Copyright thenassauguardian
Chair of Waterkeepers Bahamas Joseph Darville is calling on Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation Chester Cooper to honor his commitment to the environment, and not allow Miami-based Yntegra Group’s Rosewood Exuma project to dredge in a tidal flow area rich with natural marine resources. Waterkeepers released a statement yesterday renewing Darville’s call for the Yntegra development to leave Sampson Cay’s North Bay as it is. Yntegra’s plans for its Rosewood resort on Sampson Cay calls for the company to dredge the North Bay for its commercial dock and construct a large seawall to ensure the integrity of that dock given the tidal flows of the bay. Darville applauded Cooper’s recent comments to travel news and market research website Skift Research, where he insisted that The Bahamas has taken a hardline approach to unchecked development, ensuring environmental protection is paramount in the country’s tourism strategy. Cooper also said: “If you are prepared to do quality business in a sustainable, environmentally friendly way, we welcome you. And if you plan not to conform, there’s no place for you.” Darville said he was pleasantly surprised at Cooper’s comments. “The fact that this statement is put out under his name means he has some affinity with protecting our environment,” said Darville. In the statement, Darville urged the Cooper to honor the words he said, that were delivered with such passion. Darville said The Bahamas is in a “serious predicament” with regard to climate change, and he encouraged Cooper to take action to protect the nation. “I have dived in this area of magnificent seagrass. You cannot remove seagrass and plant it elsewhere. This whole dynamic system, if you dig that up, you won’t be able to replace it,” said Darville. “If the deputy prime minister is that much concerned about our environment and our ocean, we need to look seriously at entities that come in and do developments that will have a significant negative impact on the environment. “We must stop selling or giving away Crown land or coastal areas to foreign entities. It should never be given away to them. They come in and do what they want with our coastal areas. We are giving away our heritage.” Darville said Cooper’s support for the Rosewood development and SpaceX’s rocket landings in Bahamian waters has made him question Cooper’s commitment to the environment. Darville was referring to SpaceX’s plan to land Falcon 9 rocket boosters on drone ships in Bahamian waters, though he mentions debris in his statement that was likely related to SpaceX’s failed Starship launch that broke apart over The Bahamas. SpaceX’s test landing of its Falcon 9 booster on a ship in Bahamian waters was a success. Darville is worried the Rosewood development will do irreparable harm to the North Bay. “In that area, you can only swim with the tide and that is what is keeping that incredible seagrass pristine,” he said. “The area is beautiful. You have turtles there, and Nassau grouper in just 14 inches of sea. It’s astonishing. Do not destroy this because you would be foolhardy to think you can replace this.”
