PHILIPSBURG:---  The Nature Foundation Sint Maarten has launched a public survey to gather essential data on the impacts of sargassum seaweed on Sint Maarten. Carried out on behalf of the Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (VROMI), the study’s findings will directly inform and guide future government management decisions.

The survey invites participation from residents, business owners, and tourists on Sint Maarten. This inclusive approach aims to measure the health, social, and economic consequences of sargassum seaweed, a brown macroalgae that accumulates on shorelines in massive quantities. The data collected will provide a technical foundation for Sint Maarten to develop a sustainable management strategy.

While residents have often pointed to the variety of actions being taken by other islands across the Caribbean—including floating barriers and processing for cosmetic and building purposes—the Nature Foundation cautions that these initiatives are still in their pilot phases, require substantial financial investment, and may not be suitable for Sint Maarten’s unique environmental and economic context.

“The results of this survey will help Sint Maarten stop reacting to sargassum and start planning for it,” said a spokesperson for the Nature Foundation. “Specific data is vital for the government to make evidence-based decisions for successful and cost-effective actions where it is most needed, rather than hopeful but ultimately expensive, scattered, and ineffective initiatives.”

The study is being conducted in collaboration with a research student from Polytech Grenoble INP, France, under the supervision of the Nature Foundation, and includes on-site sargassum monitoring fieldwork. It represents the first phase of a two-step approach to help the government identify which mitigation strategies will be most effective locally.

“The longstanding approach to combatting sargassum—collecting on beaches—is the cheapest, but this seaweed’s growing presence has a negative impact on health, quality of life, and our tourism product. This survey will help in defining a more strategic, long-term plan for managing sargassum,” stated Minister of VROMI Patrice Gumbs.

As this study is commissioned by the Government of Sint Maarten, data collection is focused on the Dutch side of the island. The form should take less than ten minutes to complete, and participants can access the questionnaire via the following link: https://forms.gle/KcZnHoq5JCWZ9FiP7 or on the Nature Foundation’s official website and social media channels.

PHILIPSBURG:--- SXM Doet is pleased to announce the generous contribution of twenty (20) gas vouchers from SOL Antilles N.V in support of the 2026 edition of SXM Doet.
The fuel vouchers will be used to assist SXM Doet’s volunteer coaches, who play an essential role in ensuring the smooth coordination and support of projects taking place across the island during the two Doet days. Volunteer coaches are responsible for traveling to various project locations, offering guidance, checking in on participating organizations, and helping maintain the momentum and spirit of volunteerism throughout the event.
This contribution helps ease some of the transportation-related costs experienced by volunteer coaches and serves as a meaningful gesture of appreciation for their dedication and commitment to community service.
The SXM Doet team would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Robert James and the entire SOL Antilles team for their continued support and partnership.
“We are truly thankful to SOL Antilles for once again coming on board to support SXM Doet. Contributions such as these go a long way in helping us support the individuals who work tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure the success of the event,” the project coordinators shared.
This marks the second consecutive year that SOL Antilles has contributed fuel vouchers to SXM Doet, further demonstrating the company’s commitment to community engagement and volunteerism on Sint Maarten.
SXM Doet 2026 takes place on May 15th and 16th and will bring together a thousand plus volunteers and community organizations for the largest volunteer initiative in the Dutch Kingdom. Persons interested in volunteering are encouraged to sign up and learn more via www.sxmdoet.com or email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Police Force of Sint Maarten (KPSM) announces the arrest of a suspect in connection with an ongoing investigation into drug trafficking activities.
On Tuesday, May 19, 2026, the suspect identified by the initials B.A.E., age 33, was arrested on suspicion of organizing the export of hard drugs to surrounding countries. The suspect has since been questioned and remains in custody pending further investigation.
This investigation is being conducted by KPSM’s Pelican Team, a specialized unit responsible for carrying out cross-border investigations related to drug trafficking and firearm-related offenses.
KPSM, together with its external law enforcement partners, remains committed to investigating and combating organized cross-border criminal activities that threaten the safety and security of the community and the wider region.
KPSM is requesting anyone with information regarding this case, or any similar criminal activity, to contact the Police Station at +1 (721) 542-2222 or call the anonymous tip line at 930

PHILIPSBURG:--- St. Maarten cannot afford to treat justice reform as a side issue. Questions about arrests, investigations, court cases, victims’ rights, due process, police powers, prosecution standards, and public confidence in the justice system are not abstract matters. They affect people’s liberty, safety, rights, and trust in the rule of law.

