Marine organisations support compromise of mooring fees rise of 10% across board

Both the Guernsey Boatowners’ Association and Guernsey Marine Traders’ Association said they supported the increase being capped at 10% across the board.

GBA president Nick Guillemette said Deputy Gavin St Pier, who has proposed the motion to annul the charge increase, was one of a number of deputies who attended their recent AGM.

‘They witnessed the genuine concerns of our members over these draconian proposals from STSB to increase mooring fees for leisure boat owners by 20 to 30% in 2024, and further increases for 2025 and 2026 which totalled between 50 to 150% over the next three years,’ he said.

‘Contrary to the spin issued by STSB and Guernsey Ports, I can assure islanders that the Guernsey taxpayer has not been subsidising local leisure boat owners with their mooring fees.’

The motion to annul the STSB’s new regulations will be on the agenda for the States meeting next week, and has the backing of a diverse group of nine deputies from across the political spectrum.

Mr Guillemette said that now the motion was published, he and GMTA president David Norman felt able to refute the points made by States’ Trading Supervisory Board president Deputy Peter Roffey in his written response to the proposed annulment.

In a letter to the Guernsey Press published in full today, Mr Guillemette said that States accounts showed that over the last 27 years Harbours had shown a £32m. surplus after capital expenditure, while the airport over the same period has shown a £54m. loss.

‘I’ll leave my fellow islanders to decide who is telling the truth,’ he said.

‘We must be the only mooring marina holders in this part of the world who are subsidising an airport.’

Two weeks ago the Guernsey Press reported that the GBA was also investigating a legal challenge to the mooring fee rises through the islands competition regulator.

Mr Guillemette confirmed that a complaint had been formally submitted to the GCRA.