The Tribune

By RIEL MAJOR

THE Bahamas Protected Group yesterday presented a three-year plan to expand marine protected areas to preserve future employment, protect the environment and help secure the country’s food sources. 


The plan was unveiled during a presentation at the British Colonial Hilton and reflects the collective efforts of the Nature Conservancy, The Bahamas National Trust, and the Bahamas Reef Environment Educational Foundation.


Backed  by scientific studies and extensive community consultations, the plan aims to stave off the decline in the country’s marine resources due to poaching and global warming.


Shenique Albury-Smith, of The Natures Conservancy, said: “This is how we will help protect the future of the Bahamas. Expanding and efficiently managing out network of protected areas is one of the most important actions we can take to help protect our resources for the future and to help rebuild our marine environment. The plan we are presenting today will help us do this.”


“From being on the ground we know that the support is there for these areas and from science we know that we will get the most diverse conversation from protecting these areas and safe guarding the future of all Bahamians,” said Lashanti Jupp, The Bahamas National Trust Conservation Planner.


The Sea Garden became the Bahamas’ first marine protected area in 1892, and the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park was established in 1958.


The Bahamas has been working since the 1990s to establish a system of marine protected areas, presenters explained yesterday. 


The Bahamas National Protected Areas System currently protects 10 percent of the country’s’ marine and coastal environment.


If the new marine protection plan is implemented, it guarantees 20 percent of protection of the country’s seabed by the year 2020. 


BREEF Executive Director Casuarina McKinney-Lambert said: “The fact that we signed on to this initiative to protect 20 percent of the nations’s marine resources is just further evidence of our commitment. We have a great opportunity right now to safeguard our environment for future generations.


“We are all citizens concerned about the decline in marine resources and we are here proposing a solution to the problem because we care about our country and heritage.”


The Bahamas Protected team is recommending the Government of the Bahamas proclaim 43 sites as marine protected areas - as well as taking legal action to implement the protection of the seabeds. 


Ms Jupp said: “If you don’t have a plan to protect what we have, we will have lost our unique character.”  


The Marine Protection Plan was submitted to the government along with a petition of 7,355 signatures from people in support of the plan.


The Bahamas Protected group worked along with the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources, fishermen, tour guides, local business owners and scientists to draw up the plan.