Several concerned tour operators have launched a major bid to stop the development of a golf course and the filling in of The Bay at Athol Island.
Nine tour operators, who have operated in the area for many years, in a statement issued yesterday, are asking Bahamians to support their campaign against Kerzner International’s development on Athol Island in an effort to conserve the natural green and marine spaces of the area.
“Although some Bahamians may know of the planned golf course for Athol Island, few are aware that the plan entails a large landfill project into The Bay to enlarge the island,” said the statement.
“Our tourists have travelled to The Bahamas to enjoy the coral reefs, the marine life and our beautiful turquoise waters. They sea view, snorkel, scuba dive and helmet dive in the Athol Island region. The tourists are thrilled with our clean waters and the abundant and diverse marine life.”
According to the operators, The Bay, designated to be land-filled, is a nursery for the fish and marine life. “We believe very much that, like the forest that cleans the air, the sponges, seaweed and other organisms of The Bay provide a similar and vital service for the sea,” they said.
Christopher Hartley, one of the nine tour operators in support of the preservation and protection of the area, told the Guardian yesterday that, “Right now they are pouring dirt and digging around the area and all of that dirt creates an environmental mess.” He added that the sea nursery contains countless numbers of baby conch, sponges and unique coral reefs.
According to Mr Hartley, the land where several million-dollar homes presently sit on Paradise Island was once a marine garden, which has since been “filled in with cement” for commercial purposes. “They put in a cement factory and then that became Paradise Island Airways. So what I’m saying is that we have already destroyed a major part of the sea garden and now we’re slowly moving eastward destroying more and more of the area. We need to protect some part to give nature a chance,” he said.
The operators’ statement was signed by the proprietors of Hartley’s Undersea Walk, Bahama Divers, Snorkeling and Harbour Tours, Bahama Queen/Booze and Cruise, Flying Cloud, Sea World Explorer, Barefoot Sailing Cruises, Crystal Lady Cruises and Seahorse Sailing Adventures. The tour operators want members of the Bahamian public to contact their local MPs to “stop this tragedy from happening.”
Mr Hartley claimed that most environmentalists know that golf courses are extremely dangerous to the ocean. “All of the run-off that goes into the sea contain fertiliser that kills everything.”
The marine garden is the last natural seabed left in the harbour, he said.
Earlier this year, Sam Duncombe, a well-known environmentalist, said a seabed located off Athol Island was the world’s oldest marine garden. She feared that the dirt from the construction on Paradise Island, if it were to seep into the water and move eastward with the tide, could lead to the destruction of this “world wonder.”
However, government officials have denied that this development is damaging the surrounding marine life.
The Guardian attempted to contact officials at Kerzner International yesterday to obtain a response to the operators’ claims but both Richard Watkins and Ed Fields were said to be off the island.
By: VIRAJ PERPALL, The Nassau Guardian
