Wheatley rejects Bryan's charter fee demands as heavy-handed

Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has taken issue with how US Virgin Islands Governor Albert Bryan Jr is handling disagreements over the BVI's charter vessel fees, telling lawmakers that the Governor's approach lacks diplomatic courtesy.

Addressing the House of Assembly, Dr Wheatley objected to Bryan's push for an Inter-Virgin Islands Council meeting in Washington that would include US federal authorities. The Governor set a September 25 deadline for the BVI to confirm participation in talks planned for mid-October.

"While I respect Governor Bryan, it is not in the spirit of good neighbourly relations to issue a summons or to set deadlines for your counterpart," Dr Wheatley said. He also noted that Bryan had made what he described as veiled threats about consequences if certain conditions were not satisfied. "It is not the conduct that I would consider statesmanly," the Premier added.

The row stems from charter fees that both leaders had settled after two separate rounds of talks in the previous year. Bryan now wants to revisit those negotiations. Dr Wheatley argued that bringing in US federal authorities would shift the discussion from a two-territory bilateral format under the IVIC framework into a three-way engagement, which would logically require British involvement as well. He contended that neither administering power should be drawn into the matter.

On October 2, Bryan sent a fresh letter proposing terms that differed from what the two had previously agreed, according to Dr Wheatley. The Premier said his administration would study the new proposal while keeping the BVI's interests, its residents and its blue economy at the centre of its thinking.

Dr Wheatley offered to hold an IVIC meeting in Tortola instead and said he stood ready to explain the fee structure in more detail. "I hope we can reset relations and engage in focused, constructive dialogue," he stated.

The Premier defended the updated Commercial Recreational Vessel Licence Framework, saying that those who profit from using BVI waters ought to pay a fair share for marine infrastructure, safety and enforcement operations, and government services. A new digital licensing portal is set to launch for the coming charter season after testing with industry participants. The system will offer faster renewals, automatic reminders when licences expire and the ability to pay online for cruising permits following licence renewal.