

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Centenarian Celebrates Her Dominica-Barbados-UK Connection

Josephine Bailey Celebrated

One of Barbados’ newest centenarians, Josephine Bailey, celebrated her 100th birthday on September 27, 2024, at her home in Dalkeith Village, St. Michael.

In addition to family members and some close friends, one of her specially invited guests was President of Barbados, Her Excellency, The Most Honourable Dame Sandra Mason.

One of Mrs. Bailey’s daughters, Judith Lockhart, shared that her mother was born in Castle Bruce, a village on the east coast of Dominica, where she also attended school. After school, the centenarian, who worked in agriculture, made an initial visit to Barbados around the age of 18 and decided to stay, working in retail stores in Bridgetown.

Ms. Lockhart also shared that her mother had a stall in town where she would take them as small children, to work with her.

“She had a market stall, fruits and vegetables, and then after that she left…. It was nursing that gave her the opportunity to go to England and train as a nurse,” she said.

When asked by Her Excellency whether the centenarian was a disciplinarian, Ms. Lockhart remarked that as teenagers they were allowed to attend social events with the understanding that they were to return “by a particular time” or face being disciplined.

She said her mother insisted that all four of them attend evening classes, even while at school, to learn additional trades and be better prepared for the future. “Mum was very passionate about us doing something with our lives. Her motto was ‘always be independent …and look out for yourself’,” Ms. Lockhart said.

Always goal oriented, Mrs. Bailey applied to be trained as a nurse in the United Kingdom (UK), and became a member of the Windrush Generation, who emigrated there at the invitation of the British Government to be trained and to help rebuild England after the Second World War.

*Barbados’ newest centenarians, Josephine Bailey poses with President of Barbados, Her Excellency, The Most Honourable Dame Sandra Mason and family during her birthday celebrations*.

After four years of training, she worked in the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), in hospitals such as St. Mary’s Hospital in Paddington and Royal Free Hospital in Camden. While in the UK, Mrs. Bailey (nee Lockhart) married a Barbadian and continued living there.

In the latter part of her career with the NHS, Mrs. Bailey worked at the Community Health Centre, which included family planning and home visits to patients. Earning the respect of her patients, peers, and leadership team, she was selected to meet Queen Elizabeth II, during an official visit to open a section of the Queen’s Park Heath Centre.

Mrs. Bailey retired at age 65, returned to Barbados, and settled down in Dalkeith Village, St. Michael, an area with which she was familiar.

She kept active in her kitchen garden and in church at the St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church. She also taught at the St. Patrick’s Primary School; spent time with family and friends; did some cooking and travelled.

Her Excellency presented Mrs. Bailey with a bouquet of flowers, a bottle of non-alcoholic wine and a personalised card, which was followed by a toast to the centenarian.

Mrs. Bailey, a widower, had four children, nine grandchildren (one deceased), and seven great-grandchildren.

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Millie Ifill Fish Market At Weston, St. James Re-Opens

The Millie Ifill Fish Market facility, at Weston, St. James, reopened on Saturday after receiving a BDS $2.7 million upgrade, thanks to the Barbados Port Inc. (BPI).

As part of its corporate social responsibility initiatives, the BPI began upgrading the facility designed by Architectural Designer & Project Manager, Rianne Greaves, in May 2023. Completion of the state-of-the-art vending and fish processing disabled-friendly building occurred in July 2024.

Minister of Tourism and International Transport, Ian Gooding-Edghill, under whose portfolio the BPI falls, noted that similar to other large-scale community developmental projects, the Millie Ifill Fish Market project is expected to demonstrate a high level of benefits, including enhanced social experiences for residents and visitors, and improved infrastructural development.

He added that the initiative is part of a wider undertaking of Government to upgrade the island’s fishing facilities.

“We hope that this building will serve as a beacon of inspiration to a new generation of workers in the fishing industry, and a testament to this Government’s commitment to upgrading fishing facilities in line with the requisite standards that support fish handling and the retail of fresh catches to the domestic, hospitality, packaging, and distributing sectors,” Mr. Gooding-Edghill stated.

He also highlighted other initiatives under the BPI’s Social Responsibility Programme, including the renovation of the Speightstown Jetty, the Pile Bay Fishing Facility, the Bridgetown Port Fire Station, and the Shallow Draught Marina.

The Minister encouraged users of the facility to be forerunners in the maintenance of the property and upkeep of equipment.

Minister of the Environment, National Beautification, Green and Blue Economy, Adrian Forde; Member of Parliament for the area, Edmund Hinkson; and Chief Fisheries Officer, Dr. Shelly-Ann Cox, agreed with Minister Gooding-Edghill that it was important for those using the facility assist with its maintenance and care the equipment.

Dr. Cox said the upgraded Millie Ifill Fish Market in Weston stands out in the community “as a diamond on the West, not only aesthetically pleasing but fit for purpose”.

She added: “This world-class facility raises the profile and catalyses the sustainable development of the fisheries sector. In our thrust towards aspiring to excellence and promoting seafood quality assurance in the post-harvest sector, this building epitomises the highest standard of excellence. It is outfitted with the amenities and equipment to support the processing and sale of good quality fish and promote the improvement of sanitary measures. The facility also provides a space to encourage social interaction and a hub for fisherfolk and members of the Weston Fisherfolk and Community Organisation.”

The upgraded facility, constructed by Empire Building and Construction, boasts a main office, shutters, an ice machine, a chiller room, a walk-in freezer, a high-tech security system, fish offal storage, a public toilet with disabled provisions, a public shower, separate fish retail and processing areas, vendors bathrooms with showers, a lunchroom, and improved sidewalk with disabled access.

The facility is named after former centenarian and well-known fish vendor Millicent Ifill, who touched many lives in the Weston, St. James community. (PR/GIS)

Caption: Member of Parliament, St. James North, Edmund Hinkson and Minister of Tourism and International Transport, Ian Gooding-Edghill, unveil a plaque to commemorate the reopening of the Millie Ifill Fish market facility on Saturday, while Ministers Chad Blackman and Adrian Forde and government officials look on.

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ETA For Travel To Kenya Required

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade advises that all persons, including infants and children, must complete an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) form in order to travel to the Republic of Kenya.

This new requirement results from policy changes, which took effect this year, whereby holders of Ordinary Barbados Passports have to obtain an ETA at least 72 hours before their intended visit to Kenya. However, it is recommended that applications be submitted at least two weeks prior to travel to ensure adequate time for processing.

The cost for Kenya’s ETA is US $32.50 per traveller, plus banking and processing fees. The ETA is valid only for a single trip, and a new authorisation must be obtained for every subsequent visit to Kenya.

Holders of Diplomatic Barbados Passports must apply for an ETA at least 72 hours before their intended visit to Kenya, but they will be exempted from payment if certified by letter that they are on official duty.

For ETA applications and guidelines, persons should visit the official website https://www.etakenya.go.ke.