That is why the functioning — or lack thereof — of Parliament’s Justice Committee deserves serious public attention.

Parliament is not merely an observer in the legislative process. It is a co-legislator. Its committees are supposed to examine serious national issues, question ministers, study draft legislation, and help advance important reforms. When the country faces repeated concerns within the justice system, the Justice Committee should be among the most active committees in Parliament.

Instead, on one of the most important justice reforms before the country — the modernization of the Criminal Procedure Code — the committee has been almost invisible.

This is not a new issue. The previous Parliament, from 2020 to 2024, did significant work on this file. Importantly, Parliament did not simply sit down and draft a new Criminal Procedure Code on its own. A tender was issued. That tender was won by the law firm of Peggy Ann Brandon, which was hired to conduct an independent legal review and drafting process.

That Law Firm drafted the proposed new Criminal Procedure Code, including its explanatory notes, while working in discussion with the Justice Committee of Parliament during the 2020–2024 parliamentary term. The purpose was not political convenience. It was not to create legislation that could be accused of favoring any person, party, prosecutor, defendant, or government.

The guiding principle was clear: bring St. Maarten’s criminal procedure in line with modern standards in the Netherlands, the Kingdom, and Europe.

That point matters. Criminal procedure governs how the state investigates, prosecutes, arrests, detains, questions, tries, and punishes people. It also affects victims, police officers, prosecutors, judges, attorneys, and the wider public. If the rules are outdated or unclear, everyone in the justice chain suffers.

The previous committee understood that St. Maarten was lagging behind. It also understood that any reform had to be balanced. The new code had to protect the rights of suspects and defendants while also providing the prosecution and law enforcement with a clear, modern framework. It had to strengthen due process, clarify procedures, and bring the country closer to the standards already in place elsewhere in the Kingdom and Europe.

From what is publicly known, the committee completed and approved the draft for handling up to the 2024 parliamentary year.

Then a new Parliament came in — and the file appears to have gone quiet.

For the first part of this Parliament, the Justice Committee was chaired by MP Sjamira Roseburg. For the second part, the chairmanship moved to MP Franklin Meyers. Yet under both chairmanships, the public has seen no serious movement on the draft Criminal Procedure Code.

The committee has not visibly discussed the draft. It has not publicly questioned the Minister of Justice on its implementation. It has not explained whether the draft is still being reviewed, amended, delayed, rejected, or ignored. It has not informed the public what obstacles remain, what timeline exists, or whether the justice chain has been consulted on the next steps.

That silence is difficult to justify.

In recent times, St. Maarten has seen growing public concern about criminal cases, arrests, court decisions, prosecutorial choices, police actions, and broader questions about fairness and consistency in the justice system. Not every controversy would be solved by a new Criminal Procedure Code. But many of the recurring issues would at least be addressed within a clearer and more modern legal framework.

That is exactly why this draft matters.

If the Justice Committee is meeting on prison conditions, police concerns, youth crime, and other justice-related matters, then it cannot avoid the central legislation that governs criminal procedure itself. Those topics are important, but they all connect to the same foundation: the laws under which the justice system operates.

So the question must be asked directly.

Why did MP Sjamira Roseburg, as former chair of the Justice Committee, not move this draft forward in a visible and urgent way?

And why has MP Franklin Meyers, as the current chair, not placed the draft Criminal Procedure Code at the top of the committee’s agenda?

The committee should immediately call the Minister of Justice to provide a full status update. It should ask whether the draft prepared by the law firm of Peggy Ann Brandon is still the working document. It should ask whether the government supports it, whether changes are being proposed, whether advice has been requested, and when Parliament can expect formal handling.

The committee should also make clear whether consultations have taken place with the courts, the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Bar Association, police leadership, victim-support organizations, prison authorities, and other relevant justice stakeholders.

These are not extraordinary requests. They are basic oversight.

St. Maarten’s justice system cannot continue operating with major reforms sitting in drawers while Parliament moves from one committee chair to another without explanation. The country paid for legal expertise. A law firm was selected through a tender. A draft was prepared with explanatory notes. The previous committee worked on it. The justice chain has long recognized the need for modernization.

Now the current Justice Committee must explain what it is doing with that work.

Justice reform should not depend on personalities, political convenience, or whether a committee chair chooses to make it a priority. It is a national obligation.

If Parliament is serious about strengthening the rule of law, the Justice Committee must stop treating the Criminal Procedure Code as a forgotten file. It must put the draft on the agenda, question the minister, inform the public, and set a clear path toward debate and implementation.

Anything less is not oversight.

It is neglect.