Graeme Hall Animal Sanctuary, Barbados

[Sakura]

In December 2008 while on holiday in Barbados we visited the Graeme Hall Animal Sanctuary which unfortunately closed a few days later.
It was an interesting place and made more interesting as we were with a close friend who had grown up just outside the sanctuary grounds. As a child over 70 years ago she would go fishing in there and was she very sad to see it closing for lack of fund from the Barbadian Government. The foundation and friends of the sanctuary are hoping to keep it in good condition and care for the animals. It is going to be a great loss to the schools on the island as that was part of their program. Hopefully it will be opened again soon.

 

[CJB]

Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary - still closed in 2015

This occupies 42 per cent of the Ramsar wetland at Graeme Hall, in Christ Church, Barbados. It is owned by one Peter Allard, a Canadian investor and philanthropist. In late 2011 he was named Queen's Counsel by the Province of British Columbia. He has put more than US $35 million into the 35-acre eco-tourism site to preserve the last and significant mangrove woodland and wetland on Barbados.

The Government owns the land surrounding the Swamp and the Lake.

The Swamp is the very last of a chain of wetlands on the south west coast now all but filled in by developers over the years. The Government wants to kill this last Swamp due to the greed of its land developing supporters.

The industrial, domestic and rain water run-off from this Government owned land is polluting and dumping sewage into the Swamp thereby diluting its brackishness. The Government further blocks the canal and sluice draining the Swamp thereby ensuring that the brackish waters are not replenished from the sea.

The wealthy Canadian owner of the Swamp itself objects to this. He reportedly receives death threats. He closes the grounds for all time.

The Government ignores him and refuses to negotiate terms to reopen the Sanctuary, including his offer to build and finance a multi-million dollar hospital specialising in treating HIV / AIDS.

The aviaries are nailed shut. But the locals break in and raid the grounds for crabs and illegal fishing. At least one VERY rare St. Vincent parrot was killed in a recent raid. The police do nothing.

Recently the Barbados Free Press reported that even the mains water supply to the grounds, aviaries and cafe had been cut off, the supply pipe apparently having been deliberately sawn apart.

http://barbadosfreepress.wordpress.com/?s=graeme+hall

There is more about this appalling scandal on Facebook and Wiki and various other websites.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graeme...ture_Sanctuary
https://www.facebook.com/groups/44617791780/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/41667757593/

 

[CJB]

Graeme Hall Sanctuary still CLOSED

With what is evidently active opposition from the Barbados Government towards its preservation the future of the Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary and the Ramsar Wetland is at very high risk indeed.