The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

AN EAST Grand Bahama businessman is shocked that further consultation was not held as promised with residents in the area before an official announcement listing the four proposed parks in Grand Bahama under the new Marine Protected Areas was made this week.

Fritz Thompson, owner of a bone fishing lodge on Sweeting’s Cay, said many persons were opposed to the proposed park expansions.

On Tuesday, Environment and Housing Minister Kenred Dorsett officially announced the new Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Among the list of parks were the North Shore - The Gap National Park; East Grand Bahama National Park; Peterson Cay National Park Expansion, and the Lucayan National Park Expansion in Grand Bahama.

In a press release issued by the ministry, it noted that further consultations are being held with the key Grand Bahama stakeholders.

According to Mr Thompson, there has been no further consultation to his knowledge with the residents in the area.

“It is just shocking to see that without further consultation the parks were made official,” he said on Wednesday. “I understand that Minister Dorsett declared 18 new parks for the Bahamas, including the four proposed parks/expansions in Grand Bahama.”

The Bahamas National Trust has proposed the expansion of two current sites – the Lucayan National Park and Peterson Cay National Park; and have proposed two new parks, The North Shore/Gap and East Grand Bahama Park.

The BNT felt the current parks were too small, however East End residents and fishermen felt that the proposed expansions would threaten their livelihood.

Peterson Cay, which is a 1.5-acre uninhabited, sparsely vegetative limestone island, has been protected as a national park since 1968. According to BNT it is the only cay on the south side of Grand Bahama, located with the fringing coral reef system that extends almost continuously along the south coast. The proposed expansion by BNT extends the park boundaries beyond the cay itself to encompass the fringing coral reef system.

BNT believes “that incorporating a marine component to the park will support fish populations, thus serving as a reservoir that can provide substantial and sustainable benefits for the fishing industry around the island and, to a larger extent, throughout The Bahamas”.

According to BNT’s website, The Lucayan National Park expansion will afford protection for Gold Rock Creek and offshore reef habitats essential for rebuilding stocks of commercially important fish and other marine resources, a significant addition of the karst caves and blue hole system, more areas of pinelands and coppice, and sand dune.

Mr Thompson said that BNT officials indicated to the people of East Grand Bahama that they would come back to the residents for further feedback and advice.

“We were told since we have this negative feeling about it and we don’t agree with the park proposal in the existing state, that they would come back to us and revisit and come up with one that we all can agree and move forward with,” he said.