By DENISE MAYCOCK
Tribune Freeport Reporter
dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
Environmental activist Joseph Darville is outraged over the docking and offloading of a cargo ship allegedly laden with a shipment of wood infested with an invasive beetle that destroys crops.
The “Pan Jasmine” cargo vessel is allegedly docked at Bradford Marine in Freeport. It was initially inspected by US Federal Agents near New Orleans and denied entry after the cargo of wood was discovered infested with a type of Asian beetle that has been destroying trees in the US for about 25 years.
According to reports, the ship was ordered to leave US waters and departed July 21 for Freeport, Bahamas, for disposal.
Some of the shipment has already been offloaded and taken to the landfill in Freeport, according to Mr Darville, who is calling on Bahamian authorities to immediately investigate the matter.
“This is absolutely unbelievable,” Mr Darville lamented in a voice note posted and circulated on social media.
“That stuff, poison sh-- is already on the island. It is stored at Bradford Marine, and in addition to that, the ship fooled the people by saying it is a regular tonnage and did not say anything about it being contaminated. And so, they were receiving it as if it was just stuff that can be discarded.”
Mr Darville, chairman of Save of the Bays, an environmental group, said an official at Sanitation Services has confirmed to him that some of the contaminated shipment is already at the landfill.
He said that the official said the shipment is in one area and has already been sprayed after learning it was contaminated.
“How can something like that happen in a modern city like Freeport? Who allowed them to offload that stuff?” asked Mr Darville.
“Who permitted Bradford Marine to allow that to be offloaded in Freeport, and offloaded also at the landfill?
“This is unbelievable. I hope whatever authorities in this country would get onto that immediately.”
“Are we becoming a dumping ground now for poisonous materials that Louisiana or Mississippi who would not even allow the ship to dock there, and the darn ship comes here? Who cleared the ship? Who allowed it to be cleared in our waters for this stuff to be offloaded and to be landed in Freeport. This is absolutely unbelievable,” Mr Darville stressed.
According to the website www.nola.com, it was reported that Federal agents inspecting a cargo ship near New Orleans ordered it out of the country after finding it infested with a type of Asian beetle that has been destroying trees in the US for about 25 years.
“They discovered the invasive beetle in wood onboard the Pan Jasmine on July 17, just after the 590-foot-long vessel anchored in the Mississippi River about a mile downriver from New Orleans, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials. Flagged under Panama, the ship had previously offloaded a shipment of aluminium in Veracruz, Mexico, after departing a port in India,” it read.
It further indicated that “Federal agents discovered the invasive beetle in wood onboard the Pan Jasmine on July 17, just after the 590-foot-long vessel anchored in the Mississippi River about a mile downriver from New Orleans, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials.
The article reported the beetle is of the Cerambycidae family of long-horned beetles that bore into the wood and can feed on a wide variety of trees in the US, eventually killing them. The. insect forms permanent colonies that can compete with native species and damage crops.
“If the wood had been offloaded into the US, it would have been put in a Louisiana landfill where the insects could crawl out and invade the local habitat, causing incalculable damage,” said Terri Edwards, the agency’s New Orleans area port director.
Cerambycids were first discovered in the US in New York City in 1996. Native to China and the Korean peninsula, the beetles were accidentally imported into the US via wooden shipping materials. Within two years, infestations resulted in the destruction of almost 7,000 trees and control measures that have cost more than $530 million, the article reported.
“If left uncontrolled, Cerambycids and other invasive wood-boring beetles could cause more than $100 billion in damage to the US economy, according to the Agriculture Department.
Comments
Emilio26 2 years, 8 months ago
It seems like our customs and border security are useless.
xtreme2x 2 years, 8 months ago
THEY ARE NOT USELESS, IF THEY RECEIVES DIRECTIVES FROM HIGHER UP.
mandela 2 years, 8 months ago
Useless and slack not to mention dumb and D-Average, anything foreign can always slip through our corrupt official's hands. I wonder how many pieces of silver were handed to the Judas of this operation.
realitycheck242 2 years, 8 months ago
The ship "Pan Jasmine" arrived in freeport on July 24th and off loaded the infected wood and left on July 27th. It is presently in the gulf of Mexico headed to New Orleans
Sickened 2 years, 8 months ago
Because they didn't declare this serious infestation to us I assume that they will never be allowed to enter our waters again and that a large fine will be sent to their head office?
jus2cents 2 years, 8 months ago
Heads should roll!
Dawes 2 years, 8 months ago
If the ship comes back into Bahamian waters it should be impounded, if not impounded any other ships owned by that company. There should be a massive fine for this. However we all know it will be swept under the rug, perhaps a donation for hurricane repairs will make it better.
tribanon 2 years, 8 months ago
It took quite some research work to trace through the building, re-flagging and ownership history of this ship but sure enough its current owner is a ship-leasing enterprise based in none other than Communist China. Surprise, surprise.
