Dear Editor,
Every year it’s the same performance: thousands of dead fish in the Great Salt Pond, followed by the annual chorus of shock, promises, and collective amnesia.
Here’s the plot twist. It isn’t rocket science. The pond was called the Great Salt Pond for a reason. Keep filling it with land, block the mouths that connect it to the sea, and congratulations: you’ve turned a salt pond into a stagnant freshwater experiment. Then everyone acts surprised when nature sends the bill.
The government knows exactly what the problem is. Opening both channels to reconnect the pond with the sea would restore the natural flow and help bring the ecosystem back into balance. But fixing problems doesn’t seem nearly as profitable as studying them, discussing them, or pretending they appeared out of nowhere.
So next year or six months later, when the fish die again, let’s skip the crocodile tears and press conferences. We already know the cause. We already know the solution. The only mystery left is why common sense remains the rarest natural resource on St. Maarten.🇸🇽
Make the Great Salt Pond great again by letting it be what it was always meant to be: a salt pond‼️
To all the ministers, the Prime Minister, members of Parliament, and even those in the opposition:
Don’t you recognise the urgency of this situation? Don’t you smell what the people of St. Maarten are smelling every single day? The stench hanging over parts of this island is like the smell of death, like bodies decomposing. How can anyone ignore something so serious?
Why is there always an urgent response when it comes to money, budgets, and revenue? But never the same urgency when it comes to the health, well-being, and quality of life of the people of St. Maarten?
This is not just an inconvenience. It is a public health issue, an environmental issue, and a matter of human dignity. No one should have to live with the constant smell of pollution and decay while those in positions of authority remain silent or inactive‼️
Leadership is measured by how well you protect your people, not just by how well you balance finances or promote tourism. The people of St. Maarten deserve clean air, a healthy environment, and decisive action, not endless delays, excuses, and political finger-pointing.
The time for talking has passed. The people deserve action, accountability, and results.
P.S. If this is truly a matter of choosing between tourism and the people of St. Maarten, then the choice should be clear: people must come first.
Why should the health and well-being of St. Maarteners and all residents, including resident aliens, be sacrificed to tourists who will simply return home after their vacation? A country’s first responsibility is to its people.
Do we really believe tourists want to visit a place that smells like a dump? If parts of the island are dirty and polluted, that affects everyone. It damages public health, the environment, and even the tourism industry itself. A healthy, clean island benefits both residents and visitors.
Right now, some areas smell like a landfill. It’s an unfortunate reality, but it’s the truth. This is a pollution issue that requires immediate attention. Even areas behind the Carnival Village, whether privately owned or not, should be kept clean because they affect the surrounding community.
The lack of action shows a disregard for the people of St. Maarten. That is the reality many residents are experiencing.
What’s even more frustrating is that it doesn’t seem to matter which government is in power. Administrations come and go, but the result remains the same: the same promises, the same inaction only with different faces.
The people of St. Maarten deserve better. Cleanliness, environmental protection, and public health should never be treated as secondary priorities. They should come first.
Faithfully reporting the obvious.
His Majesty Baker Jr.
Your friendly neighbourhood Calypsonian
