Beautiful Virgin Islands

Sunday, Jul 20, 2025

Land Policy To Help Resolve Anegada Issues

Land Policy To Help Resolve Anegada Issues

The government has announced that a Land and Marine Estate Policy will serve as the framework to resolve the long-standing issues of land distribution and the claims of ancestral lands on the sister island of Anegada.
In a press release government stated that, the way forward in addressing the issues came about during a meeting held yesterday Tuesday, October 26 between representatives from the Ministry of Natural Resources, Labour and Immigration and those of the Anegada Advisory Lands Committee.

It explored how the governance of land matters and the settlement of outstanding land claims can feature prominently into the update of the Land and Marine Estate Policy of the Virgin Islands.

Notably, during a community meeting held over the weekend, residents raised their continued concerns over land matters. They also said that said the lands committee had been established since July 2020, and they have been fighting for the cause on behalf of residents, but to no avail.

Residents told elected representatives that they were willing to come to a compromise on the way forward; however, “If you don’t do what you say you going to do, you will see fed-up? Fed-up down here! …Anegada going through a holocaust for 146 years, and this thing ain't done yet?”

However, in the government’s press release yesterday, Minister for Natural Resources, Labour and Immigration Hon. Vincent Wheatley said that the Ministry has endeavoured to produce policy that not only reflects the challenges facing land matters but also presents solutions to issues that have spanned decades.

“Since taking office I have been confronted with numerous unresolved land matters, however, none of the matters were as complex or as long standing as the Anegada Lands issue,” he said following yesterday’s meeting.

He said: “Today I am pleased to say that working very closely with the Anegada people and the Anegada Lands Advisory Committee, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Much work is yet to be done but we remain committed to resolving this matter.”

Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Natural Resources, Labour and Immigration Mr. Joseph Smith-Abbott assured of the Ministry’s commitment to a well-developed lands policy that will benefit the Anegada people.

Mr. Smith-Abbott said, “The Ministry stands ready to ensure that the Land and Marine Estate Policy accurately reflects the aspirations and needs for a modern and responsive framework for the governance and management of lands on Anegada, respecting the historical claims and need for a partnership founded on the principles originally enshrined in the Renwick Report of 1988.”

The Chairman of the Anegada Advisory Lands Committee Mr. Darrell Ruan Jr. expressed the importance of the day’s meeting with the Minister and Permanent Secretary by saying, “I can attest that the solutions presented during this meeting are going to catapult Anegada into a new paradigm.”

According to government, yesterday’s meeting was one in a series of meetings held between Government and the Anegada Advisory Lands Committee with the mission being how to effectively facilitate the land distribution programme.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
×