The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

AN established watersports company is “frustrated” by having to turn away customers because the Port Authority won’t license their jet skis.

Astra Nottage, director of sales and marketing for My Own Watersports, told Tribune Business: “From what our chief executive officer is telling me is that he’s turning people away daily. We have been getting more calls for the past two weeks, I don’t know if it is because the hotels are now full or maybe it was a result of the holiday.

“What he is telling me is that the Port Authority is failing to register and renew the registration of our jet-skis.”

She added: “We were told to write a letter asking for a renewal, which is not policy. You just go to renew the jet skis, we have a valid business license and everything is in place.”

A senior official at the Port Authority, speaking under condition of anonymity, told Tribune Business yesterday that what Ms Nottage is claiming is “not factual”. The official said: “Jet skis are being licensed at this time. The port department registration process continues for both private and commercial vessels.

“Jet skis at this time, as per the emergency orders, are not being allowed to operate, but the registration process continues.”

Ms Nottage answered: “They’re saying that, due to the emergency orders, the jet ski operators are unable to operate. But you can get a license of renewal for snorkelling, or a boat tour, or a charter, which we’re not sure that makes sense.

“Because if you’re in a charter for more than a certain amount of time, where five people are on a boat – that seems more risky than a self-drive jet ski that’s operated and leads to us having limited interaction with the guests. At best, we are in close proximity with guests for 10 minutes to go over safety protocols with them.”

Guests operate the jet skis themselves and are in open water, Ms Nottage explained. She added: “The other thing is that we are fully accountable because our operations are fully online, so obviously, we can’t solicit anybody on the beach as we have stopped doing that a few years ago.”

Ms Nottage went on to further argue that persons in the public transportation industry and taxi-cab sector are at more risk of infecting their passengers than persons in the water sports industry. “There is no valid explanation as to why we can’t operate,” she said.

“As a business we are frustrated because we’ve been out of work for a year since this pandemic hit last March. Obviously the tourism market has plummeted, but with the opportunity given that the hotels are open and that we are seeing some business, we were trying to take advantage of some of the business. So in December there was a good opportunity as we saw some tourists there.

“We knew that the hotels were still trying to limit the guests bubble. We’ve implemented a COVID protocol. We’re on the open water, there’s no guest interaction. We’re social distancing, the machines are thoroughly cleaned and we’re on the open water so why not allow us to operate,” Ms Nottage asked.

She also said: “We just want a level playing field within tourism, we should look at all avenues and these guests are pretty much asking that when they get to the hotel, what are they going to do? They want to experience something else. We’re just turning them away.”