The Communist Chinese first send us their lab created 'gain-of-function' Wuhan virus, and, as if that wasn't bad enough, they've now sent us the mother-of-all ferociously invasive beetles to finish us off.
The Minnis-led FNM administration's very cozy and most harmful relationship with the Communist Chinese Party is the only explanation for why this Communist Chinese owned ship, which was denied entry to the US because of its poisonous cargo, was allowed to enter The Bahamas, dump its poisonous materials on Grand Bahama, and then quickly leave our country for the open seas.
The constant and very dangerous pandering and kowtowing of Minnis and D'Aguilar to the Communist Chinese must be stopped.
And the Communist Chinese ambassador to The Bahamas, who obviously had full prior knowledge of this ship's rejection incident with the US government because of its poisonous cargo, and who no doubt assisted with obtaining the authorization from our government officials for the dumping of its poisonous cargo on Grand Bahama, should immediately be declared persona non grata and permanently expelled from our country.
proudloudandfnm 2 years, 8 months ago
The ship is owned by a South Korean company. Why do you lie so much?
https://www.balticshipping.com/vessel...">https://www.balticshipping.com/vessel...
Topdude 2 years, 8 months ago
Tribanon is a sick troll. It appears that it is programmed to focus on key issues like our Prime Minister, China, FNM and the PLP. It then spins bitterness and insults to demean them. What a shame.
tribanon 2 years, 8 months ago
ZZZZZzzzzzz.....
ThisIsOurs 2 years, 8 months ago
I dont know @Topdude, something is seriously wrong with our country. Billions flow in and every year we look more and more like a shanty town. Blight was setting in before Dorian. Something is wrong and its at the political party level.
proudloudandfnm 2 years, 8 months ago
Is it the political parties? Or is it because we keep electing useless people from useless political parties?
proudloudandfnm 2 years, 8 months ago
Lol. You really are an idiot. You actually think the Chinese ambassador knew this ship was denied entrance to the US? Lol. That comment shows just how incredibly ignorant your comments always are. Even if the ship was Chinese owned he wouldn't know a damned thing. Lol...
You just love making crap up... Lol...
tribanon 2 years, 8 months ago
That's what I thought too before finding I had to dig much deeper to wade through the ship's many ownership changes and flag re-registrations since it was built in Communist China in 2010. The ship is currently flagged in Panama. I suspect you stopped at Pan Ocean if you couldn't get behind the virtually impenetrable wall of anonymity known as POS Maritime S.A. lol
proudloudandfnm 2 years, 8 months ago
Post ya proof.
tribanon 2 years, 8 months ago
Do your own digging. lol
proudloudandfnm 2 years, 8 months ago
Yup. Figured. I did do my own digging and I posted the data sheet that clearly shows its owned by a South Korean company.
Ergo you are full of sh-t...
tribanon 2 years, 8 months ago
The url link you posted is a dated one. The ship is currently flagged in Panama and STX Pan Ocean long ago dropped STX from its name. You need to continue with your digging. You also might want to dig up who was leasing the vessel at the time it dumped its poisonous junk on us. lol
proudloudandfnm 2 years, 8 months ago
You are full of crap. And you have now proven you are full of crap.
Boom. Zero credibility. Just like your idol trump...
tribanon 2 years, 8 months ago
ZZZZzzzzz......
sage 2 years, 8 months ago
Noboby is home! We are led by a culture of jackasses who have no intention to do good by the Bahamian people. When will we decide that we have to be responsible for each other.
When will we have a responsible government ...for the people...by out people ...for all of our people?
DiverBelow 2 years, 8 months ago
Foreigners understand the Third World mentality of 'slip me something & I will look the other way'. If Bahamians themselves do not respect the sovereignty rules enough to enforce them, why should foreigners do it for them? Case in point, this event, Cruise ship garbage dumping, Shipping ballast-water dumping, North BiminiCubana, and many more...
Bonefishpete 2 years, 8 months ago
Surely there most be some world banned pesticide laying about the Port to douse them Beetles.
proudloudandfnm 2 years, 8 months ago
Unfortunately this kind of thing happens all the time and our government never does a thing about it. Landscape companies routinely import banned plants, ships routinely discard dunnage with no inspections or approvals by customs. Our government simply does not care.
That said. There is no way this ship can be docked at Bradfords. Bradford is in a canal behind a bend and this ship could not maneuver to that location. From the picture it appears its docked at Bahama Rock....
proudloudandfnm 2 years, 8 months ago
Hopefully Sanitation Services has been made aware and will burn the wood immediately. And now that it is public knowledge customs is stopping the offload and ordering the ship out of the country. Would also be a good idea to interrogate the ship agent and B. Rock to determine how much they knew before working the offload.
