The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

This is a call to action once again for Bahamians to wake up and protect our precious patrimony!

It is mindboggling to still read urgent pleas to the powers that be from Bahamian scientists and their foreign partners for the issuance of necessary permits to carry out crucial scientific research as well as mitigation measures in our seas – our precious blue economy!

Apparently, several groups of scientists have applied for necessary permits since 2019 under a new Act, but unfortunately have been left in a “holding pattern“ by the Department of Environmental Protection and Planning (DEPP), the executing agency for this activity, which has seemingly come to an abrupt halt!

Inquiring minds would like to know the cause of this unconscionable hold up. Please make it make sense, because Hurricane Dorian roared through The Bahamas in 2019, and right now we are almost in the middle of the year 2022 and the beginning of another hurricane season – yet still, the desperate pleas of the environmental scientists are falling on deaf ears - and the silence is deafening!

The blatant disrespect and seemingly irresponsible lack of action of the government agency that was formed for ‘Environmental Protection and Planning’ indicates that it is operating in direct opposition to its mandate with regard to these issue. If there is a problem, please make a statement in that regard. If you have made a mistake, please say you’re sorry, and make it right. Or are we to assume that there a cover up of some bigger issue that we are not aware of? In any case, we cannot afford to do nothing whilst standing on this precarious cliff of environmental degradation, because we will all suffer the catastrophic consequences!

Bahamians, speak up - and ‘gubment’, do better!

PAM BURNSIDE

Nassau,

April 20, 2022.