Failure to safeguard the country’s parks and other natural resources could have a detrimental impact not only on the environment, but also on major revenue-generating industries, Bahamas National Trust Director of Parks and Science Eric Carey cautioned once again over the weekend.
He warned that if environmental degradation is allowed to continue unchecked, the irreparable harm which would result would rob not only the present generation of residents and visitors, but also future generations.
CAPTION: The Bahamas National Trust continues to warn about environmental degradation.
“Our environment is our very existence,” said Mr. Carey in an interview with the Bahama Journal.
He added, “Whether it’s going into the bushes and picking pigeon plums or getting bush medicine, or on a bigger scale, if we don’t protect the coral reefs of The Bahamas there will be no dive industry. No dive industry translates into a loss of millions of dollars of income and the loss of lots of jobs.”
Mr. Carey pointed out that in addition to the much-touted sun, sand and sea for which the country is well known, visitors are also attracted to The Bahamas by its pristine ecosystems, flora and fauna.
The director said a major component of the Bahamas National Trust’s campaign to help protect natural resources would entail improving awareness of the vulnerability and importance of the environment.
He indicated, however, that the Trust is limited in the amount of public education initiatives it can maintain. A principal factor restricting its efforts, he said, is the shortage of funds.
“The reality is that over the past five or six years the National Trust has been running at a serious deficit and we are really appealing to people to become members,” he said.
“The budget of the Trust is probably approaching $2 million now and out of that the government subvention is only about $50,000 so clearly that is a very small percentage of our overall budget.”
In addition to the annual grant from government, the Bahamas National Trust derives its funds from contributions by individual members, various foundations, and international organisations, Mr. Carey said.
He noted that while the Bahamas National Trust would like to see an increase in the level of financial support from government it is nevertheless appreciative of the current contribution and other forms of support which it receives from the public sector.
He also pointed out that in spite of the Trust’s success to date, much work remains to be done.
“One of the things we need is more financing so that we can develop comprehensive educational programmes and raise the level of awareness,” said Mr. Carey.
“Unlike countries like the United States and Canada which are now into their second generation of environmental education and have decision-makers who went through environmental education in their youth, The Bahamas does not have that broad experience in environmental education,” he added.
According to the director, adjustment of the attitude of decision-makers, the public and private sectors, and the average citizen toward environmental protection through effective education programmes would bode well for the environment and the country.
Mr. Carey’s comments came on the heels of several major incidents of concern to environmentalists, including the partial clearance of the Perpall Well Fields last week and the discovery of significant dumping in a park located in the south-central part of New Providence earlier this year.
By: Darrin Culmer, The Bahama Journal
