Samana Boat Owners Halt Services during Whale-Watching Season

The local boat owners association has decided to call off their operations during the whale-watching season after the Environmental Protection Ministry decided to limit 34 sailing licenses, excluding ten of their members.

The whale-watching season in the Samana Bay area began last Monday, but boat owners who operate whale-watching excursions are calling on the authorities to issue permits to all their members.

Association president Augusto Gonzalez demanded an explanation from the Environmental authorities, saying that the boat owners had not made any progress through negotiations, and that they now had no alternative but to suspend services.

“The Association is not against paying for the right to sail”, he said, “but demands equality of opportunity for engaging in this activity”. He added that the by denying whale-watching licenses to some members, the authorities were creating a “social problem”.

He said that the Environment Ministry had breached an agreement between the Tourism Ministry, the Dominican Navy and the boat owners, which had guaranteed the issue of licenses to all boat owners.

Mr. Gonzalez said that the denial of licenses would affect tourists wanting to take excursions to Cayo Levantado, Los Haitises and the Sabana de la Mar crossing, as well as whale-watching trips.