Black Immigrant Daily News

On Monday 3rd October, Prime Minister Gaston Browne , along with Minister of Tourism and Investment, The Hon. Charles ‘Max’ Fernandez, Minister of Housing The Hon. Maria Browne and Senator Knacyntar Nedd-Charles attended the inaugural deployment of The Ocean Shot project led by scientist Dr. Deborah Brosnan in partnership with global philanthropist and entrepreneur John Paul DeJoria.

Ocean Shot is the first of its kind to take action for our oceans.

The newly launched initiative plans to use technology that mimics the design and shape of natural reefs to provide opportunities for colonization by coral and other marine life.

The constructed reef modules will also help protect nearby coastal communities from storm surge and sea-level rise.

According to the project scope, “Serving as protective barriers for coastal communities against wave action, the coral reefs enable people to set up homes and businesses closer to the ocean. Coral reefs mitigate sand flow to beaches, replenishing the sparkling white beaches that make the Caribbean a global tourist hot spot. The sand itself is thanks to coral and a very important local species that feeds on it. The Ocean-Shot project is starting to operate in Antigua and Barbuda and will be replicated in other Caribbean and Latin American locations. The program may also find a home in other parts of the world in the future.”

Institutional partners for this project include;

PADI: Dr. Drew Richardson, President and CEO. As the leader in the dive industry, PADI’s engagement and partnership helps the wider reach of this effort and ensures that it will be embedded in dive practices.

In addition, this program will form the basis of PADI AWARE Foundation’s development of best practices guidelines for coral reef restoration and monitoring that will be the dive industries’ standard practice and approach.

Government of Antigua and Barbuda (GoAB): Prime Minister Gaston Browne is directly involved in this project, as is the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries, Samantha Marshall, Minister for Environment and Health Molwyn Joseph, and Barbuda’s Senator Nedd.

They have pledged their full support and that of their agencies to advance the effort.

In addition, the project links with the policy of ocean resilience and blue economy being developed, including at the University of the West Indies 5-star Campus.

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Relatives look on in tears as crime scene investigators examine the site at which Ceslyn “Linda” Farrell, her son Patrick Farrell, 48, and friend Seycelles Hannah, 41, were found dead in a burnt-down house on Friday morning in Guapo. – Lincoln Holder

AFTER two years, seven months and 17 days, family and friends of a murdered mother and son will finally get to pay their final respects.

Owing to the pandemic and bureaucracy, relatives of 69-year-old Ceslyn “Linda” Farrell and her son Patrick, 48 could not claim their bodies before September after they were killed in February 2020.

Ceslyn Linda Farrell, 69 

Also murdered that day was a friend of the family Seycelles Hannah, 41. She had been kicked out of her previous home and was taken in by Linda Farrell.

The burnt remains of the three were found at their home at Petrotrin Quarters in Guapo. The autopsies were completed days after the killings and revealed they had been chopped and stabbed to death. The house had been set on fire.

On August 4, siblings Michael and Cindy Farrell visited the Forensic Science Centre hoping to find out why their mother and brother’s bodies had not been released. That day they spoke with the media about the undue delay and called on the relevant authorities to step in.

Part of the delay was the Ministry of Legal Affairs, which Michael said had sent him to different branches. He told the media in August that the lengthy journey to burial began at the San Fernando branch of Legal Affairs just after the murders.

After visiting there he was referred to the Point Fortin branch. The registrar there fell ill and he had to wait for her to recover. Unfortunately the registrar died and he was sent back to San Fernando to restart the entire process.

Delays also arose at the Forensic Science Centre after he was made to submit two DNA samples for testing after the original one, which was given a month after the murders, was misplaced. He had to repeat the process in February. Because the bodies were burnt beyond recognition, confirmation of identification had to be done through tissue sampling.

Four days later the family received the bodies of their mother and brother and began making plans for their burial. After contacting relatives abroad, the siblings finalised the funeral date for October 15 at the Point Fortin Church of the Nazarene.

