Bryan Labels BVI Charter Fees Silly
United States Virgin Islands Governor Albert Bryan Jr has criticised the British Virgin Islands' commercial maritime fee framework as silly, claiming it has caused more than $100 million in lost revenue for the American territory's yacht industry. His comments come as United States federal agencies back proposed emergency bilateral talks in Washington, D.C. scheduled for October.
Tensions surrounding cross-border maritime commerce between the British Virgin Islands and the United States Virgin Islands have escalated further, with USVI Governor Albert Bryan Jr publicly describing the BVI's updated charter yacht fees as silly. In recent remarks, Governor Bryan urged both territories to negotiate lower charges before the upcoming charter season, arguing that streamlined movement between the islands would generate substantial economic activity across the region.
Governor Bryan claimed that the BVI's revised fee framework has cost the USVI yacht industry more than $100 million in lost revenue, leading local charter businesses and marinas to retain legal counsel and raise the matter with officials in Washington. Describing the archipelago as one big sailing ground, Bryan argued that while the levies generate roughly $3 million in direct revenue for the BVI, they restrict broader commerce worth hundreds of millions across the wider Virgin Islands basin.
The governor's comments follow high-level discussions in Washington on September 17 between Bryan and representatives from several US federal agencies, including the Departments of the Interior, State, Homeland Security, and Commerce, as well as the Office of the United States Trade Representative and the Small Business Administration.
US federal officials have offered meeting space and mediation support, prompting Bryan to propose an emergency Inter-Virgin Islands Council meeting in Washington during the week of October 12, with a requested confirmation deadline of September 25. At the core of the dispute is the BVI's Commercial Recreational Vessel License framework.
Under the structure defended by Premier Dr. the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley, foreign-based term-charter vessels face annual fees of $7,500 for up to seven entries, with additional entries costing $2,100 each, or $24,000 for unlimited annual access. Day-trip charter fees are set at $8,500 annually, while water-taxi licenses cost $2,500.
The USVI administration has expressed concern over these costs alongside vessel preauthorisation rules, crew-clearance procedures, and entry limits. Beyond the fee structure, Governor Bryan also voiced frustration with BVI border procedures, citing lengthy customs wait times for visiting vessels and advocating for electronic tracking systems to facilitate smoother travel.
He noted that federal partners proposed convening formal discussions before any retaliatory restrictions are weighed, while warning that local leaders should resolve the matter before federal involvement causes permanent changes to cross-border relations. Premier Wheatley and the BVI government have consistently maintained that maritime licensing rates required updating after decades without review, ensuring the territory receives fair economic returns from foreign commercial operations in local waters.
That position has received support from Territorial At-Large Representative Ronnie Skelton and political commentator Claude Skelton Cline. Meanwhile, BVI Opposition Leader Myron Walwyn has urged caution, warning that expanding federal oversight from Washington could lead to stricter reciprocal customs enforcement and maritime scrutiny.
Primary source: VINO