Paraquita Bay Abattoir Water Crisis
A letter from a Concerned Resident alleges the Paraquita Bay abattoir has been without water for three weeks, raising food-safety and livelihoods concerns for farmers. The writer calls on the Premier and the Junior Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries to explain why the outage has continued and what was processed during this period.
A resident has raised serious public-health and governance concerns after reporting that the Paraquita Bay abattoir has been without water for three weeks. In a letter published on BVI News, the writer — signing as "Concerned Resident, Tortola" — warned that a prolonged loss of water at a slaughterhouse is not a minor inconvenience but a direct threat to food safety.
The letter notes that water is essential for washing animals, cleaning equipment, sanitising surfaces and managing biological waste, and says the facility cannot meet basic hygiene standards while dry. The resident says the government’s reported response — suggesting trucking water in — is inadequate and amounts to an admission that the problem has not been properly fixed.
They point out that Paraquita Bay is in District 7, the Premier’s constituency, and that the Premier also holds responsibility for Agriculture and Fisheries. The letter recalls that in May of last year the Premier described water access for farmers at Paraquita Bay as "perhaps the most urgent challenge" and signed a related contract at a public ceremony.
Local farmers reliant on the abattoir have reportedly had livestock unable to move through the normal processing chain, disrupting incomes and threatening animal welfare. The letter demands to know what, if anything, was processed at the facility during the outage and calls for transparency about any potential risk to consumers.
Public-health experts say that any prolonged interruption to water supply at meat-processing facilities raises the risk of contamination and demands immediate remedial action, including temporary closure until standards can be ensured, microbial testing of products processed during the outage, and a clear contingency plan.
The resident letter also criticises the silence from the Junior Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries, Dr Karl Dawson, who the writer says has issued no public update or explanation. The letter ends with an urgent call for a public explanation from both the Premier and the Junior Minister, and for assurances that the disruption will not recur.
For BVI residents, the situation raises two immediate priorities: clear information about consumers’ food safety, and support and timely solutions for farmers whose livelihoods depend on the abattoir functioning safely and reliably. The public is watching and waiting for answers.
Primary source: BVI News