A record number of tourists visited Saint Martin's Island in a single day since the start of the tourism season. On Friday, 1,754 tourists travelled to the island from Cox's Bazar on four vessels.
This is the highest single-day figure since passenger vessels resumed operations on November 5. Previously, an average of 1,200 tourists visited Saint Martin's daily.
Hossain Islam Bahadur, general secretary of the Sea Cruise Operators Owners Association of Bangladesh (SCOAB), said the combined capacity of the four vessels exceeds 3,000 passengers. However, 1,754 tourists travelled on these ships today.
Unauthorized access to Chera Dwipa
Tourist access to Chera Dwipa, at the southern tip of Saint Martin's Island, remains prohibited. Despite the ban, tourists are visiting the area daily. Some reach the middle of the island on foot, while others use e-bikes (locally known as tomtom), motorcycles, and bicycles before proceeding to Chera Dwipa.This unrestricted movement is crushing red crabs, snails, and shellfish on the island's sandy beaches. Coral reefs, seaweed, and various other forms of biodiversity are also being damaged. Although volunteers from the Department of Environment are working to control tourist movement, their limited manpower has made the situation difficult to manage.
Awareness campaign
Tourist vessels dock at the jetty on Saint Martin's Island after a roughly 120-kilometre sea journey from Cox's Bazar. As passengers step off the ships, they are greeted by an awareness announcement from the Department of Environment. The loudspeaker message states: "Saint Martin's Island is a vulnerable area. Coral, seaweed..."Environmentalists say the sandy beaches of Chera Dwipa and the adjacent coral reefs are the island's primary biodiversity reservoir. The continued uncontrolled entry of tourists, despite the ban, is threatening this ecosystem. Authorities are conducting regular patrols and awareness campaigns, but a shortage of personnel is hindering effective enforcement.
