Ile de la Tortue

Below is an article by David McFadden (Associated Press) concerning the planned development of a port on the Ile de la Tortue north of Port de Paix.  The island, poorer than most other parts of Haiti, would certainly benefit from the jobs that could potentially come with the port.  The main livelihood opportunities at present involve drug smuggling and construction of boats for fishing and/or smuggling.  This, along with international flights, opens up new possibilities for tourism in northern Haiti.

The northwest is the poorest part of Haiti, long neglected by the Haitian government and the international community. Most Haitians have neve been here and comparatively little has been written about the region.  I recently was able to visit both Port de Paix and the Ile de Tortue, a nearby island that was once a hotbed of piracy. Below is a summary of the area's past, present, and also its potential.