Garwin Davis, Gleaner Writer
A view of the cruise ship, 'Freedom of the Seas' which docked in Montego Bay recently. - File
The Jamaica Bauxite Mining (JBM) has no intention of handing over the Reynolds' Pier in Ocho Rios exclusively for tourism purposes - regardless of the perceived benefits - said Coy Roache, the company's managing director.
He was responding to criticisms that the JBM was sabotaging development plans for the Reynolds' Pier, costing the country an estimated $5 billion annually. Mr. Roache, however, noted that his company would welcome the expansion of the facility, "only if cruise shipping can coexist with other commercial activities." The JBM owns the Reynolds' Pier.
"We have told the Port Authority in all the meetings we have had that we are not against expanding the Reynolds' Pier to accommodate more cruise ships," he said. "The problem is that the tourism people want to have the facility for cruise shipping only and this the JBM cannot do. It has to be done where we continue to export sugar and limestone from the facility; alongside cruise shipping. Either that or they find somewhere else to build a new facility."
Jamaica Lost calls
Jamaica has lost over 200 calls already this year resulting from the lack of berthing space in Ocho Rios. And with a number of new ships slated to come on stream over the next few years, the Ocho Rios business community is fearful that unless the Reynolds' Pier is expanded so that it can accommodate some of the larger cruise vessels, the town is in real danger 'of being left behind'. The country gets $US15 per passenger for head tax charged at the local ports.
Pressed as to whether it wouldn't be better for the country in terms of revenue earned to allow for cruise shipping only at the Reynolds' Pier, Mr. Roache said it was simply not feasible.
"We have long-standing contractual arrangements for shipping limestone as well as sugar out of this port," he added. "We have already been threatened with court action if we break this agreement. We must understand that it is not a very wise thing to put all of our eggs in one basket. This is where all of the country's sugar is exported from; we cannot sacrifice everything in the interest of tourism. What if something should happen tomorrow where there is major fallout in the sector and tourists suddenly stop coming in their numbers; what do we do then?"
He continued: "I don't see why we can't have a port that we can do more than one thing. There are many multi-purpose ports all over the world that are doing pretty well; I just can't see why there should be a problem. I mean we don't have the money but if the Port Authority is willing to put up the money for the expansion we will pretty much give them the authority to run the thing as they see fit. As it stands now, we are hardly making anything from cruise shipping; the money we make is from the commercial users."
Disappointment
William Tatham, general manager in charge of cruise shipping for the Port Authority, told business interests in Ocho Rios last week that the cruise lines are not interested in a multi-purpose port and want to have the Reynolds' Pier for cruise shipping only. He also expressed disappointment in the town's approach to tourism, commending Montego Bay for being better organised and for rapidly gaining on Ocho Rios as a preferred cruise shipping destination.
Judi Schoenbein, general manager of Appleton Estate Rum said she sympathised with Mr. Tatham and commended him for "doing one heck of a marketing job." "I can understand his frustration," she said. "It is not his fault that we have no where to put the ships. The fact is that he has done a tremendous job as far as marketing Jamaica. We can't be selling both fish and fowl. We have to decide what it is that we want. Tourism should strictly be for the resort towns while commercial activities should stay in Kingston."
