News

Members of the Saba Island Council and Executive Council on Friday, January 24, attended a presentation about the status of the Saba Cadaster by Head of the Planning Bureau Robert “Bobby” Zagers and Riency Holder of Cadaster Bonaire. The Saba Cadaster is in the process of upgrading. The Cadaster incorporates …

Thank you, everyone for making this event a successful one, Saba Cross Island Walk “Sea to sea”. The walk started off with the Island Secretary Mr. Tim Muller sounding of the conch shell. 75 participants took part in this walk and ALL made it to the end! Congratulations, you are …

The Executive Council of Saba on Friday, January 24, announced that Island Secretary Tim Muller will start as Island Secretary of Bonaire per May 1, 2020. Muller said that the decision to leave Saba and the Public Entity Saba was not an easy one. “Saba is home to me. After …

Researchers explored deepest and largest underwater sinkholes in the world From 5 to 20 December 2019, the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) and Wageningen Marine Research organized an expedition to the Saba Bank, close to the Dutch island of Saba in the Caribbean region. Experts on board the …

The Saba Island Council on Thursday, January 23 met with representatives of the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) Elske de Zeeuw-Van Dalfsen and Reinoud Sleeman. Discussed with volcanologist De Zeeuw-van Dalfsen and seismologist Sleeman was the KNMI work on Saba to monitor seismic and volcanic activity. The main conclusion was …

A delegation of European Union (EU) associated consultants visited Saba this week for meetings with the Public Entity Saba, Saba Electric Company (SEC) and the Saba Conservation Foundation (SCF). The visit of the consultants of Expertise France from St. Maarten had to do with the Resilience, Sustainable Energy and Marine …

On Saba, consumer prices rose by 0.8 year-on-year in Q4 2019, against 0.3 percent year-on-year in Q3. The Consumer Price Index, CPI, was driven up by the price development of telephony and internet subscriptions. In addition, prices of insurance services and home textiles were up. On the other hand, the …

Commander of the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee Lieutenant-General Hans Leijtens visited Saba on Tuesday, January 21 to meet with local authorities, the police force and, naturally, the six members of the Marechaussee who work here. Three of the six support the police force and three carry out border control tasks. Leijtens …

The Public Entity Saba has a new head of the Community Development Department, Martin Richardson. Born and raised in Aruba, Richardson (60) assumed his position per December 1, 2019. Richardson is new to the island and had not been to Saba before taking on this new challenge on. He came …

Six projects have been entered so far for the 2020 SABA DOET volunteering initiative March 13-14. Organisations are encouraged to register their projects before January 31 to qualify for funding. Six projects in the areas of cleaning, planting, painting, food and gift baskets were filed by Saba Comprehensive School (SCS). …

A 35-year-old man with initials W.G.T. was ar­rested on Saba in connection with mistreatment with a weapon, public violence, attempted manslaughter and at­tempted murder on Saturday, January 18. Police Force Caribbean Netherlands KPCN reported the violent incident in a brief statement on Monday, but did not provide any details about …

~Gregory Pigeon wins for 7th time~ Saba’s 2020 triathlon took place on Saturday, January 18 with more participants than ever, 73 in total and with 50 starters. For the seventh time in a row, the Saba Triathlon was won by Gregory Pigeon from St. Martin, followed by Alwin Hylkema and …

Director-General Mobility of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (I&W) Kees van der Burg visited Saba from Wednesday, January 15 to Friday, January 17, together with a delegation of his ministry and the Ministry of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations (BZK). The visit of Van der Burg and his …

Again Saba is part of the biggest volunteer event in the kingdom! Register those projects that make a difference in the community NOW! You can apply for funding for those projects until January 31st 2020. The actual volunteer event will be 13&14 March 2020. More info? Visit www.sabadoet.com, email us at sabalionsdoet@gmail.com or check our …

Much-needed renovation works on the Crispeen hiking trail, the track that connects The Bottom and St. John’s, were completed late last year, and the trail is now back in use. The Crispeen Trail, an old, historic track of almost 1KM, suffered severe erosion to the point where the safety of …

Minister Arie Slob (Primary and Secondary Education & Media) visited Saba, St. Eustatius and Bonaire from Monday January 13th to Wednesday January 15th. This visit was mainly about getting acquainted with the education field on the three islands. In addition to speaking to various school managements, the minister has also …

Fifty starters, and over 70 participants in total, from Saba, St. Maarten, St. Eustatius, Aruba, the United States, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom will be competing this Saturday, January 18 for the most mountainous triathlon in the Dutch Kingdom, the Saba Triathlon. The triathlon battles the rough Saba seas …

Minister of Primary and Secondary Education and of Media Arie Slob left Saba on Tuesday morning, January 14, with a positive feeling. On Monday, January 13, the Minister visited the Sacred Heart School (SHS), the Saba Comprehensive School (SCS), the Expertise Center Education Care EC2, the Queen Wilhelmina Library and …

Minister of Primary and Secondary Education and of Media Arie Slob on Monday morning, January 13 visited the Sacred Heart School (SHS) and the Saba Comprehensive School (SCS) in St. John’s. At the recently renovated SHS and Saba’s only primary school, the Minister was received by Principal Diane Wilson and …

The SFPCA, a Saba Foundation for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, kicks off 2020 with a free chipping campaign for all dogs and cats on Saba. “The pet registration needs to be updated in accordance with new trends, says Mrs. Evette Peterson, the microchip will enable pet owners to …

