The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

The shark mauling of a visitor off Green Cay is horrific and our hearts go out to the family caught in this nightmare.

I know many of the reefs off Green Cay and Rose Island like the back of my hand, having fished and snorkeled them for 45 years without a single shark issue. Many times, I served as designated boat driver to fishermen who speared fish and crawfish from these reefs.

It was rare to see a shark and when you did, they only became agitated if a live fish was flailing on a spear. The diver dropped the spear and got on the boat, leaving the shark to go after the fish.

It was a time when fishermen and dive and charter boat operators understood and respected their environment and behaved responsibly.

In recent years, there has been an explosion of boat traffic in the Green Cay/Rose Island area.

Visiting mega yachts, charter boats and a generation of locals with newfound wealth, the latter who don’t seem to know the rules – let alone the etiquette – of the sea.

There are now several restaurants and bars on Rose Island and it’s not unusual for overloaded go-fast boats to zoom within 200 feet of the island’s shoreline (illegal), especially on weekends, to the danger of swimmers.

Where do the visiting mega yachts dispose of their garbage? Do people from the yachts and charter boats throw bloody fish offal in the water after cleaning fish? I think some of them do and this is a sure way to attract sharks.

Do any of the charter boats chum to attract fish and sharks? What are they feeding the turtles with?

I have watched many visitors snorkeling, flapping around in the sea, sending out signals they are fish in distress, a sure way to attract sharks.

Are charter boat captains trained in first aid and do they have first aid kits aboard their boats (not that this would have helped in this situation)? Do they have liability insurance?

How long did it take for the authorities to respond to the distress call? Which charter boat was the shark attack victim on?

I am not for one moment suggesting the operator was behaving irresponsibly; rather, he or she may well be a professional who is a victim of other people’s actions or simply a freak accident.

These are important questions considering the growing number of shark attacks in the area reported in recent years.

Like the roads of New Providence, Rose Island and Green Cay have become a free for all – a clash between traditional boaters trying to enjoy the quiet and beauty of the islands, the uncouth on powerful overloaded boats, mega yachts and entrepreneurs competing for the tourist dollar.

DEEPLY SADDENED

Nassau,

September 7, 2022