Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Sep 30, 2025

Setbacks for yachting as COVID pandemic ‘seems’ to end– Bishop John I. Cline

Setbacks for yachting as COVID pandemic ‘seems’ to end– Bishop John I. Cline

Pastor of the New Life Baptist Church in Duff’s Bottom, Tortola, Bishop John I. Cline is optimistic that the Virgin Islands (VI) could be experiencing the end stage of the COVID-19 pandemic.
End to COVID-19 pandemic?


“We are, hopefully, at the tail end of a long two years of lockdowns and curfews and border closings… and we are truly grateful for where we are today,” he said during a March 17, 2022, edition of the My BVI show.

However, while the bishop remains positive that the pandemic could be coming to an end locally, he pointed to developments in the charter boat and yachting industry as concerning.

“It seems that we are seeing the end of this pandemic, but from a yachting industry what seems to have been starting up, has given rise to other things,” he added.

In mid-March 2022, Her Majesty's Customs led an aggressive campaign to crack down on yachting companies operating in the VI in violation of local laws, including for operating without a license and not meeting minimum safety requirements.

Other violations include companies allegedly working without permits and making false declarations to local Customs officers.

Chairperson of the BVI Maine Association Mr Andrew Ball said while it is not unreasonable for enforcement agencies to enforce laws, authorities must also examine the current situation.


Enforcement of laws too sudden?


Meanwhile, Andrew Ball, Chairperson of the BVI Maine Association appearing as a guest on the show, said while it is not unreasonable for enforcement agencies to enforce laws, authorities must also examine the current situation.

He also pointed out that archaic legislation continues to hold up the industry as the laws written for the budding yacht industry at start-up cannot govern a much-developed industry in today’s world.

Pointing to the Challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr Ball indicated that while COVID-19 regulations are being lifted, there is need for a public-private partnership on the way forward.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
FBI Removes Agents Who Kneeled at 2020 Protest, Citing Breach of Professional Conduct
Trump Alleges ‘Triple Sabotage’ at United Nations After Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
Shock in France: 5 Years in Prison for Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
BNP Paribas Abandons Ban on 'Controversial Weapons' Financing Amid Europe’s Defence Push
Typhoon Ragasa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across East Asia Before Making Landfall in China
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Big Banks Rebuild in Hong Kong as Deal Volume Surges
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Arnault Denounces Proposed Wealth Tax as Threat to French Economy
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Denmark Investigates Drone Incursion, Does Not Rule Out Russian Involvement
Lilly CEO Warns UK Is ‘Worst Country in Europe’ for Drug Prices, Pulls Back Investment
Nigel Farage Emerges as Central Force in British Politics with Reform UK Surge
Disney Reinstates ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ after Six-Day Suspension over Charlie Kirk Comments
U.S. Prosecutors Move to Break Up Google’s Advertising Monopoly
Nvidia Pledges Up to $100 Billion Investment in OpenAI to Power Massive AI Data Center Build-Out
U.S. Signals ‘Large and Forceful’ Support for Argentina Amid Market Turmoil
Nvidia and Abu Dhabi’s TII Launch First AI-&-Robotics Lab in the Middle East
Vietnam Faces Up to $25 Billion Export Loss as U.S. Tariffs Bite
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Indonesia Court Upholds Military Law Amid Concerns Over Expanded Civilian Role
Larry Ellison, Michael Dell and Rupert Murdoch Join Trump-Backed Bid to Take Over TikTok
Trump and Musk Reunite Publicly for First Time Since Fallout at Kirk Memorial
Vietnam Closes 86 Million Untouched Bank Accounts Over Biometric ID Rules
Explosive Email Shows Sarah Ferguson Begged Forgiveness from Jeffrey Epstein After Taking His Money
Corrupt UK Politician Ed Davey Demands Elon Musk’s Arrest for Supporting Democracy
UK, Canada, and Australia Officially Recognise Palestine in Historic Shift
Alibaba Debuts Open-Source Deep Research Agent with Benchmarks Rivaling OpenAI
Marcos Faces Legacy-Defining Crisis as Flood Projects Scandal Sparks Massive Tide of Protests
China’s Micro-Drama Boom Turns Stalled Real Estate Projects into Lavish Film Sets
New Eye Drops Show Promise in Replacing Reading Glasses for Presbyopia
×