The Red-billed Tropicbird, a unique seabird that largely nests on Saba, direly needs more protection from predators such as feral cats and rats. Scientists Mardik Leopold and Michiel Boeken from the Netherlands were on Saba for four weeks to study and ring the tropicbirds. Many people may not be aware …

The World Wildlife Fund Netherlands WWF N donated 200 Dopper bottles as part of the project to construct a water bottling plant on Saba. The Public Entity Saba will distribute these to all their employees.  Shortly, they will receive a free Dopper reusable, sustainable hard-plastic bottle to eliminate the use …

The minister for Primary and Secondary Education and Media, Arie Slob, will pay a working visit to the Caribbean Netherland from Monday January 13th  to Wednesday January 15th. During these days he will be introduced to the local educational field. After his arrival on St. Maarten on Sunday evening January …

Saba will again be present at this year’s Holiday Fair (“Vakantiebeurs”). The fair will take place in Utrecht, the Netherlands, next week, from January 15-19. Saba has been attending the travel fair for over 20 years. At the Holiday Fair, Saba will share a larger booth with the tourism office …

Presentation by Michiel Boeken and Mardik Leopold. Thursday January 9, 5.00 PM, Longhaul Restaurant In 2011-2012 ecologist Boeken monitored the Red-billed Tropicbirds of Saba in his free time, working as principal of SCS. He discovered no chick grew older than a few days at the south side of the island, …

The Saba Comprehensive School (SCS) is eliminating the use of small plastic disposable water bottles. On Monday, January 13, all 114 students as well as the staff will receive a stainless-steel water bottle that they can refill at the water dispenser. For the remainder of January, everyone can refill their …

The BES Healthcare Insurance Office, ZVK, has made a few minor adjustments effective January 1st 2020 with regard to patient transport for insured people in accordance with the Care Claims Regulation, the so-called RAZ BES. This mainly concerns changes to carriers on Bonaire and Sint Maarten. Patient transport “on location” …

Saba Triathlon Saturday, January 18, 2020: 07:00 – 12:00 am Registration for the 2020 Saba Triathlon is here! Join us on Saba in January for our annual race: An 800m Caribbean Sea swim, a very hilly 7km bike with 600+ meters of elevation gain, and a 7km trail run through …

On Thursday January 9th 2020, Foundation Reading and Writing Bonaire (Stichting Lezen en Schrijven Bonaire) hands out an extraordinary edition of the Donald Duck Magazine at all elementary schools on the island. Copies were also sent to Saba and St. Eustatius, which later will be spread among schools there. The …

Two persons, Maria Ada Lucy Ramirez Jaramillo and Sandra John Jules, on Tuesday, January 7, obtained the Dutch nationality during a short ceremony at the Government Administration Building in The Bottom. Island Governor Jonathan Johnson read two documents, both in Dutch, individually to the two persons after which they took …

Dear people of Saba, Having been on the Island Council as elected member since April 2019, I am very pleased to address this New Year’s message to you all via Social Media. Looking back at the year 2019, I believe that we can all conclude that it was a very …

BES-Reporter announced that Postal Concessionaire for the BES-islands, FXDC, has announced that as of January 1, 2020, the rates for sending letters or packages will go up. FXDC points out that fares have not bee adapted since the year 2014, but that their costs have gone up. The postal organization …

On Monday December 30th 2019, the annual Saba fireworks display will occur at 7pm on the Airport Road. The road will be blocked near Alessandro Guido’s home starting at 6pm, to prevent cars from parking too close to the fireworks and to allow for the display to be set up. …

On Saturday 21 December, a group of about forty children and adults received items at the Johan Cruijff court in The Bottom which had been donated by the Royal Dutch Football Association. Among other things, a large number of Nike Shirts, Nike Balls, pawns and shirts have been distributed. One …

Four illegal immigrants who had arrived in Saba early December 13 were flown out from St. Eustatius to their countries of origin early Friday morning, December 20. Members of the Caribbean Netherlands Police Force KPCN and the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee escorted the four individuals to chartered aircraft, one by one. …

On Monday, December 16th, stakeholders in youth care participated in a workshop, provided by the Public Entity Saba, to discuss the new Youth Policy Plan which is being drafted by Policy Advisor of the Saba Package Elsa Peterson. The Youth Policy Plan seeks to outline the obligations of the Public …

Several elements of the BES Healthcare Insurance Claims Regulation (Regeling Aanspraken Zorgverzekering BES) will change as of January 1st, 2020. The changes concern several new claims, and clarification and further requirements for existing claims and provisions. New Medical Devices The claims for medical devices have been expanded with wheelchairs, shower …

Born out of concern about their future and the future of the fishing industry in Saba, the fishermen of Saba came together to form an association, the Saba Fishermen Association (SFA). The association is comprised of the commercial and recreational fishers that fish in the Exclusive Economic Zone of Saba, …

On Monday, December 16th , a 56-year-old woman, with initials J.M.T., arrested on Saba for arson, attempted murder, and attempted homicide. KPCN

BES(t) 4 Kids pursues two goals: to strengthen the quality of childcare and after school facilities and to improve financial accessibility for parents. The program aims to have two important schemes in operation at the beginning of 2020: a new island ordinance with quality criteria for childcare organizations and a …