This week, controversies surrounding the protection of our beaches continued to be a topic of discussion among the public, sparked by a social media post showing certain boulders placed at Santo Largo, Savaneta, for protection. We asked the Minister of Tourism, Dangui Oduber, about a post he shared on his Facebook page depicting a photo where some boulders block the entrance to the beach.
Minister Oduber states that they are implementing a management strategy based on sustainability, focusing on protecting our beaches. “We’ve observed that this beach at Santo Largo has been affected for many years by cars driving onto the beach, very close to the sea. Oil and gasoline are spilled, and vehicles damage the beach.”
The Minister believes that our beaches are a natural resource blessed by God, something that we must protect for the benefit of our local community and for the tourists who come to Aruba. This particular beach has been suffering for many years.
There has also been a request from the Savaneta Foundation, which has various ongoing projects to ensure that Savaneta also becomes part of the offerings tourists can enjoy in our development. In this context, the government believes it would be ideal to place large boulders to prevent both locals and tourists from reaching the coastline by car. This would protect and preserve these natural resources, according to Minister Oduber, and subsequently, they will improve and enhance this beach for all locals who use this area.
The government will seek the cooperation of the Aruba Ports Authority to explore how to reach an agreement on using the existing infrastructure to make this beach more attractive. “In places where locals previously had access, they might not have used or thought about the beach much. Therefore, the intention behind placing these boulders is to prevent cars from continuing to damage these beaches.”
