I refer to the article entitled ?Supreme Court rules that access to Ilot Gabriel beach should be free? written by Nicholas Rainer and published in l'express of Wednesday 14th May 2008, and in particular to the last paragraph of the said article:

?The judgment may also incite the State and permanent secretary of the ministry of Agro-industry to have a long hard think before siding with a heavy-handed private company that seeks to deprive Mauritian citizens on one of their most basic rights, that of enjoying this country's beaches.?

Please note that such a sentence is tantamount to a personal interpretation of the judgment by your journalist and may give rise to prejudicial views on the role of the ministry of Agro-industry and Fisheries, which was merely a respondent in that judicial case.

Ilot Gabriel has been leased by the ministry to Ocean Blue Island Company Ltd to the tune of Rs 60,000 per year, with a list of mandatory conditions to which the latter has to abide. One of the duties that this company has towards the ministry is to help preserve the natural environment of Ilot Gabriel and maintain it free from litter, which is usually dropped anywhere by people visiting the island. The sole concern of the ministry of Agro-industry and Fisheries was, and still is, the preservation of Ilot Gabriel, especially the protection of its endemic plants.

Rishy BUKOREE

Adviser on Information Matters Ministry of Agro Industry and Fisheries