Plaskett: VI Fee Hike Hurts USVI
USVI Delegate Stacey Plaskett says the British Virgin Islands' sharp increase in maritime licence fees, effective June 2025, has seriously damaged the USVI boating industry and cost about 800 jobs. In a July 22, 2026 interview she urged a gradual approach to the increases and warned that retaliatory measures would harm both territories.
USVI Delegate Stacey Plaskett has criticised the British Virgin Islands' recent overhaul of maritime licence fees, saying the steep increases have harmed the neighbouring territory's boating sector and led to significant job losses. Speaking in an interview on the Kyle & Redman Caribbean Currency Channel published on social media on July 22, 2026, Plaskett outlined the new fee structure that came into effect in June 2025.
Under the changes, annual multi-night charter licences that once cost around $800 have risen to $24,000 for vessels based outside of the VI, while annual day-trip licences jumped from $200 to $8,500 per vessel. Plaskett also noted customary customs and immigration charges can add another $900 to $1,200 or more for each entry.
Plaskett said those increases have contributed to losses of roughly 800 jobs, particularly in the boating and charter industries, as operators adjust registrations and operations to reduce costs. She described the scale and speed of the hike as inappropriate, arguing the increases should have been implemented gradually so businesses and customers could absorb them. "You can't make up that time in one year," Plaskett said, adding that gradual increases would have allowed the industry and travellers to adapt.
She suggested dialogue with VI officials is possible but expressed frustration that the territory appears to favour a hard approach to enforcement rather than phased implementation. Plaskett also warned against tit-for-tat measures, saying the USVI would not have welcomed a response such as imposing fees on people travelling to Saint Thomas to buy food. "We can do retaliatory tariffs on one another, yes, and at the end of the day we're all going to lose out," she said.
For BVI residents, the dispute underscores how regulatory changes in one territory quickly ripple through the region. Higher visitor fees can reduce demand for day trips and live-aboard charters, push captains to reflag or relocate vessels, and increase costs for tourists and locals who rely on inter-island travel for groceries and services.
Plaskett, who has been linked in media to the Epstein files, called for negotiations to "ratchet down" the fee levels. The interview and her comments were reported by Virgin Islands News Online (VINO). As governments consider maritime regulations and revenue needs, residents of both the USVI and BVI are likely to watch closely for any compromise or further escalation that could affect jobs, tourism flows and everyday cross-island commerce.
Primary source: VINO