While the debate on the fate of Mt.Hartman and Hog Island see so recent, they seem faded. There is some sense of quiet resignation that nothing anyone does will prevent the advancement of development of the area. Large concentration of dry forest habitat (oh… and the Grenada Dove), fringe Mangroves, seagrass beds (and surrounding reefs) will fell the pinch of the heavy construction equipment. The feeling of inevitability stems from what seems an earnest (but not the first) attempt to get the project under way. What will happen to Hog Island (and the area) in the coming months? How will the final project look like? How will the environment fare? Will this development strategy be sustainable, both economically and environmentally - will the trade-off be balanced, will it make sense?
Those questions remain, and perhaps only time will be able to adequately answer those questions. The sleepy Sundays at Roger’s Bar at Hog Island where locals, tourists and sailors mingled to the sound of music and smell of BBQ may well be numbered.
Where will the Dove go? Where will the people go? Oh, Hog Island as it is today will be sorely missed.
Roger’s Bar at Hog Island (20 April 2008)
