Minister defends plan to override the law protecting mangroves

Information Minister Melford Nicholas has defended a controversial decision to override legal prohibitions to allow for beach construction on Guiana Island by YIDA International.
Nicholas says a balance is needed between economic needs and the need to preserve the environment.
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The Department of Environment says in its review of the YIDA Environment Impact Assessment that the creation of beaches is neither sustainable nor practical and will prove to be very costly.
The department says deep water is relatively close to the shore thereby increasing the potential for increased waves and higher energy, which further justifies the need for maintaining and enhancing existing shoreline protection and development, set back.
It adds that proposed beaches for lower wave energy areas will be difficult to sustain sand given tidal flow patterns.
But Nicholas points to the creation of Maiden Island in arguing for the need to modify the Guiana Island environment.
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Nicholas dismisses the criticism as coming from fundamentalists – despite the department of environment issuing a strong warning.
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Information Minister Melford Nicholas.