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A number of boat owners have banded together to say they'll oppose any future increases to their mooring charges that are above inflation at the time.
This comes after they lost when trying to defeat proposed increases of up to 30% per boat earlier this year.
The Guernsey Boat Owners Association says its members have support from a number of firms in the marine industry including Boatworks, Sunsport Marine, and Herm Seaways as well as Paints the Jewellers and CJ's Northside Café.
Nick Guillemette, the President of the GBA says a petition is being circulated now to confirm levels of support for their plans to oppose future price hikes.
“At the recent States meeting in March several States Deputies forcefully expressed their concerns that as they had only received 14+ letters of objection to the 2024 mooring charges out of 1600 local mooring holders, that the rest of the leisure boat owners must be happy with the proposed hefty increases!" explained Mr Guillemette.
That's “totally untrue and very misleading," he added.
Pictured: Guernsey Ports is responsible for the running of Guerney's airport and harbour as well as Braye Harbour and Alderney Airport.
“As a result, we have combined with the local marine trade and all of the boating Associations to produce this petition and we need as many folk as possible to support this petition and our objections. Whether you are a boat owner or just a supporter, please ensure you don’t delay and sign this petition.”
The debate in March saw the States back proposals to increase leisure boat mooring charges by between 20% and 30% depending on size.
Mr Guillemette and the GBA opposed the increases at the time but he now says the mooring holders need support from more boat owners and their supporters so they can work together to oppose any "future increases above inflation being planned by Guernsey Ports and the States Trading Supervisory Board (STSB) for 2025 and 2026".
The petition asks signatories to express their reason for objecting to the 20-30% increases that have already been imposed, and any future increases.
The GBA maintains that current charges are now "inequitable and will be to the long-term detriment of the local leisure marine user groups and those who work within the local marine industry".
It also says that "facilities provided by Guernsey Harbours to local leisure berth holders fall well short of facilities available in other ports and we continue to believe that comparisons to other ports are misleading and an attempt to charge for facilities that are both sub-standard and in some instances not even provided.
"There is good reason to suggest that the evidence commissioned by and provided to the STSB and subsequently to the States members was highly selective and skewed, and did not reflect fairly the whole market or the qualitive difference of the offerings of the more comprehensive analysis undertaken by the Guernsey Marine Traders Association (GMTA) and the Guernsey Boat Owners Association (GBA)."
The GBA also maintains that the fees levied to leisure boat owners at the harbours covers losses at the airport. That has repeatedly been denied by STSB.
The petition is available to sign at: Marine & General, Boatworks, Herm Seaway, AB Marine, Sunsport Marine, Fastcraft, Guernsey Yacht Club, Royal Channel Island Yacht Club, Interseals, CJ’s Northside Café, Sun Yachts Ltd, and Paints the Jewellers.
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