Established October 1895 De Peiza charges BLP’s self-assessment off the mark PAGE 3

Thursday May 28, 2020 $1 VAT Inclusive Harvested seaweed ‘HARD TASK’ Two scenarios outlined for first three months of Hurricane Season to help METEOROLOGISTS have usual June to August period, one scenario... Now the number come up with two possible with high flood potential and one scenario that you see – if scenarios for the June to strong tropical cyclone activity. you ask my gut feeling – this is industries August months of the 2020 He said on the positive side, the more likely one; the second SARGASSUM seaweed has Wet/Hurricane Season in such climatic conditions would scenario is perhaps less likely. been a scourge in the eyes of the Caribbean region and temper the heat stress under When I say ‘more likely’, I mean many Barbadians, but Barbados are predicting a significant the heat season and promote more likely at any spot in the National Oil Company Limited ease in the drought progressive drought relief. Caribbean, but also more likely (BNOCL) Renewable Energy conditions after August. On the other hand, he said for the Caribbean as a whole. Officer and Advisor to the That’s according to the second scenario suggests Nevertheless, keep in mind also Minister of the Blue Economy, Climatologist with the that it will not be particularly that when I say ‘less likely’, it Mark Hill, has explained that it Caribbean Institute for wet and predicts frequent heat can always be that much of the can and will be used in a positive Meteorology and Hydrology stress and slow drought relief. region is facing one scenario way. (CIMH), Dr. Cedric Van The positive aspect of this while your particular country He was at the time speaking Meerbeeck, who noted that the scenario, the climatologist said, or some smaller location is at a display of the Aquamarine forecast for the 2020 Atlantic is that it would result in experiencing the other,” Van harvester,recently purchased by Hurricane Season suggests tempered flood potential and Meerbeeck explained. the Government of Barbados Renewable Energy Officer of that it will be an active one. tropical cyclone activity by late The CIMH official, revealing to aid in the fight against the the Barbados National Oil Speaking yesterday during August. that predictions for September sargassum seaweed which, as he Company Limited (BNOCL) the virtual Wet/Hurricane “It was a very hard task for and October this year were explained, began in 2018. Hill and Advisor to the Minister of Season Caribbean Climate meteorologists who met on easier to project, explained that said that the focus had been on the Blue Economy, Mark Hill, Outlook Forum, he said that Monday morning to discuss and throughout the region, they innovation and industry, which explains some of the innova- the first prediction is that the agree on the forecast; it was a tive plans for the harvested region will have wetter than hard task to come up with just FORECAST on Page 3 SEAWEED on Page 2 Sargassum seaweed.

The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and the Blue Economy’s Seaweed Harvester paddles out of the launch area. 2 • Thursday May 28, 2020 The Barbados Advocate Ministry launches seaweed harvester YESTERDAY at the support of everyone else,” The minister contended Barbados Coast Guard said Humphrey. that the COVID-19 crisis HMBS Pelican Base, the The minister then took has taught the world that Ministry of Maritime the time to thank Colonel things must change going Affairs and the Blue Glyne Grannum, Chief forward and he explained Economy’s new of Staff of the Barbados that Barbados must work Seaweed Harvester was Defence Force (BDF); on being clean. launched, as part of the Barbados Coast “The first thing that an initiative to use the Guard; the National Barbados has to do is clean marine algae for inno- Conservation Commission and the seaweed harvester vation and industry. and all those who helped is part of our clean-up pro- The seaweed harvester up to that point. gram. We are going to de- was put through maneu- Humphrey addressed ploy the harvester mostly vers by the Coast Guard those present, highlighting along the early west coast for those on hand to see that the Aquamarine and the south coast,” said how it would operate as harvester would be a the minister. it went about collecting transformative part of Humphrey assured the seaweed off the shores of the Seaweed Response public that the east coast Barbados. Speaking at Program of the ministry. would also be taken care the launch site, Minister Along with the harvester,a of, but mostly by manual of Maritime Affairs and seaweed tractor/grabber labour as waters off the the Blue Economy, Kirk and conveyor belt system east coast of the island Humphrey,explained that also was purchased for were not favorable for the dealing with the issue of a total of just under harvester. He explained the sargassum seaweed Bds$300,000, which would that 75 people had been and the greater influx of all work together to trained to work with the it on local beaches was in harvest the seaweed. seaweed and 50 of those the works soon after he Humphrey explained that persons would be deployed Minister of Maritime Affairs and the Blue Economy, Kirk Humphrey, outlined the took office. However,it was the conveyor system was to work on the east coast in plans for the seaweed harvester, which is part of the clean-up program of the a task which warranted to ensure that they were the coming weeks. (AS) ministry. help and advice from vari- able to harvest the sea- ous other bodies, as to how weed before it reached the to address the situation. sand, providing batches “We knew that we could of the fresh algae which not do it on our own and as would be used for more a Ministry, we needed the productive purposes. Biofuel drive to come on stream soon SEAWEED from Page 1 Expanding further, the advisor stated that the included harvesting the harvested seaweed would seaweed in order to use it be used to help innovate for value-added purposes industries and not dis- and not just cleaning. carded as garbage. He “To that end we have also announced the used it for the production launch of a biofuel drive, of substrates, for making which would come on various types of applica- stream this year through tions such as manufac- a partnership between turing of bio-composite the Ministry of the Blue materials, production of Economy and the biofuels, the utilisation of BNOCL. seaweed as a soil amend- “In the renewable en- ment and the develop- ergy space, the Ministry ment of marine-based of Blue Economy would fertilisers, ocean-based play a critical role in compost and as a catalyst helping to provide that for marine biotech devel- substrate for these types Seaweed pulled up by the harvester during the display exercise and moved to the rear by the built-in opment,” outlined Hill. of biofuels.” (AS) conveyor belt system. The renewable energy officer stated that over the last two years, the ministry had been harvesting and doing Town Planning Office accepting formal applications real-world applications of MEMBERS of the public to the office, applications times; physical distancing Submissions should be • For final plans: fi- the sargassum seaweed are advised that the Town will be collected and the must be observed; tem- made to the following [email protected] as a resource for increas- and Country Development applicant notified at a sub- perature checks will be email addresses: Before emailing the ing crop production. Planning Office is cur- sequent date as to when carried out; and hand •For applications: submission, the applicant “We have been applying rently accepting formal they are to return to pay. sanitizer stations must be applications@planning. must sign and scan the the seaweed that we have applications. However, If the submission is utilized. gov.bb application form. Any harvested through a certain protocols have deemed unsatisfactory, With respect to submis- •For building starts: other relevant documents number of teams since been put in place there to the applicant will be sions via email, the