Copyright thenassauguardian
Environmentalists are using Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation Chester Cooper’s own words as justification for their claims that the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection (DEPP) should not have given the Yntegra Group the green light to design its Rosewood Exuma project on Sampson Cay to include a service dock that requires dredging and the construction of a seawall in an eco-sensitive area. Cooper recently told travel news and market research website Skift Research that The Bahamas has taken a hardline approach to unchecked development, ensuring environmental protection is paramount in the country’s tourism strategy. Cooper 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.” The latest environmentalist to be thankful for Cooper’s remarks is former Executive Director of the Bahamas National Trust Eric Carey. Carey said that if the deputy prime minister’s stance is to be seen as credible, the Rosewood project should not have been approved in its current iteration by the DEPP. “Encouraging words from the deputy prime minister. Now let’s see the policy in action,” Carey said in a statement released yesterday. He added: “But if this is indeed the policy of the government of The Bahamas, then one can’t help but wonder, how did the Yntegra development at Sampson Cay ever get approved? “This project — the largest ever approved in the Exuma Cays — involves massive dredging, the destruction of seagrass meadows, and the construction of a huge artificial seawall that will permanently alter a pristine bay and its natural ecology. “These interventions will not only obliterate living seagrass beds, but will also change the natural water flow and ecology of the area, undermining the health of nearby coral systems, fisheries, and mangrove communities. The result will be lasting ecological damage to one of the most beautiful and biologically rich areas of the Exumas. “If the government is sincere in asserting that ‘projects that don’t conform have no place here’, then the Yntegra project must be re-examined under those same standards. Otherwise, such pronouncements are simply hypocritical and hollow, serving as public relations cover while destructive developments continue unchecked.” The concern over unchecked development looms large over projects in The Bahamas. But the Yntegra project has gotten so much attention because its development will impede the business plan of a neighboring project that was given the green light to build prior to Yntegra. Bob Coughlin, owner of the the Turtlegrass Resort and Island Club development – a neighboring project that was given the green light to build prior to Yntegra – had hoped the pristine North Bay where Yntegra hopes to dredge and construct a seawall would be a marine sanctuary for his leisure guests to enjoy, and marine science students to study. He has repeatedly said that his plan is now threatened by Rosewood Exuma. Carey, who is the principal of environmental and sustainable development consulting firm One Consultants, which has done environmental work for Turtlegrass, asked in his statement whether Cooper’s remarks indicate that DEPP “missed the mark” when approving Yntegra’s plan. “The deputy prime minister’s clear policy direction now gives DEPP an excellent opportunity to demonstrate its independence and professionalism, and to show the country that it can truly function as a credible, science-based environmental regulator that places the national interest above all else,” said Carey. “We therefore fully support the DPM’s call for responsible, sustainable development, and sincerely hope that this principle is applied evenly and consistently across all projects, regardless of size, scale, or location.” “The deputy prime minister’s words deserve to be more than headlines. They should be the standard by which the Yntegra project, and all others like it, are judged.” Chairman of Waterkeepers Bahamas Joseph Darville last week called on Cooper to honor his commitment to the environment, and not allow Yntegra to dredge in the tidal flow area rich with natural marine resources. Waterkeepers released a statement on the weekend renewing Darville’s call for the Yntegra development to leave Sampson Cay’s North Bay as it is.
