Trouble in paradise as residents raise concerns over ongoing decline

THE historic beginnings of Ascension depict an island so small, it had to be found twice.

The island is said to have first been discovered by the Portuguese seafarer Juan da Nova Castella in 1501 who called it Conception Island.

However, this visit was apparently never publicised, and it was “found again” two years later on Ascension Day by fellow Portuguese Alphonse d’Albuquerque, which is how the uninhabited spot was named.

With an area of only 34 square miles, Ascension Island is part of a British Overseas Territory together with St Helena and Tristan da Cunha under the sovereignty of the British Crown. Georgetown houses most of the islands public buildings.

Like Britain’s other overseas territories, it is not part of the United Kingdom and instead has its own constitution, makes its own laws and controls its own taxes. The United Kingdom is responsible for defence, international relations and internal security.

To enter Ascension Island, individuals need the Administrator’s written permission and there is no permanent residence.

In recent year, locals have raised concerns about an overall decline of the island, with some even saying they felt they were being squeezed out.

The condition of the runway and ensuing problems may accentuate what could be seen as prolonged issues.

Speaking in 2013 in an article for the Guardian, conservation officer Stedson Stroud said he felt Britain planned to leave Ascension to the Americans.

With a chequered history, the UK government says on it website that towards the end of the 19th century, the island “had gone into decline”.

After its initial discovery, the dry and barren volcanic island was barely used, mostly as a stopping off point for ships.

It only became continually inhabited centuries later when Napoleon Bonaparte was imprisoned on St Helena in 1815.

At that point a small British naval garrison was stationed there to stop the French claiming it.

In 1823 the island was taken over by the Royal Marines, though it remained under the supervision of the British Board of Admiralty until 1922, when it was made a Dependency of St Helena.The marines tried to make the island habitable, introducing a variety of plants and animals and erecting buildings.

During the Second World War the US Government built “Wideawake Airfield” airstrip and from 1943-45 more than 25,000 US planes transited Ascension Island destined for areas of war in North Africa, the Middle East and Europe.

In the early 1980s Ascension was prominent during the Falklands War serving as a staging post for the British forces.

There are satellite and submarine tracking stations, and a BBC transmitter, though recently, this has lead to some locals to reportedly say the island now has more antennas than people.

Despite its small size, the tourist trade says the island boasts an excellent climate for numerous walks, fishing, snorkelling and diving.