Dear Editor,
I am writing to address the temporary ban issued on the use of jet skis, jet boats and airboats in the MMA-ADA (Mahaica/ Mahaicony/Abary-Agricultural Development/Authority) Block, implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture. This ban was impos-ed shortly after a resident of the area took to social media to allege that, “When these jet skis come, especially on Sundays, they’re sporting, they’re having fun, they’re under the influence of alcohol and they’re speeding across this river all the time. You have small children coming over and going over, they don’t care at all. When you talk to them, they coming in our area to curse us and behave bad. The jet boats coming and hunt and they taking all the animals – the babies, [inaudible] and we can’t say anything.”
The allegations made are found to be deeply offensive to me, as well as my fellow riders. The use of jet skis in the area is strictly recreational, with no intent to cause harm, or disrupt the daily activities of residents. Persons operating jet skis and jet boats are neither intoxicated nor reckless when doing so; I, for one, do not consume alcohol, and would not operate a personal watercraft in any manner that would endanger another human being. In addition to this, jet skis and jet boats do not generate waves significant enough to cause any damage to the area. As a matter of fact, the suspension came a mere one week after The Rotary Club of Demerara, in partnership with representatives of several businesses, brought much needed relief to residents of two villages along the Upper Demerara River. Business representatives, myself included, who donated relief items – food items and cleaning agents, made the trip to Murataro and Malali via jet boats and jet skis to distribute hampers personally. Significant contributions were also made along the Mahaica/Mahaicony River, where we delivered food hampers.
It is disappointing that the Ministry of Agriculture imposed a ban, rather than doing the necessary due diligence in investigating the matter to address the resident’s concern, while being fair to jet ski and jet boat owners. We are law-abiding citizens, not trespassers.
Sincerely,
Reggie Baichan
