Barge abandoned at Barbuda’s River Dock is a hazard that needs attention, too, Senator Jones tells the Administration

While great attention is being paid to the safety hazard and the environmental threat that a Russian-owned vessel poses to the harbour at Falmouth, Barbuda Senator Fabian Jones complains that a similar situation in Barbuda is being overlooked.

Speaking on the Appropriations Bill, 2023 on Tuesday afternoon, March 21, Senator Jones reported that a barge has been abandoned at the River Dock in Codrington for the past several months and no attempts have been made to remove it.

Just as there are concerns on Antigua that the Alfa Nero could sink and create a huge environmental impact, so, too, are members of the Barbuda Council and the people worried about the risk that this barge poses if it sinks.

Jones says the vessel arrived from neighbouring Montserrat and encountered difficulties in the sister-island.  Now, he says, it is creating an obstruction to other vessels that need to dock in that area to offload food and other goods.

Now that the Port Authority (Amendment Bill) has been passed, Senator Jones says he is hoping the Browne Administration will be taking the required action to remove the barge from the River Dock and allow freer and safer access to and from the area.