That claim was made by local environmentalist Peter Douglas in response to reports that a group of American scientists is exploring newly discovered reefs between Florida and Bimini which may have the potential to treat human diseases such as cancer or Alzheimer’s.
“Our natural resource information and value are being pirated out of our country constantly by foreign institutions,” said Mr Douglas of the Andros National Conservancy and Trust (ANCAT).
“A lot of the information that is derived from the research on these organisms never stays in The Bahamas. We never have access to it. It is never shared with the public. It is never valued and we are never compensated for it. We sell ourselves cheap.”
Mr Douglas said that as a conservationist, his life’s work has been to push for laws to protect and put a “face value” on the country’s natural resources.
“Research on marine organisms for medicinal purposes has been going on in The Bahamas for a very long time. One of the things as an NGO we were advocating for is … for The Bahamas government, through the United Nations, to put a value on our marine resources that are used by private research organisations to gather huge profits through pharmaceutical usage,” he told the Guardian.
“A Bahamian cannot go to the United States, get a permit and experiment on any of its natural resources for our own personal use.”
Scientists from the Florida-based Harbour Branch Institute, along with officials from the University of Miami, are conducting research in Bahamian waters, exploring for the first time newly discovered deep-sea reefs between Florida and The Bahamas.
The research, which is expected to continue through the end of May, will be used to learn if a newly discovered coral reef contains organisms that could be used for medicinal purposes.
“From May 22-26, the team will be working at sites on the Bahamas side of the Straits of Florida, about 10 miles from Bimini,” according to a press statement from the Harbour Branch Institute.
The reefs were discovered in 2,000 to 2,900 feet of water last December by a University of Miami team using advanced sonar techniques.
By: LaShonne Outten, The Nassau Guardian