Also, its probably a good idea to stop dunnage offloads, its not exactly a huge business. Just stop allowing it...
proudloudandfnm 2 years, 8 months ago
Wait. The ship has already offloaded the wood and is now sailing to NOLA????
Damn. So basically the beetles are here now and no one knew anything until this article?????
Oh yeah. Heads should definitely roll!!!
ThisIsOurs 2 years, 8 months ago
They knew from yesterday but yes by the time they found out the wood had already been sent to the landfill. They say the transport trucks were sanitized and the wood destroyed. Time will tell if we have to put these beetles in the freezer for 24 hours beside the killer frogs, curly tail lizards and geckos
tribanon 2 years, 8 months ago
I guess you didn't hear about the rattle snakes a few years back. lol
ThisIsOurs 2 years, 8 months ago
oh yeah...the rattle snakes.. tanks
ThisIsOurs 2 years, 8 months ago
we forgot the AR-15's, uzzis and bush masters. They could fit in the freezer.
tribanon 2 years, 8 months ago
The ship was in Grand Bahama for a full 2 days and 4 hours (52 hours) unloading its poisonous cargo. And these are robust beetles with a ferocious appetite that can scamper over long distances very quickly. You've probably already got a few of them foraging in your back yard. lol
Topdude 2 years, 8 months ago
Clearly you are a troll.
tribanon 2 years, 8 months ago
ZZZZZzzzzzz.......
tribanon 2 years, 8 months ago
P.S. I really shouldn't be joking about this matter......it's a very serious one. These damn Red China longhorned beetles reproduce at an incredible rate and are super aggressive. They have a voracious appetite and can devour our pine forests within a decade at most.
John 2 years, 8 months ago
The ship should be impounded and hefty fines levied. Bradford Marine also.
proudloudandfnm 2 years, 8 months ago
Bradfords can't take a ship this large from the picture it appears it was docked at Bahama Rock. And I doubt Bahama Rock knew anything about the operation. These dunnage offloads happen all the time, usually without government inspections or approvals. What they need to do is just stop allowing these offloads here, let the ships go to countries that can safely handle these kinds of operations. Or somebody can start an operation in our port with incinerators to accomodate these kinds of ops..
rodentos 2 years, 8 months ago
it should be torpedo'ed
rodentos 2 years, 8 months ago
I'm also sure the vaccines they have "sent" to Bahamas was something nobody wanted. They just dumped it here because substandard and the government celebrates the success....
ThisIsOurs 2 years, 8 months ago
How does this work? Why didnt the US notify the next port? The reporter should find out if they tried
proudloudandfnm 2 years, 8 months ago
All ships have to present an outward clearance from their last port call to Bahamas Customs. Not sure if that outward certificate would state if a ship was denied entry. But in today's environment our government should not allow dunnage offloads without inspection of the material prior to offload...
tribanon 2 years, 8 months ago
The kind of investigative professional journalism you're calling for here is unfortunately well beyond the skill sets and pay grade of the news reporters hired by The Tribune, and The Nassau Guardian for that matter.
SP 2 years, 8 months ago
S-U-R-P-R-I-S-E.........This government is just as L-O-U-S-Y as the PLP!!
Observer 2 years, 8 months ago
So, Joe Darville's weakness is finally exposed. He is a talker. End of story. That ship was sailing along for weeks before it landed in Grand Bahama and it is no secret what it was transporting. Joe lost focus of what is priority.
tribanon 2 years, 8 months ago
Why are you blaming Darville and not the totally incompetent Minnis-led FNM administration that in only four plus short years has brought our nation to its knees? We have become a shameful and most directionless nation of beggars under Minnis, not Darville. And Minnis would have us all believe Dorian and the Wuhan virus are responsible for all of our problems, as opposed to his grossly incompetent and failed leadership on all fronts.
Minnis needs to be reminded that all nations were afflicted with the pandemic and that many other nations have also suffered from major hurricanes, typhoons and/or cyclones in recent times, including smaller nations in our region of the world. Yet the current Minnis-led Bahamas government is ranked by various independent organizations as having one of the poorest records relative to other nations in dealing with these challenges. Enough said!
proudloudandfnm 2 years, 8 months ago
Joe would not know what this ship is doing or where the ship is. What a dumb comment observer. Lemme guess, you have some kind of personal issue with Joe?
tribanon 2 years, 8 months ago
Minnis and D'Aguilar continue to allow the cruise ship companies to pollute our air and dump their shiit and contaminants in our territorial waters with complete impunity so don't expect them to do anything about the dangers of poisonous dunnage dumping as in the instant case of the invasive and very ferocious super beetles.
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