A court has given the government five weeks in the Aruba UTV access case to pursue a workable solution balancing north-coast nature protection, tourism activity and community access.
Case is scheduled to return October 15
Judge A.H.M. van de Leur postponed the summary proceeding on September 9 and directed the government to schedule talks with Aruba Birdlife Conservation within the following week. The hearing is set to continue on October 15, 2026, at 2 p.m. The court warned that inadequate efforts at dialogue could lead to an earlier hearing without another postponement.
Government and operators sign protocol
Prime Minister Mike Eman, Infrastructure Minister Rene Herde and representatives of several tour operators signed a September 9 protocol committing to further talks. Possible subjects include limited access, designated routes, fees, zoning, supervision, noise controls and sanctions. The protocol is not a final agreement and does not alter the court case. Fishermen separately asked for provisional access and a role in future decisions, saying road closures interfere with traditional shore fishing.
Parliament also unanimously approved a letter urging the government to act on requests from the tour-operator sector, according to EA News. The report did not reproduce the full letter or list every requested measure.
Sources: NoticiaCla court report, signed protocol, and fishermen’s request.
Additional source: EA News Aruba.
