Development

[Elizabeth]

Interesting comments from Kimi and Piers. I think it's usual for young people to want to get experience of other countries, but I guess the problem is if they stay away. What do you both (or anyone else) think would make young people come back to work in small places? St Helena is isolated, but Jersey isn't. So it's interesting that young people are leaving both places.

Is this happening in other territories? What does it mean for the environment and conservation?

Elizabeth

[Anthony]

i think that personally in jersey's case is that it is isolated from industries.. the government seemingly put all their eggs in the one basket (finance) and did nothing to support anything else, which proved beneficial in the short term for the economy but in the long run as piers said we are going to have a much older population which is going to strain the island ridiculously. I think the overal effect with our government will be that it leads to a big panic from the states which in turn will put everything else on hold until they find out away to bring people back however the incentive to move back to the island personally is not there just due to a lack of oppurtunities.

[Jane Birch]

It's interesting that both of you (Piers and Anthony) think you will have to leave Jersey to get the jobs you want (in wildlife, conservation, environment, etc. I had always thought of Jersey as a place where there would be jobs, with tourism, durrell and well-off people who cared about the place they lived in. But I guess from Anthony's last comment, the drop in tourism is making it worse. Maybe tho' people will look nearer home for holidays with the money squeeze - so perhaps this will help Jersey. Jane

[Piers]

Jersey is not the place to be looking to stay even if i were to stay and get a job at durrell or in the environment sector the cost of living is stupidly high and in effect i would never be able to have a house of my own or anything like that. With jersey nowadays unless ur in the finace industry or your rolling in the money the is very little insentive to stay on the island.

[Alain Baudains]

totally agree with piers. i am looking to do mechanical engieering. i maybe be able to find a garage job at maybe 20 odd thousand a year. but potentially as a post graduate 20k doesnt cut it. i would love to stay on jersey because friends family etc but UK and Europe have the diversity of jobs whereas jersey is finance. if and/or when finance collaspes, (technical term) we are screwed

[A E Pienkowski]

BVI Courts Rule Against Government Permit for Beef Island Development

This information provided by Bruce Potter at Island Resources Foundation (see below)

A major ruling on a very large (~$250 million or more) proposed development for the British Virgin Islands --- somewhat different outcome from the Turks and Caicos, to name one example.

Read the article at the BVI Platinum on-line paper, and post an opinion if you have one.

http://bit.ly/1oLfhM

Refer also to
ISLAND RESOURCES FOUNDATION
1718 P Street NW, Suite T4
Washington, DC 20036
Tel. 202.265.9712; fax: 202.232.0748

Over 37 Years of Environmental Assistance to Islands

Check the Foundation's website at www.irf.org