Fishing Ban on Barry Bowen Bridge Reels in Criticism

On Wednesday, we told you about the Haulover Bridge and the bold thieves who made off with thirty feet of aluminum handrail. Well tonight, we’re back with another bridge story; this time, it’s not about theft, but tension. Over in San Pedro, the Barry Bowen Bridge is making headlines after the town council announced a ban on fishing from the structure. Why? They say constant exposure to saltwater is corroding the bridge, and it’s time to protect it. Some residents agree that it’s a safety issue. But others think the move is a bit overboard. So, is it precaution or overreaction? Here’s News Five’s Britney Gordon with the following report.

 

Britney Gordon, Reporting

If you’re used to casting a line off the Barry Bowen Bridge in San Pedro, you might want to think twice. The Town Council has just put a stop to fishing on the bridge and not everyone’s thrilled about it. Some residents are scratching their heads, wondering why a long-time pastime is suddenly off-limits. But according to Mayor Wally Nuñez, there’s a serious reason behind the decision.

 

Wally Nunez, Mayor of San Pedro

“It is some corrosion that was happening on the railing. Please bear in mind that the bridge itself is a concrete structure and it was rebuilt because we had issues with the old bridge that was all metal. This bridge is all concrete. It’s only the railings that are made of galvanized steel. And yes they have to weld them together and it was painted.”

 

 

 

Interestingly, most of the corrosion is happening on the western side of the bridge, which suggests it’s not just the salty sea breeze to blame. After all, the wind usually blows in from the east.

 

Wally Nunez

“But the problem that we saw was on the western side and specifically on the railing where they usually go and cast their nets. And there’s also some fishing happening on that area. And when they reel in the, their lines with their, the sardine or with they bring in the constant, it brings a lot of water and the salt water directly over the structure is what was causing the corrosion.”

 

 

 

The good news? The damage to the bridge wasn’t too serious and the town council has already made the necessary repairs. But it did raise a red flag. Officials say it’s a clear sign that fishing activity is speeding up the corrosion, and that’s something they can’t afford to ignore.

 

Wally Nunez

“I started to see some of the comments why we’re not allowing kids to go and fish at the bridge. But I just wanted to explain and to clarify that it does speed up the corrosion if you’re having direct water over it. Yes, I understand that we’re gonna have salt air. We do constant maintenance of the bridge. We have the council constantly doing maintenance and looking at after the bridge to make sure that the integrity of the bridge is in good condition. But we’re just asking the general public to assist us in not speeding up the corrosion by having your cast nets up there, actually fishing up there so that we can prevent it from farther damage.”

 

 

Not everyone was on board with the no-fishing advisory at first. Some residents argued that the bridge would corrode over time anyway, with or without fishing. But others have been more understanding, recognizing the need to protect the structure. Mayor Wally Nuñez says this isn’t the only issue the council has had to tackle when it comes to the Barry Bowen Bridge.

 

 

 

Wally Nunez

“The bridge as we had just finished it, we had some lights along the railing and those were vandalized, they were stolen. We have been looking at ways that we can add some lighting on that side that it’s going to be more difficult for them to remove, I don’t know for what reason. Some people remove them because they wouldn’t be able to use it anywhere else because they come in sets and it has one specific ballas that works, or five, five parts of them. So it’s just vandalism and lack of civic pride.”

 

 

Nunez is asking the public for understanding and compliance to preserve the integrity of the island’s infrastructure.

 

Wally Nunez

“We need to encourage people to have civic pride and these things. They cost money and they’re there to serve a purpose and we want to beautify Belize. We don’t want it to be vandalized and being wrecked, in other words.”

 

Now, just to be clear, fishing on top of the Barry Bowen Bridge is off-limits. But if you’re casting your line from below, you’re still good to go. Britney Gordon for News Five.