Relatives of the deceased said they are happy to be finally able to bury their loved ones.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

Football. Régional 1 – Groupe B – 2e journée

La détermination de l’Assaut a été récompensée par une belle victoire face au Club Franciscain (3-2). La performance du week-end dans ce groupe B est réalisée par le New Club qui inscrit 4 buts face à la Samaritaine (4-1). Le Club Colonial s’est, quant à lui, imposé 4 buts à 2 face à l’US Robert. 

France-Antilles Martinique

1061 mots – 03.10.2022

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Black Immigrant Daily News

Farmers in Antigua have been experiencing the gruesome effects of the leaf hoppers pest which for now is mainly targeting okra, sorrel and eggplant crops.

All five of the Agricultural Districts are being affected, which include; South Central, North East, North West and South East and the South West District.

This pest sucks the sap out of the leaves thus disturbing the flow of water and nutrients in the leaves.

As a result of this, the leaf margins or the entire leaf turn light and pale and eventually dry out affecting not just the appearance of the plant but the production.

A Farmer for 20 years in the Sandersons Area, Andy David explained that the leaf hoppers has been gravely affecting the production of okra on his farm as it has drastically cut the yield of the plants.

Mr. David explained that he has had to rely on chemicals to deal with the infestation, however, that too has posed a challenge as there is a lack of availability of certain chemicals on the island.

Mr. David is grateful for the visits and investigations being done by the Extension Division as they try to find a solution before the matter gets worse and spreads.

Mr. David explained that he was both heartened and disappointed to find out that the issue can be dealt just by releasing natural predators which they can do but due to the lack of funding they are unable to do so.

“I am heartened that there is a remedy that can be used naturally which at the same time would be less costly because we wouldn’t have to buy the chemicals and be healthier because we wouldn’t have to spray with chemicals and I am disappointed that just for the lack of funding something like that can’t get off the ground,” explained Mr. David.

South-East District Officer, Craig Joseph explained that the leaf hoppers have been identified in this district and in the visit to the Walley Brown Farm, where it is very obvious that the leaves for the okra plants were turning yellow. He says that the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Barbuda Affairs has embarked on a program to identify the pests in the different districts and come up with feasible solutions to tackle the problem.

District Officer, Joel Matthew explained that the Extension Officer would have done a detection survey on farms that produce okra on a large scale.  Mr. Matthew explained that as they entered his field, they observed clear signs of the leaf hoppers.

In their investigation they looked to see the population of the pests and it was not as high as they thought it to be as Mr. David had been using chemicals to control the infestation which they were pleased to see.

Mr. Matthew agreed that there are other natural means that this can be controlled apart from the use of chemicals and as a long-term effect it would be less costly but it is something that the Extension will urgently revisit given the current infestation issue in many of the farming districts.

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Sixto Rafael Marcano Carrion, charged with trafficking in children, causing a child to become a prostitute, transporting a person for prostitution and being a gang leader in the South Western Division last Friday. – Photo Courtesy TTPS

A Venezuelan man has been charged for a series of human trafficking related offices after he was arrested by police in Santa Flora last Friday.

A police media release on Monday reported that Sixto Rafael Marcano Carrion was one of four Venzuelans intercepted by police in the South Western Division.

Carrion was handed over to the Special Investigations Task Force (SITF) and was charged with trafficking in children, causing a child to become a prostitute, transporting a person for prostitution and being a gang leader.

He was expected to appear before a Chaguanas magistrate on Monday.

Two men and two women who were with him at the time were detained, as they were found with a gun.

In the media release acting Police Commissioner McDonald Jacob said he was pleased with the arrest, as it reflected the work of the police in tackling crime at and disrupting criminal networks.

“I am pleased that we have made another solid breakthrough, as these heartless criminals can never feel that they have a free pass to operate in Trinidad and Tobago.

“The TTPS will continue to vigorously pursue and arrest those involved in trafficking in children, child prostitution and other heinous crimes that feed on the suffering of the innocent and vulnerable.”

Carrion was charged by Cpl Antoine and WPC Edwards.

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