Tag: water

New Christ of the Deep at home in the Underwater Sculpture Park

The Grenada Underwater Sculpture Management Group (GUSMI) is pleased to report that the world’s first underwater sculpture park, located 2 miles north of St. Georges at Moliniere Bay, is now home to two new statues.

The first piece, a replica of the Christ of the Deep, was on display on the Carenage since its official blessing there on the October 22 during a ceremony attended by numerous officials including the Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, and Culture, Peter David.

The Christ of the Deep replica was commissioned by the Grenada Board of Tourism to commemorate not only the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Bianca C but also the hospitality, selflessness, and “Spice Isle” spirit shown by the Grenadian people in the rescue of over 670 passengers and crew of the Bianca C.

“It is a fantastic addition to the park,” said Howard Clarke, Chairman of GUSMI, “and we are extremely grateful to the Grenada Board of Tourism for their enthusiastic support and endorsement of the regeneration project. As the statue looks up to the surface of the water with arms outstretched it is a wonderful new piece of living art for both our diving and snorkeling visitors.”

The second sculpture, “Sienna,” is based on a character from the short story, “A Different Ocean,” written by local author Jacob Ross. Sienna is a young girl gifted in free diving. The story follows friendship and betrayal as her talent is exploited in the search for lost treasure. She was sponsored by local Powerboat Tour Company Grenada Seafaris who runs eco-tours and snorkeling trips to the park. This was one of the original pieces which was, unfortunately, damaged by corrosion and sea conditions. Owner of Grenada Seafaris, Howard Clarke, said: “It is a culturally important piece, which we are very pleased to be able to sponsor. The new statue is designed to be much more robust than the previous one and should last considerably longer.”

The latest additions to the park are part of a regeneration plan initiated by GUSMI and funded by both the private and public sectors, which is designed to regenerate and continue the development of the Underwater Sculpture Park. Both statues were created by talented local artist, Troy Lewis, under the guidance and instruction of the Management Group.

On a day when there were no ships in port, the cruise liner dock was nevertheless a hive of activity during the morning of Thursday, November 17 as the group and a number of supporters gathered to start the process of moving the statues to their final locations within the park. The statues were first placed in the water by a crane and were then floated out to the site using heavy-duty lifting bags. The operation to float the statues was managed by Underwater Solutions Ltd., a Camper Nicholson Port Louis-based company who specializes in underwater work. Grenada Seafaris Ltd. and Eco Dive&Trek provided staff and support boats ably assisted by the Royal Grenada Coast Guard who offered their support by providing a patrol vessel to tow one of the statues out to the site.

Grenada Underwater Sculpture Park Management Group Chairman, Howard Clarke, said: “The Underwater Park has become a large and important part of our tourism product. It is the world’s first such attraction and it is important that we maintain and continue to improve the park. The tourism sector has seen the benefits of having this attraction both in terms of the number of cruise liner visitors and hotel guests. The site continues to generate international coverage and is one of the attractions regularly requested by visiting press. To have a unique attraction is immensely important, and visitors and residents alike enjoy the underwater art.”

As the regeneration plan continues, more sponsors are being approached for the largest piece in the project, which is the replacement of the iconic circle of children which consists of 26 children holding hands. Fund raising for this piece is on-going, and it is hoped that the project will be completed during 2012. Interested parties who wish to find out more about the project or sponsorship opportunities should contact Howard Clarke in the first instance on 405-7800 or by email at howardclarke900@hotmail.com

90% of UK beaches do meet water standards

Out of 502 beaches and bathing sites in England and Wales only ten failed basic water quality standards, new government figures have revealed.

 

Water quality met EU standards at 90 per cent of beaches, however although these figures are much improved on the figures of only 86 per cent last year, many have criticised the quality standards, which were made 35 years ago.

 

Campaigners have claim, “meeting an outdated and inadequate standard is nothing to shout about”.

 

“Almost all of our beaches meet the minimum standards now, compared to just three-quarters in 1991,” said Christine Tuckett from the Environment Agency.

 

But Andy Cummins, from Surfers Against Sewage, said: “Many beaches may be meeting woefully inadequate water quality standards set down 35 years ago, but this still leaves bathers exposed to significant numbers of sewage spills, with possible serious health implications.”

 

New more stringent standards are planned to come into force in 2015, Tuckett revealed. And work to tackle persistent sources of pollution and make sure as many beaches as possible pass these standards is underway.

 

“We are moving in the right direction,” said Cummins. “The top end of the new standards will give you some pretty good water quality.”

 

The Environment Agency stated it had helped gain further investment from the water industry for environmental improvements.

 

Heading to the beach?

The Environment Agency is encouraging beach-goers to check the water quality of their favourite swimming spots before taking the plunge as the school summer holidays start.

There is now more information than ever before to help the public decide where, and when, to swim.

The Environment Agency has published detailed profiles on the cleanliness of some 500 bathing water sites across England and Wales.

Detailed information about each beach can be seen online and include maps, photos and links to the latest water quality results. These profiles were created to help the public make more informed choices about the best locations to visit and enjoy.

* Bathing water profiles

Record number of beaches meet highest standards

Last year, a record number of beaches and inland bathing waters in England and Wales reached the highest European standards in water quality. Over eight in ten beaches met the EU “guideline” standard across England and Wales – compared to just three in ten in 1990.

However, there is more work to do to drive further improvements in water quality. The Environment Agency is working hard with others to identify and tackle sources of pollution at all bathing sites.

Christine Tuckett, Environment Agency Head of Bathing Water, said:

“These profiles provide the most comprehensive information yet on the cleanliness of bathing waters, helping the public to make more informed choices about the best locations to bathe.

“A record number of beaches reached the highest European standards last year but we are not complacent. The Environment Agency is working hard to tackle all sources of pollution, alongside beach users, local authorities, farmers and water companies.”

In addition to the extensive information available in the profiles, the Environment Agency is supporting water companies, local authorities and Surfers Against Sewage in trialling a “real-time” warning service to alert when Combined Sewer Overflows discharge at certain locations.

Andy Cummins, Campaigns Director for Surfers Against Sewage, commented:

“The bathing water profiles are a significant step forward in the provision of public information about important coastal environments. Beach lovers, including many SAS members, can learn about the environmental impacts on their coast.

“The launch of SAS’s Sewage Alert Service finally makes available to the public the real time facts about sewage pollution at over 50 well used beaches nationwide. Providing this vital information will help all beach goers both avoid the potential health risks of sewage contaminated waters and reassure them of water quality.”