Karibuni Restaurant ‘devastated’
by new Pinel Island regulations
MARIGOT--The owner of Karibuni Restaurant, one of three businesses on Pinel Island reportedly reeling from strict control measures imposed on their establishments as a result of Monday’s meeting in the Sous-Préfecture, says the new rulings have “set his restaurant back ten years.”
Karibuni, voted by Condé Nast Traveller as one of the top 10 restaurants in the Caribbean for 2007, must adapt its structures by May 15 to take up no more than a 200-square-metre area, as outlined in the meeting, or face further fines, as must the other businesses.
“I’m very disappointed. My business will be cut by more than half,” lamented owner Eric Clement. “We will be turning away a lot of people.”
Clement said he had been building up his restaurant’s reputation for 17 years.
“My restaurant seating will be reduced by 50 to 60 per cent. We are trying to negotiate over the modifications and also for the beach chairs, but it will be very hard,” he added.
However, the new regulations come as a blessing to the Conservatoire du Littoral which is governed by Réserve Naturelle. The Réserve has long disapproved of the lack of regulation on Pinel and it is not clear why only now action has been taken.
Businesses on the beach fall under the jurisdiction of the State, but the area set back from the beach merges into protected areas of the Conservatoire du Littoral.
Meanwhile, Léonie Larmonie emerged from a second meeting in the Sous-Préfecture Tuesday to reveal her building plan had been largely approved. However, she will not be allowed to build an upper deck for her restaurant.
Speaking publicly for the first time since last week’s blockade in French Cul-de-Sac, she said she was pleased with the Pinel outcome and very grateful for the public’s support.
“I want to thank the ferry captains, the local Government who intervened, and the population who understood the principle of defending one’s rights,” she said. “It is much better that all the businesses are legalised with the right documents, so everyone can work without having a chip on their shoulder.”
However, all the businesses, including Larmonie’s, still face the prospect of paying monetary fines as a result of the issuing of summonses by authorities on Pinel in December.
Legalising of the Pinel businesses is separate from the judicial process, which continues uninterrupted. Some businesses may seek the assistance of lawyers to argue their cases and it is not known whether the courts would show any leniency towards the mitigating circumstances surrounding occupation of the island in view of the latest developments.
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